FEATURED ARTIST
LOVETA
Christchurch, New Zealand
ARTIST BACKGROUND
LOVETA is an old soul with a new flavor who makes it her mission to bring you the energy that is reminiscent of past-meets-present. LOVETA A.K.A Lauren Marshall was born and raised in Hawke’s Bay and is now based in Otautahi, New Zealand. Taking influence from the divas of the ’60s and ’70s, and inspired by top-tier artists such as YEBBA, Amber Mark, Kim Petras, and Dua Lipa, she combines disco and funk with modern electro-pop, R&B, and dance elements to deliver a fresh and exciting take on classic sounds. Her latest release 'More Than Fun' is a soulful nu-disco-inspired dance-pop anthem that is guaranteed to get you dancing.
Teaming up with well-renowned New Zealand producer, Wulfie, as well as industry heavyweight Simon Gooding (Dua Lipa, P!nk, Ed Sheeran), LOVETA is here to bring the party back, and is proving to be an artist to watch!
So, shall we go through this track then?...
MORE THAN FUN REVIEW
LOVETA goes straight in for the kill with her latest single "More Than Fun". Released only just yesterday (20th May) I can see this track jumping the dance/pop charts with the correct promotion team! Reminiscent of 80s funk, I got a real Dua Lipa "Future Nostalgia" feel from this track. Actually, wait, Simon Gooding who has worked with Dua Lipa actually mixed this piece! I'm a sucker for funk, I mean, who isn't? The guitar riffs are crazy in this production and I think this track would get even Ebenezer Scrooge down to Boogey. I can envision "More Than Fun" being at the top of DJ setlists at 80s nights and Rollerdiscos for definite! I really loved this one. It's a 10/10 effort and execution from me! Make sure that you click the link below to get your groove on with LOVETA. I can't wait to hear what's coming next! Speaking of the next steps, I managed to get LOVETA in for an interview. Want to know where she gets her inspiration from and what her next steps are? Then read our interview below!
INTERVIEW
What would be your ultimate achievement for 'More Than Fun'?
My ultimate achievement for the track would be for it to reach as many listeners worldwide as it can and inspire them to have fun and live life in the moment, and hopefully make it onto some banging playlists… I’d really love to gain a solid fan base who enjoy my vibe!
Is there a particular vision that you had when putting the project together?
I spend a lot of time listening to dance pop, disco, and funk music and have always been a massive fan of those genres - especially those that inspire a sense of nostalgia in me. So I wanted to combine my love of old and new to create a fresh sound and image that was an homage to the past, but also very current. With this song in particular, I wanted to evoke pure ‘good vibes’, as a contrast to the heaviness the world has experienced over the last couple of years. It was important to bring back the sense of freedom, and joy, and try to get people back out and dancing!
What are your ultimate career goals overall?
My ultimate career goals would be to keep releasing awesome music, to regularly play amazing shows and festivals all over the world, collaborate with other talented creatives, and create a solid musical legacy.
When did you first realise that you had the potential to be an artist?
I’ve been a performing artist my whole life - I’ve sung, danced, acted, and played guitar since I was a child, and even have a degree in Musical Theatre. My journey as a creative professional has given me the opportunity to really figure out what I’m passionate about musically, and where I want to go ultimately. I’ve written music for a long time as well, but it took a while to get to the point where I was ready to share my own songs, craft my unique sound, and have the resources to bring it all together in the way I would like. I’ve always had a deep desire to be an artist, and not just sing other peoples’ music for a living, but I’m grateful for the experiences that have lead me to this point. Is there a memory that has stuck in your mind as the turning point for you? There were a couple of crucial turning points for me. The first being the COVID pandemic hitting back in 2020, as at that time I was working as a performer on a cruise ship and ended up being stuck on board and unable to return home for many months. It gave me a lot of time to write music and make future musical plans, as I would not be returning back work on cruise ships for the foreseeable time being. I knew it was a sign to start my original music career, so I’m thankful for that redirection. The second turning point was meeting my co-writer/producer, Tim Heeringa, upon returning home to New Zealand. We had such a fantastic connection and it was evident that he would be the right person to help bring my music to life. Quoting your lyrics in 'More Than Fun' - "Don't wanna waste no time, never know what comes tomorrow" calls us to live in the moment and go with the flow.
What does living in the moment look like to you?
Living in the moment for me is about seeing the bigger picture - not getting caught up in the little details of life, and letting life unfold as it should. It’s about counting your blessings, making the most of the good times when they happen, and cherishing the things you love such as health, freedom, and family and friends. It’s stepping out of your comfort zone, taking a chance, and following your passion - whatever makes you happy or inspires you in the moment!
You collaborated with Simon Gooding (Dua Lipa, P!nk, Ed Sheeran) that's amazing! How did that come about? and what was his involvement in the project?
Yeah it was so awesome having him collaborate on the track! I was able to reach out to him and see if he was interested in being a part of the process, and he ended up being our mixing engineer. Very grateful to have his experience and expertise on board!
What are the main influences in your songwriting process? How would you define your sound?
Songwriting is a super fluid and experimental process for me. I listen to a lot of different types of music, and honestly most of my ideas come to me in the shower! I usually jam melodies on the guitar and see what lyrics flow out. I find it super helpful to collaborate with another songwriter, and co-writing with my producer Wulfie/Tim Heeringa was crucial to capturing the retro flavour of this song. I’m super inspired by soul/funk vocalists, as well as a lot of R&B stylings, so have always had a soft spot for powerful female singers like Whitney Houston and YEBBA. The greats of the 60’s and 70’s are also an influence, women such as Nina Simone, Etta James, and Gloria Gaynor. I like to combine that essence with modern dance-pop energy to tie it all together into a sound that is also current and hits the commercial market.
If you had the opportunity to work with one of your favorite musical artists, who would you most like to collaborate with and why?
That is such a tough question to answer, as there as so so many I would love to work with. Honestly I’d have to start with Amy Winehouse, as she is just an absolute icon and her music has made such an imprint on me. YEBBA and Amber Mark are such fierce females with really unique musical sounds, and it would be amazing to get in the studio with them. Collaborating on a track with Dua Lipa or Kylie Minogue would be so much fun and an absolute party… I could just go on and on!
What are your future plans? What can we look forward to for the rest of 2022?
It’s going to be a busy and exciting rest of 2022! I have a few more singles to release, as well as my debut EP. All going to plan, I’ll be out and about playing shows and hopefully a festival or two. A cheeky tour would be great as well, but I’m happy to be seeing where the music takes me!
Where can we find the track? Links to socials and distribution handles
You can find the track by searching LOVETA on Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp, and on your favourite streaming service. You can also watch the music video on my Youtube! https://open.spotify.com/artist/23wnI8G4fiIgh3Ph0X2Vxf?si=OweWwJe5RkSpgzUQknaOQ https://www.instagram.com/loveta.music/ https://www.facebook.com/loveta.music https://www.tiktok.com/@loveta.music https://twitter.com/lovetamusic https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS_QnbkPJRfNKap9l-D32rA https://loveta.bandcamp.com/