A Chat With Lola Wild (27.02.25)
Rising artist Lola Wild invites us into her world of nostalgia, emotion, and cinematic soundscapes with her latest single ‘Jump The Gun’. In this interview, we dive into the inspiration behind the song, the balance between past and present in her music, and what we can expect from her upcoming EP, Lost Signal. From dreamy ’80s’80s influences to intimate storytelling, Wild shares her creative process, personal reflections, and the journey that shapes her sound.
OSR: ‘Jump the Gun’ has a beautifully melancholic and nostalgic feel. What inspired the story behind this song, and how did your personal experiences shape it?
Wild: Thank you, that really means a lot. ‘Jump the Gun’ came from a place of reflection, that feeling of looking back on something that once felt so certain, only to realise with time that it was never quite what you thought. I’ve always been drawn to that bittersweet space between hope and regret, where nostalgia can be both comforting and a little cruel. A lot of it is shaped by my own experiences from when I’ve been too quick to believe in something, only to watch it slip away. I think we all have those moments where we act on impulse, convinced we’re doing the right thing, but later see it all in a different light.
OSR: The production carries a distinct 80s influence with a modern twist. How did you and Jim Wallis approach crafting the sonic landscape for this track?
Wild: Yeah, we definitely wanted to lean into that dreamy, cinematic feel with this tune. There’s something about the textures of 80s production that really lends itself to nostalgia, which sits at the heart of ‘Jump the Gun’. Jim and I spent a lot of time finding the right balance between that vintage warmth and a more modern, intimate feel. A big part of it was about space, too. We layered those reverb-drenched guitars and airy synths to create that hazy, drifting atmosphere, but kept the rhythm section quite grounded, giving it a pulse. There’s always a temptation to overfill a song like this, but we wanted to make sure every element had purpose and that nothing distracted from the feeling
OSR: Lyrically, the song can be interpreted as both a breakup story and an internal dialogue. Was this dual meaning intentional from the start, or did it evolve organically?
Wild: I think it was always going to have that duality. For me, the most interesting songs tend to live in that grey area where emotion isn’t just about one thing but a tangle of different feelings. ‘Jump the Gun’ started out as quite a personal reflection, but as the lyrics took shape, it became clear that it could be heard in different ways. I love when people take their own meaning from a song though. The best ones always feel a little different depending on where you are in your own head when you hear them
OSR: Can you tell us about your writing process for this song? Did the lyrics or melody come first?
Wild: I tend to write quite instinctively, so the melody and lyrics usually come hand in hand. With ‘Jump the Gun’, I remember sitting with the guitar, playing around with those wistful chords, and the first few lines just kind of surfaced. Instrumentally, it started with me messing around with a few chords on my Omnichord. There’s something about its tone that immediately puts you in a certain headspace. Once I had the core of the song, I went back and refined the lyrics, making sure every word sat right within the melody. But the heart of it, those first chords, that initial melody came from just playing around and letting the song lead the way.
OSR: Recording at Strongroom Studios is an incredible opportunity. How did that environment contribute to the energy and mood of the track?
Wild: Strongroom has such a great atmosphere. It’s got this warmth and character that really seeps into the music. There’s something about being in a studio with that kind of history that gives you a bit of extra confidence to lean into the mood of the track. It definitely helped capture that dreamy, nostalgic feel we were going for.
OSR: Your background in dance seems to influence your music’s rhythm and movement. How does this connection between dance and music play into your creative process?
Wild: Yeah, I think there’s a real connection between the two; music and movement just go hand in hand for me. When I’m writing, I’m always thinking about how a song feels physically, not just emotionally. The rhythm, the sway of it, the way it carries you – that all comes into play. Even in the more melancholic tracks, there’s still a kind of pulse, a flow that keeps it moving. I guess dance has just made me more aware of that, of how a song can exist in the body as much as in the mind.
OSR: Who are some of your biggest musical influences, and how did they shape the sound of ‘Jump the Gun’?
Wild: Billy Idol’s ‘Eyes Without a Face’ was a big influence on this one. I love how it blends that dreamy, cinematic feel with something darker underneath. There’s a real tension in the way it moves, and I wanted to capture a bit of that in ‘Jump the Gun’. Vocally, I’ve always been drawn to that deep melancholy you hear in artists like David Bowie and Nina Simone – the way their voices carry so much emotion without ever feeling forced. That definitely shaped the melody, keeping it intimate but full of feeling.
OSR: What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take away from this song?
Wild: I’d love for people to take away whatever they need from it, whether that’s comfort, nostalgia, or just a moment to sit with their own memories. It’s a song for those late-night thoughts, when the past feels closer than it should
OSR: Your music blends nostalgia with contemporary elements so seamlessly. How do you strike that balance without sounding purely retro or overly modern?
Wild: Cheers, that’s so lovely to hear. For me, it’s about keeping the emotion at the forefront. I love the sounds of the past, but I don’t want to get stuck in them. With ‘Jump the Gun’, it was about taking those nostalgic elements, the synths, the guitars and blending them with something more immediate and personal. It’s all about finding a feeling that resonates now but with a nod to the past, so it doesn’t feel too nostalgic or too forward-thinking. Just trying to make something timeless, really
OSR: With ‘Jump the Gun’ being a preview of your upcoming EP, Lost Signal, what can we expect from the rest of the project in terms of themes and sound?
Wild: With Lost Signal, I wanted to explore that feeling of being caught between two worlds, kind of lost in static or caught between the past and the present. The sound will still have that dreamy, melancholic vibe, but there’s a bit more variety. Some tracks are a bit more stripped-back, others more expansive. There’s quite a mix of sounds and themes really. You’ll find some folk and acoustic-style tracks that feel really raw and intimate alongside a bit of a Latin-tinged, Nick Cave-esque number that’s got a darker edge to it. There’s even an ABBA-style pop track in there, which was a bit of fun to experiment with. It’s all tied together by that feeling of being lost or searching for something, but each song explores it in a different way.
Many thanks to Lola Wild for speaking with us. Find out more about Lola Wild on her website, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, TikTok and Spotify.
