Track-by-Track: Lola Kristine Opens Up About Her New Album ‘Chapters’

Soulful songstress Lola Kristine captivates listeners with her newest album, CHAPTERS, released in May. This heartfelt collection of songs takes listeners on a journey of redemption, showcasing Lola’s raw and vulnerable storytelling through five beautifully crafted chapters. From the opening chapter, Lola’s search for love and stability is laid bare as she navigates the complexities of romantic relationships. As the album progresses, CHAPTERS delves deeper into Lola’s emotional journey, exploring themes of grief, lost love, and facing your inner demons. Lola ultimately comes out on the other side full of self-empowerment and having found true healing within.

In writing CHAPTERS, Lola used her unique blend of influences spanning country-pop and Americana to retro soul and R&B, to bring forth a rich and diverse musical experience. Her writing is a testament to the power of music as a means of storytelling and personal transformation.

Lola joins us today for a special Track-by-Track rundown of the album. She dives into how her music invites listeners to embark on an emotional journey of redemption and self-discovery, leaving them inspired and uplifted.

1. “California Cowboy”

“I met quite the character one night at a show I was playing in Southern California. He was a true California cowboy. I’m originally from the Midwest and have a soft spot for anything down-home country. Even though I had a lot of hesitation about him, I found myself getting swept off my feet into a romantic love affair. Falling in love can be a pretty addicting feeling. I know I have been blinded by it many times. I’d find myself falling in love with the idea of someone, rather than the person that is actually in front of me. I wrote this song shortly after we met.”

2. “You and Me”

“‘You and Me’ is about wanting the simplicity of a fairytale romance. It gets into all the ooey-gooey sweet feelings of a new love. At the time I wrote this, I didn’t want to face the reality that maybe this relationship wasn’t everything I thought it was, so this song helped keep me in my dreamland.”

3. “Just Friends”

“I started writing this song years ago when the person I was dating suddenly friend-zoned me. The lyrics sing a desperate plea to rekindle the electric connection we once shared. I ended up finishing the song years later with my co-producer Justin Busch. It was the perfect song to transition the album from the initial giddy love affair into the heavy-hitting breakup chapter.”

4. “Sheets”

“This song was written when I was in total denial that my relationship with the California cowboy had ended. I literally was still sleeping in his bed even though he was never there anymore. He still wanted me around but kept ghosting me, leaving me confused and hurt. I couldn’t let go of the imagined life I had created with him.”

5. “Wish You Love”

“I actually wrote this song back in 2021 at the end of a different toxic long-term relationship. The song originally started as a poem I wrote while I was allowing the intense sadness of heartbreak to wash over me. It was new for me to actually sit with my ‘negative’ feelings. I was grieving the relationship but also working on forgiving my partner and myself so we could move forward with grace. My prayer was to let the fire of pain refine me so I could truly wish my partner love instead of being bitter.”

6. “Find Me in the Wilderness”

“‘Find Me in the Wilderness’ was the most recent song I wrote for the album. I felt like it was the missing piece to tie everything together. After the breakup saga, it was time for a new journey, one I had been avoiding for a long time. This song is about coming home to yourself, facing the dark shadows within and rediscovering your wild soul. I had to make friends with my inner demons and heal my insecurities, shaking myself free from their strongholds.”

Cover art for ‘CHAPTERS’ by Lola Kristine

7. “Living for Myself”

“I wrote ‘Living For Myself’ after a meeting I had with a man who was a pretty established manager in the music industry. He told me I would be successful if I could just pick one genre and stick with it. Put myself in a box so I’d be more marketable. (As you might have noticed if you’ve listened to the record so far, I didn’t take that man’s advice.) At the time, I listened patiently to him, although I felt an anger building within me.

“When I got home from the meeting, this song just poured out of me immediately once I sat at the piano. The song showed me how I really felt deep down. It was a big moment for me to finally start standing up for myself and what was true for me instead of always giving my power away to people I perceived as ‘higher up’ than me. It was also about being confident on my own and not needing a partner to define me.”

8. “Brighter”

“As I learned to love myself more, I was no longer desperately looking for a prince charming to save me but wanted a partner who respected and cherished me. I didn’t need to settle for any more dramatic rollercoaster relationships.

“This song came to me one day when I was experimenting with looping a ukulele, flute, percussion sounds and handpan. The lyrics flowed out easily as I reflected on the joy of the new relationship I was in that was actually healthy and life-giving. My co-producer Justin Busch and I ended up keeping a lot of my original demo for this track on the record. It turned out to be one of my favourites.”

9. “So Easy”

“I am a huge fan of classic rock and Motown music. The production on this song was definitely influenced by two of my favourite legends: Carole King and Aretha Franklin. I wrote ‘So Easy’ expanding on the theme of feeling at ease in a relationship instead of stressed out. It was so refreshing to me to find a romance that could be so beautiful, uncomplicated and supportive.”

10. “Gypsy Soul”

“As an independent woman who recently went through intense heartbreaks, the idea of another long-term commitment was challenging. I wrote this song as I was trying to find balance between my wandering gypsy side and the part of me that longed for a steady relationship. This song was the beginning of me embracing the idea that I could still have freedom within a committed partnership. That I could still be a wild flowing river yet be held by strong banks.”

11. “Never Knew”

“The last two songs of the record transition into my connection with a higher sense of love beyond romance. As I reflected on my journey through relationships, I saw how Spirit was teaching me to let go of attachments and refining me. Through all the highs and lows, God was just trying to call me home. I wrote ‘Never Knew’ about overcoming fear and feeling the unconditional love of Christ that pours from life when we let go and surrender. In the arms of the Eternal, we can finally find rest.”

12. “The Other Side”

“A few years ago, I had an incredible dream that showed me heaven was available here on earth, at any moment. There was an unexplainable feeling of peace and joy I felt in the dream that stayed with me for the next few days. The dream was brought to life in a writing session with my friend and co-producer for the album, Justin Busch.

“This song invites listeners to see the interconnectedness of all life instead of believing in the myth of separation. To no longer be a victim of the past, but to co-create your own story of bliss with the Divine. Heaven isn’t simply a place you go, It’s a winding canyon inside your soul.”