Music
Meet lozeak: the alter-ego (if you’ll excuse the pun that references her gritty, flamboyant anthem from 2022) of Lauren Eakins, who is staking her case as one of the big game players across plenty of sounds – spanning from pure pop to vicious alt-rock, with virtually everything in between.
Having initially burst onto the scene with the ferocious ‘Word Vomit’, lozeak has since gathered a devout online following that is starting to take material shape as her live shows have picked up substantial momentum. On the eve of her first full body of work, the ‘Gut Feeling’ mixtape, Clash meets lozeak to timeline her evolution to date and reflect on her recent shows supporting Cassyette.
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Having played only ten live shows beforehand, the Cassyette tour was a baptism of fire for lozeak, almost doubling this number. “The crowds were insane, I couldn’t believe how many people I was performing to” she tells Clash during a brief period of respite, before another milestone London headline date. “As the shows went on, I just got so much more comfortable. It was really good practice for me” – and also for her live band, who help create a seismic sound during anthems that demand no less. “It’s just all come together, and been so nice. Ever since I started live stuff I instantly wanted a band – I feel with that type of music, it just makes sense. It’s so fun with the band, it makes me feel like I’m not alone on stage, as well. It’s nice to have people there to vibe to.”
Sitting second on the bill of a triple-header doesn’t always lend itself kindly to watching the other acts, whether it be warming up or loading out. “It’s a weird one…I feel like none of us [Cassyette and Calva Louise] saw each other except on the first and the last night! There’s so much to think about that I can’t even focus on the performance. We do an “hour of power” in our dressing room where we play music and hype ourselves up! I’m really bad at warming up, but my tour manager was like you need to warm up – so it became kind of a group ritual before we went on. I think because I strain my voice so much in my [daily] sessions anyway and I’m just singing those high notes, my voice has kind of got used to it. It held up for me.”
Efficiency was the name of the game on the setlist, cramming plenty of fan favourites and unheard numbers from ‘Gut Feeling’ into the show. “It’s probably cause all my songs are two minutes!” admits lozeak, who can feel the excitement building, both internally and from her fanbase. “I’m just so excited, I want it to be out now! It was nice to have that listening event, where the fans came and got to hear it early.” Looking ahead to her sold out Camden Assembly show next week, lozeak has promised the full package. “We’re just gonna do the whole mixtape, plus ones that we enjoy playing live. I’m excited to play them all in one go.”
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‘Gut Feeling’ is tattooed in broad letters across lozeak’s midriff, an image that was fittingly revealed as the artwork for the mixtape. “The tattoo came first. It kind of just makes sense with the sons that are on there” she affirms. Listeners have been eased into this poppier sound with the infectiously addictive ‘XO’ and the bittersweet, emo-tinged ‘Used To You’ – yet there’s plenty of potential underdogs ready to become fan favourites. “There’s a song on there called ‘Seasick’, it’s not my usual song, it’s a slow one. I wrote it when I was in Denmark by myself, by the sea and I really resonate with the song and I think other people will as well.”
The nostalgic, arena-ready ‘Drag Me To Hell’ is a firm high point on the mixtape, therefore it’s no wonder that lozeak decided to test this track out live on the road, among others. “For some of the unreleased ones, I was DMing people the words so they could learn them – and then they actually did! On the last show, people were crowd surfing to ‘Word Vomit’ and it was so fun.” It’s fair to say the Cassyette crowd lapped up every last note of lozeak’s live set, and the same will surely ring true at the eclectic range of festivals she’s playing including The Great Escape and 2000 Trees. There’s no boxing lozeak into a specific scene or crowd. “I think, whatever genre people listen to, they just go to gigs to have fun.”
Portions of ‘Gut Feeling’ have been sitting around since her college days, lozeak tells Clash – a product of her relentless approach to songwriting. “I think I work well when I’m just chucking loads of stuff out all the time. I get my best songs when I do loads of shit ones. I want to keep up the momentum of releasing, writing and working.” There’s no doubt she’s already ten steps ahead of her own curve, allowing herself to enjoy this milestone but still looking onward to the future. “I’m ready for new stuff! I know it [the mixtape] isn’t old to the world – I’m still so excited for it to be out – but also, in my head I’m putting together new projects for the songs I’ve already got.”
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‘Gut Feeling’ is out now.
Words: Rishi Shah
