An Interview With The Rising R&B/Pop Singer, LULISE!

Meet the rising r&b/pop songstress, Lulise. 

She’s gearing up to release her next single, “Taken.” Listen to it here: https://soundcloud.com/iamlulise/taken/s-LgcBp

This track expertly encompasses everything there is to love about pop music: a catchy hook and chorus, delicate and sharp as glass vocals and a sleek beat. It’s the kind of song you can’t help but sing along to.

Born and raised in the city of angels, 2019 is the beginning of Lulise’s venture as a solo artist. Tapping into her R&B roots, she’ll have you mesmerized and dancing along with her song “Read My Hips” produced by Pretty Sister (Betty Who, Rozzi), the track serves as the perfect introduction to the talented and multi-faceted singer/songwriter.

Prior to blazing her own trail as a solo musician, Lulise has been writing and performing with pop duo Honey and Jude over the last 3 years (named one of the top 100 music acts of 2016 & 2017 by Music Connection Magazine).

As a part of Honey and Jude, she co-wrote and collaborated with producers such as Andres Torres (Justin Bieber, Demi Lovato) and Chapters (5 Seconds Of Summer, Jessie J).

In 2018, Lulise’s songwriting skills blossomed and bloomed, mentored by all star songwriter Allan Rich (Whitney Houston, Ray Charles) penning her best songs yet. With natural talent and something to say, Lulise is here to stay.

Connect With Lulise Here: Website

Lear more about Lulise in the following All Access interview:

Thanks for your time today! Where does this interview find you?

Thank you for having me! I am in sunny Los Angeles California!

Now that we are half-way through the year, how has 2019 been treating you? What are some goals that you have for yourself this year? How close are you to reaching them?

2019 has been an amazing year so far! This year has presented me with so many opportunities to develop myself as a solo artist, like working with talented producers who have brought my original songs to life, playing awesome venues in LA like the Hotel Cafe and building a team of people who are helping me make my dreams a reality. I set very ambitious goals for myself this year, like getting signed, playing at festivals or touring as an opening act. At the beginning of this year, those goals seemed unattainable, whereas now I think everything I have done so far this year has brought me very close to achieving them.

Growing up, how important was music in your life? Can you recall the moment when you decided that you wanted to be a musician? Was it an easy or difficult choice to make?

I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t obsessed wit music. As a kid, I was always listening to music, learning new songs and singing in front of people every chance I could get. I have always felt that music and performing is the one place that I am my most authentic self. When I was 13 years old, I played the role of Annie in the musical Annie. I was about to sing the song “Tomorrow,” a song I wasn’t able to sing all the way through without my voice cracking. I was so nervous because I didn’t know if the big final note would come out. As soon as I started the song, my fears melted away and it felt like I was flying. My body was buzzing with what felt like magic. The last note soared out of my mouth and the audience applauded, that was the moment I knew I wanted to be a singer for the rest of my life. Making the decision was easy, sticking to it and never giving up has been the difficult part.

Was there ever a time when you thought about doing something else? If you weren’t a musician today, what else could you see yourself doing? Would you be as fulfilled in life?

I have honestly never thought about doing anything else, I have always known I was born to be a musician!  If I wasn’t a musician I would definitely be an actor, which is another career I hope to pursue in the future. I think acting is very fulfilling because of how similar it is to music in the sense that you create art that is driven by emotion.

What has been the biggest surprise so far about making music your career? What has been an unexpected or welcome challenge to it all?

I think the biggest surprise about making a music career is finding out first-hand how much work it actually takes. Everyone tells you it’s hard work and sacrifice, but I didn’t actually understand what they meant until I was in situations where I had to sacrifice going out with friends, working 3-5 part time jobs, going on complete vocal rest and the list goes on and on. The welcomed challenge has been to not lose my love and passion for what I do in spite of how hard it is. What I have found though is that the harder I work, the more I love it and I can’t wait to see what this next chapter brings.

What has it been like being a solo artist after your time in the duo Honey and Jude? Do you still perform with them at all?

Going solo after being in Honey and Jude definitely took an adjustment period. I was accustomed to having someone to share the load with and all of a sudden I had to do everything myself, creating content, writing the songs, video ideas, branding, running socials…everything! I could not be more grateful for everything I learned while performing with Honey and Jude. My time performing in the duo has definitely made me a better solo artist. What I love about going solo is that my voice and my vision is singing through more than it ever has before. I have loved discovering who I am, what I have to say and what it’s going to sound like. Honey and Jude is not performing right now because we both are on different paths but we hope to reconnect in the future.

Let’s talk about your newest single “Taken.” What was it like putting this song together? How does it compare to your previous songs?

Yay! The process of making this song was so special and unique. First of all, it was inspired by a real life situation I went through (I had a crush on a guy that I found out had a girlfriend </3). Second, the melody and progression was inspired by classic R&B. And lastly, I got to finish it with one of my favorite producers, Pretty Sister. I think what makes it stand out compared to my other songs is that it represents me 100%. It shows off my voice, my writing ability and my vulnerable heart.

Do you have plans to put out more new music soon and a full collection of new songs?

Absolutely! I am planning to drop 2 more singles before the year ends that will be collected on an EP to kick off 2020!

Where can people see you perform next? Do you plan to tour at all this summer or later this year? What has been a favorite performance of yours so far?

August 5th I will be playing a show in Laguna Beach at the cliff restaurant at 7:30 and I am still booking more dates for August which will be up on my website lulise.com. Planning a west coast college tour as well! My favorite performance so far has been at the Hollywood & Highland mall. I sang in the middle of the plaza where it sounded like a stadium! It was so cool to watch people from all over the world stop and listen to me sing. There’s nothing I love more than connecting with the audience and it just felt so surreal  to hear my voice ringing out in the heart of Hollywood.

How do you think you have grown as a musician since you first started making music?

I have grown leaps and bounds! When I started singing, I didn’t want to write songs or play any instruments…I wanted to be a diva! Luckily my manager set me straight haha. After years and years of practice and studying, I now play guitar, piano and I am in LOVE with songwriting. I laugh when I look back now because I realize I was just afraid of being bad at it and I was bad at it for a long time, but because I never gave up, I am now so happy and grateful for all the growing pains.

What has it been like keeping up with your social media accounts and all of the different platforms? Is it hard to stay up to date on it all? What would you say is your favorite way to connect with your fans now? What has social media done for your career so far?

Social media is definitely a job within itself and it’s always changing! It is hard to stay up to date all the time because I am not a person who thinks about posting all the time, I have to remind myself! It’s not something that comes naturally to me but I am working on it! Instagram is definitely my favorite way to connect with fans and new people. Social media has helped me reach new fans and has even connected me with cool people that I have collaborated with like my photographer.

Who are some of your favorite artists or rather, what musicians have continued to inspire you and your music? Who would you absolutely love to work with in the future?

Adele, Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga & Ed Sheeran have been huge inspirations over the past few years because I love the albums they have put out, their natural talent and songwriting. Any one of these artists would be an absolute dream to work with in the future.

If you had an unlimited budget and your schedule was free, what would your dream music video look like?

With unlimited budget I would love to do a video that’s more of a short film than just a music video. I have a song that has yet to come out that has a heartbreaking storyline that I have the whole video visualized already. Top actors, amazing sets, intimate shots, beautiful lighting, a huge party scene and an unexpected twist at the end! Can’t wait to make this video when I finally get the budget!

What has been the coolest place/TV show/commercial that you have heard a song of yours? Where would you love to hear a future song of yours played?

The coolest place one of my songs has been played was in a SoulCycle class! I would love for one of my songs to be in a huge feature film one day starring Zendaya!

At the end of the day, what do you hope people take away from your music?

I hope people can hear the honesty in my music. That my talent is real, my story is real and my that music made solely for the purpose of connecting.

Would you like to share anything else with our readers about your music?

I just want to thank you for reading this interview! I hope to connect with you soon at one of my shows or through my socials, you can find me @iamlulise everywhere! Take a listen to my songs and let me know what you think 🙂