A Dirty Dozen with LOLITSLEA – August 2026

According to a recent press release: “Fresh off the announcement of her highly anticipated sophomore album RollerCoaster Tycoon, neon pop punk artist lolitslea is excited to share another new track. “Summer 09” is a vibrant blast from the past. Everything lolitslea touches turns to vibrant shades of blue and green. From her iconic split-dye hair to her fiery presence on and off stage, Lea is bringing back the Neon Pop Punk era one release at a time. She’s a product of the Asbury Park music scene, and it shows: the grit of the Stone Pony mixed with the bright, kitschy colors of the Jersey Shore are evident in her sound – but she’s so much more than that. Whether it’s gracing the stage at Emo Nite, touring the country with Diva Bleach, or performing alongside artists such as Taylor Acorn and Games We Play, lolitslea shows no signs of slowing down. She’s entering a new era with her sophomore record, RollerCoaster Tycoon, which will immerse readers into Lea’s fluorescent world. Expect exciting new collaborations with songwriters such as Cassadee Pope and Tony Pietrafesa, as well as the intricate worldbuilding of your favorite video game.” We get lolitaslea herself to discuss new music, influences, and more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release.  What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through?  Are there any hidden nuggets you put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

Oh this is fun! I like to put lil electro moments in my music that sound like they could be in a video game. Like sound effects from video games or general 8-bit style sounds hidden in the melodies. That’s something that happens a lot on the next record that I hope people start to find hidden in there. That and there are some fun background vocal cameos!

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what got me into music because I’ve been singing and listening my whole life. For me, it just came naturally as part of my everyday routine. I started discovering songs I enjoyed hearing on the radio and getting into collecting CDs. Some of the first albums I owned were Aaron Carter, Dream Street, Play, Jesse McCartney. It wasn’t really a question of if I wanted to be a musician, but when I was going to pursue it in full capacity. I started writing songs around 5th grade and performing originals in high school.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

I always like to say my original taste was crafted from a mix between A Twist In My Story by Secondhand Serenade and A Lesson In Romantics by Mayday Parade. I’ve probably listened to both those records more times than I’d like to admit to the point where it shaped the way I write my lyrics and melodies.

4. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

Jason Lancaster from Go Radio! His voice is probably an all time favorite of mine. The delivery of his lines are jam packed with emotion. It’s cool to hear such a full-bodied voice sing such clean runs with a lot of rasp. I feel like I can relate to that in my vocals and definitely take inspiration from him.

5. What is your favorite activity when out of the studio and/or not on tour?  What do you like to do to unwind?

If I’m not out socializing with my friends or trying new beers, I’m playing my handheld gaming systems. I recently got into modding Nintendo DS’s so I’ve been rediscovering some of my favorite games I used to play growing up!

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

I would describe my sound as neon pop punk. This keeps it in line with that poppier version of pop punk that I loved listening to growing up! No odd comparisons lately, which makes me happy and feel like I’m going in the right direction sonically 🙂

7. When your band is hanging out together, who cooks, who gets the drinks in, and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

Weirdly enough, I don’t think any of my bandmates pull out their instruments to jam when we’re on the road. Though sometimes any of us hop on a grand piano if we’re lucky to be around one! Usually we’re all so locked in on the performance and then getting food and sleep– you know, the basic life necessities haha. However, we’re not shy to sing silly little jingles in the van during long drives. As far as what we like to eat on the road– we do love a post show diner stop! That, or Dave will call and let every fast food business know we’re coming to town 😉 (iykyk) For drinks, you’ll usually always find me with a local beer after a set.

8. When was the last time you were starstruck and who was it?

I can’t say I get starstruck too often, but I’ve been in the same rooms as some of my idols lately and definitely stumble on my words a bit while thanking them for creating the music they do! Getting to open for Greg Raposo of Dream Street as well as John from Secondhand Serenade this past year. Doing an Emo Nite with Derek Sanders from Mayday Parade and writing a song on my record with Cassadee Pope and Dan Swank. Just really cool moments with very talented, inspirational people that raised me musically!

9. What is the best part of being a musician? If you could no longer be a musician for whatever reason, what would be your dream job?

Unfortunately, I have no real passion outside of music lmao. I work in social media and marketing as my day to day, so I’m sure I would keep that up if music didn’t exist. But I think the best part about it existing is the fact that I get to chase and live out my dreams doing the one sole thing that I’ve always wanted to do! There’s so many hardships in being a musician and artist, but usually they’re outweighed by the reason we do this in the first place.

10. What is one question you have always wanted an interviewer to ask – and what is the answer? Conversely, what question are you tired of answering?

I feel like I always want people to ask what I’m currently playing so I can do a show and tell of my Nintendo collection. That or maybe a tattoo tour! As far as tired of answering, idk, not everyone has met me or listened to my music yet, so as redundant as some of the questions can feel, I always try to come up with a fun new way to answer them.

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over,” even if it didn’t change your current situation?

I’m a firm believer of everything happens for a reason type beat. There were moments earlier in my career where I wish I spoke out more or fought for myself and my music harder, but harping on the “what if I did this?” is real negative and anything I could have changed in the past has only helped me figure out what I want for the future.

12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

I definitely have multiple records for this answer, but today I’m going to pick A Rocket To The Moon’s On Your Side. I think every track on this album is so fun and playful and I would have loved to listen in on this record being made. Any opportunity to be able to sit in on a session in this genre growing up would have been super inspirational. Actually, there’s an answer for the previous question! I definitely wish I started networking, going to more shows, and working on my music career at a younger age. I’m heavily inspired by records from the late 2000’s / early 2010’s and I wish I knew how to start my career earlier instead of focusing on school or whatever. lol.

LOLITSLEA LINKS:

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Category: Interviews