Who the hell is lozeak?

lozeak is ready to make a stir. From gaining Oli Sykes’ nod of approval to landing spots on Spotify’s major alternative playlists, the 19-year-old genre-buster – real name Lauren Eakins – has been on an unstoppable rise over the past 12 months. Now, on her new mixtape Gut Feeling, the Norwich singer-songwriter is ready to show the world exactly what she's capable of.

For fans of Cassyette, Ashnikko and Maggie Lindemann, lozeak is carving out her own infectious pop-rock soundscape. Here, in the latest instalment of our Who The Hell Is…? series, we find out more about her new mixtape, her dream to collaborate with Kim Petras, and much more…

So, lozeak, we’ve got to ask: what’s your gut feeling right now?
"My gut feeling is good! I'm really excited."

You’ve been surrounded by music from a young age. When did you decide that you wanted to be an artist?
"Ever since I was super-young, I was just really into music and my parents were so musical so they just played me loads of stuff. I was like, 'That's what I'm gonna do!' I never really had a plan B. At school, I just always chose music. I did music college for a bit, but I never had another option. I never wanted to do anything else."

You have a very clear-cut image and aesthetic. Where do you draw the line between Lauren and lozeak?
"In my head Lauren Eakins is a different person, especially when I go onstage – it's kind of two different people. My dad is covered in tattoos and my family are quite alternative, so growing up it was always how I was going to look anyway. In how I express myself and how I look, I like how before you've spoken to someone they kind of know a bit about your personality by just looking at you, and that's important for me. I want people to see that I'm just being myself and it's okay for everyone else to do the same."

Your track Word Vomit is brash, unapologetic and out there. How did it come about?
"So it was actually a joke. The Nocturnes did most of the mixtape with me. We'd written a few poppy songs like Used To You in a week and decided to do a fucking crazy song where it doesn't matter what we're saying. I was inspired by a song called Yeah, Yeah by [electro duo] Bodyrox, which my parents showed to me growing up. I loved her vocals on it, which were so British and shouty. We sent it to the label and they said to release it as my first song. I didn't think they would get it, but they did which is so nice."

What’s your safety go-to album?
"This is so random but Katy Perry's first album, One Of The Boys. I kind of based my mixtape on it. She grew up as this Christian girl and then she came up with songs like Ur So Gay and Mannequin that should be really controversial, but people loved them. I wanted to do that a bit with my lyrics and with the sound, so it's rock-inspired, but it's still pop."

What came first, the tattoo or the mixtape?
"The tattoo! It was like my second-ever tattoo, but I didn't know what to get. So I was like I should just go with my gut feeling. I always act on impulse, but in a good way. I've never regretted it or thought about what it meant, so then I was like, 'I should call the mixtape Gut Feeling.'"

How would you summarise the EP?
"I started writing when I was like 16, and the concept is about your gut feeling and how growing up through teenage years with friendships and relationships. I grew up in a small village in Norwich and was always so comfortable with my friendships, and when I moved to London, I started achieving things, and I lost a lot of friends because of it."

You’ve earned a few famous fans in Oli Sykes, Jack Saunders and Frank Carter. What has that been like as a newbie making a name for yourself?
"It's so mad! I remember when [Oli] first messaged me and I was like, 'How do you even know who I am?!' He's been in the industry for so long. It's comforting to know that people have been in it for so long get you and believe in you. It's really nice, especially with Jack and Frank as well."

What does it feel like to be part of this growing alt.pop community?
"It's really nice and it's happened really naturally, which is cool. When I first got into music and into the industry, I didn't know that this world was there for young creatives or that this community was there. It's nice to know that there are people there, especially since alt. music is mainstream now."

What’s been your biggest ‘I’ve made it’ moment so far?
"When I got asked to play the Spotify misfits 2.0 night and that Spotify knows who I am. Every day I go to the studio, I'm like, 'What is going on?' All of it is insane to me. When fans are singing words back to me, I always take my in-ears out so I can hear them. It's such a good feeling."

What’ve you got planned next? World domination?
"I'm already planning new projects that I want to put together with songs I've already made. More music and festivals this year. I want to do a lot of collaborations this year so, hopefully, look out for those."

Any names we’d recognise?
"Oli Sykes is in mind, but it's a starting at the top! There's a few people out there that are really cool. Kid Brunswick and obviously Cassyette too. This is so random, but I love Kim Petras and she posted on her story at the Spotify night so maybe with her."

lozeak's new mixtape Gut Feeling is out now

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