Interview withKristell Lowagie (vocals) from Lovelorn Dolls
LOVELORN DOLLS, the Belgian dark Synth-Rock duo, are back with their fourth album, ‘Deadtime Stories’, set to release on May 24th via Alfa Matrix / SPLEEN+. Consisting of Kristell Lowagie on vocals and Bernard Daubresse on guitars and synths, the duo masterfully blends Gothic Rock elements with dark, catchy melodies.
Known for their eerie, Tim Burton-esque visuals and soundscapes, LOVELORN DOLLS create a unique, atmospheric experience that fans of GARBAGE, LACUNA COIL, and THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE are sure to love. Following a five-year hiatus, during which Kristell explored her talents as a photographer and visual artist under the name Kristell In Wonderland, LOVERLORN DOLLS return with a stronger identity and a hauntingly beautiful album. ‘Deadtime Stories’ delves into themes of death, loss, and the dark side of fame, with tracks like ‘Diary of Nothing’ and ‘Dancing at Your Funeral’ showcasing their signature sound. With collaborations from notable artists such as controversial DERO GOI and Gothic rapper VVITCHBOY, this album promises to be a mesmerizing journey into the darker corners of the human experience.
With Kristell Lowagie - about new album, creative process and more.
Reflections of Darkness [RoD]: Your new album, ‘Deadtime Stories’, delves into themes of death, loss, and broken dreams. How do these themes reflect your personal experiences or artistic vision?
Kristell: ‘Deadtime Stories’ is an exploration of the darker aspects of life that we all encounter. These themes are deeply rooted in my own experience with loss and death, which are an inevitable part of life. However, we try to find beauty in these darker moments through our music.
RoD: The collaboration with DERO GOI on “Dancing at Your Funeral” might raise some controversy. Can you share how this partnership came about and what it was like working together?
Kristell: Collaborating with DERO GOI was an incredible experience. We’ve always admired his work in the band OOMPH! and the intensity he brings to his vocals and music. We made a list of 5 top male vocalists we would like to work with, chosen for their vocal abilities and music genre. Dero answered positively. We absolutely had no clue there was some fuzz around him. We do not share all of his ideas, but he really loved the idea for ‘Dancing at Your Funeral’: it was to create a track about a true story of the man Stephane Voirin, whose wife Agnes Lassalle was murdered by a student. He paid a final tribute in front of her coffin: it was by dancing that Agnès Lassalle’s companion decided to say goodbye to her, on the day of the funeral, without hatred, nor revenge. The musical partnership with Dero came about quite naturally - and the rest just fell into place.
RoD: Kristell, your transition into visual art and photography during the band’s hiatus is fascinating. How has this influenced the creative process behind ‘Deadtime Stories’?
Kristell: Visual art and photography have always been passions of mine, and during our hiatus, I had the opportunity to dive deeper into these mediums. This visual exploration has significantly influenced the creation of ‘Deadtime Stories’. In this album, the visuals and music complement each other. Each track was imagined as a scene from a story, and my work in visual arts helped bring these scenes to life, creating a more immersive experience for our listeners.
RoD: ‘Diary of Nothing’ is described as summing up the spirit of LOVERLORN DOLLS. What is it about this track that you feel encapsulates your essence as a band?
Kristell: ‘Diary of Nothing’ is pure LOVERLORN DOLLS: gothic melancholy, hard guitars, ethereal female vocals with a mid-tempo beat. The song’s lyrics speak about the emptiness that can creep into everyday life, yet the music pushes back with a driving energy because we refuse to totally surrender to despair. It’s about finding strength in vulnerability, which is a recurring theme in our work. This track, with its balance of dark emotion and melodic hooks, really captures the heart of what we’re about as a band.
RoD: Your music has always balanced dark themes with catchy, melodic elements. How do you approach maintaining this balance, especially on a concept album like ‘Deadtime Stories’?
Kristell: Maintaining the balance between dark themes and melodic elements is essential to our sound. For Deadtime Stories, we wanted to create a haunting atmosphere, with melodies that linger in your mind. We like making music that stays accessible and engaging. The concept of the album demanded this balance to fully express the tension between hope and despair.
RoD: The artwork for ‘Deadtime Stories’ is striking, featuring a lonely girl in a cemetery. How does this imagery connect with the overall narrative of the album?
Kristell: Thank you, I’m glad you like it. The artwork symbolizes the themes of isolation, loss, and death of Deadtime Stories. The image of a lonely girl in a cemetery is a visual metaphor for the stories told within the album - each song is a “deadtime story” that speaks to broken dreams, lost loved ones, and the inevitable end we all face. The cemetery setting reinforces the idea of lingering in a place between the past and the present, where memories reside but life continues on.
RoD: You’ve been compared to bands like LACUNA COIL and THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE, yet you’ve carved out your own distinct sound. What do you believe sets Lovelorn Dolls apart from other bands in the dark synth-rock genre?
Kristell: LACUNA COIL and THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE are two favorites of LOVELORN DOLLS, but we’ve always aimed to create our own unique sound. What sets LOVELORN DOLLS apart is that we are a duet. LACUNA COIL and THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE are bands. The storytelling and cinematic atmosphere is also very important. We try to create an atmosphere where listeners can lose themselves in the narratives we weave, supported by a sound that’s both dark and dynamic.
RoD: Your music videos often feature strong visual storytelling. How important is the visual aspect of your work, and how do you ensure it complements the music?
Kristell: The visual aspect of our work - photos, illustrations and videos- is incredibly important. We see our music videos as an extension of the stories we tell through our songs. Everything is homemade, we do not have the super effects of big cinema studios. We do not pretend it’s great quality, but we adapt music videos with our financial means (which means zero). When creating a video, we focus on capturing the essence of the track - its mood, its message, and its emotional core. The visuals need to resonate with the music, to amplify the impact of the song.
RoD: ‘Beautiful Chaos’ deals with love stories gone wrong. What inspired you to explore this theme, and how does it connect with the other tracks on the album?
Kristell: ‘Beautiful Chaos’ was inspired by my personal love stories. It’s the idea that love, while beautiful, can also be incredibly destructive. Passion and pain are intertwined. This theme of love’s darker side connects with the other tracks on ‘Deadtime Stories’, as the album tells about endings: love endings, life endings, friendship endings... Each song is a chapter in this exploration, with ‘Beautiful Chaos’ representing the unpredictable and often volatile nature of love.
RoD: After a five-year break, how did it feel to come back to the studio and create ‘Deadtime Stories’? Did the hiatus change your approach to making music?
Kristell: The 5 year break allowed us to gain new perspectives and experiences, which inevitably influenced our approach to creating ‘Deadtime Stories’. We came back with a clearer vision of what we wanted to express: we wanted to be 100% ourselves with no limits and no barriers. The time away also gave us the space to grow individually as artists (me as a visual artist, Bernard as sound engineer and composer), and when we started to record, we brought those new influences into the music. It felt like a fresh start, yet rooted in everything we’ve learned along the way.
RoD: Given your eclectic mix of influences - from Gothic Rock to Industrial tones - how do you decide on the sonic direction for each new project?
Kristell: Bernard always starts with a 1 minute project for every song. He sends the new track to me, and if I like what I hear and feel inspired, I start to add vocals. We do not really decide, the music itself often guides us. For ‘Deadtime Stories’, the narrative themes played a significant role in shaping the sound. We wanted something that felt dark yet vibrant, so we combined our gothic and industrial influences with more melodic elements to create a cohesive soundscape. It’s about finding the right balance between our inspirations and the story we want to tell, allowing the music to evolve naturally with each project.
RoD: With ‘Deadtime Stories’ being your fourth album, how do you feel your music and message have evolved since your debut? What do you see as the next chapter for LOVELORN DOLLS?
Kristell: Our music and message have certainly evolved since our debut. With each album, we’ve grown more confident in our sound and more deliberate in our storytelling. ‘Deadtime Stories’ represents a culmination of our journey so far - a deeper exploration of themes that have always been central to our music, but with a more refined approach. As for the next chapter, we’re excited to go back on stage. We will play at Castle party Festival in Poland. We found 2 great live members and we started to rehearse. The future of LOVELORN DOLLS is wide open, and we’re eager to see where it takes us.
RoD: Thank you very much for your time!
Pictures by Kristell in Wonderland
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