Celebrity Travel: Go away with LØLØ

For Canadian musician LØLØ, touring the world is one of the perks of being a musician. “I'm headed to Boston, New York City, Philly, D.C., Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Austin, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Denver, Minneapolis, Chicago, Detroit and Toronto this spring,” she said. “Then I'll head to Europe and the United Kingdom in the summer for some festivals and to headline shows.” Currently promoting her angsty new pop single “Possibility,” as well as the deluxe edition of her album “Falling for Robots and Wishing I was One,” she splits her time between homes in Toronto and Los Angeles. Fans may stay in touch with LØLØ on Instagram (@lolo), as well as TikTok and X (where her username is @lolopopgurl).

Q: Will your tour take you to any cities or countries that you have never visited before?

A: For my U.S. tour, I've actually been to all these cities as an opening act before, so I'm extra excited to go back and do my own show. In Europe, yes, I'm actually so excited to be going to Italy for the first time! It's been on my bucket list for a while.

Q: How do you maintain your health on tour?

A: It's true [that] touring can be very mentally and physically draining. I really try to drink plenty of water and get as much sleep as I can so that I don't go crazy. I feel like a lot of people think touring involves a lot of partying. But for me, it involves a lot of sleeping.

Q: Following up on that, do you have time to explore the cities you're in?

A: It really depends. I've seen a little bit of a whole bunch of places. When I'm on a tour bus, we generally have more time because we're traveling overnight. So we'd get some time in the mornings to go sightseeing, or if we have a day off before or after a show. I definitely have found it a lot more challenging to sightsee when I'm doing my own headline tour, though, because there's a lot more work to be done, like VIP meet-and-greets and getting ready for a longer set. Sometimes we can go sightseeing, but only for a very short time, so we're literally running through the city trying to see as much as possible before we have to get back to the venue.

Q: "Faceplant" is such a great song. I understand it was written after you had a nasty fall. Can you tell our readers a bit about that experience?

A: Thank you so much! I'm so glad you like it. I really had to go through a lot to come up with that title. [Laughs] I was in Toronto walking to catch an Uber. I didn't realize I was about to run into a big, deep hole. My foot went straight through, catapulting my entire body and causing me to land chin first. I broke both sides of my jaw, my chin and my nose, and I also lost a couple of teeth. It was not my finest moment to say the least, but on the bright side, it gave me a great title idea for a song.

Q: Do you work on your songs while you're traveling?

A: On a plane ride from Toronto to L.A.? Yes, 100 percent. On tour? Never. I really thought I would be writing so much on tour, but I end up being so mentally drained that I can't even fathom thinking about writing a song. I truly don't know how people do it. I really put so much of myself into the show that once that's over, my brain feels like mush.

Q: What was a trip you took as a child that stands out?

A: Probably my favorite childhood trip was to Disney World. I have been a Disney kid for as long as I can remember. It was the greatest thing ever!

Q: If you've ever gone away for the holidays, which was the best trip?

A: My favorite vacation was a family trip to Maui. It was one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. Also, there's something really cool about being on a beach during Christmas. Nothing like pairing a nice red bikini with a Santa Claus hat.

Q: Do you speak any foreign languages?

A: I'm so terrible at languages, it's not even funny! I took French until grade 10, because we have to in Canada. Unfortunately, all I retained was how to say, "Can I go to the bathroom?"

Q: What are your five favorite cities?

A: Toronto, Los Angeles, London, Nashville and, of course, Chicago.

Q: Where would you like to go that you have never been to before?

A: I am dying to go to Australia. I’m terrified of spiders, though.

Q: What is your guilty pleasure when you're on the road?

A: My band and I each have our own dedicated tub of Ben & Jerry's, which we enjoy with peanut butter at night after the shows. It's the perfect combination.

Q: When you go away, what are some of your must-have items?

A: I bring a stuffed animal sloth that I must sleep with. He has been to more cities than most humans. [Also] my guitar in case inspiration strikes. And my digital camera to document it all.

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(Jae-Ha Kim is a New York Times bestselling author and journalist. You can reach her at www.jaehakim.com, follow her on Instagram and X @goawaywithjae, or read more from her on Substack (jaehakim.substack.com).)