LORELEI MARCELL TALKS LOVE ME BACK (MAYBE NEXT YEAR)
"For a lot of people it's a really lonely time"
Daniel John
Capturing both the moment we are in, and setting out hope for what is to come, ‘Love Me Back (Maybe Next Year)’ is what I consider a perfect song for the holidays, how did the notion of recording a Christmas song come about for you this year?
Thank you so much! I feel like I’ve been releasing so much music this year, I wanted to do it all justice and put out a holiday song on top of my other releases. I also felt like I had a story and perspective to share about this time of year as well. I am a fan of the holidays! I love Christmas music, and I’ve always loved jazz as well, so this type of music really resonates. It was my first try at writing a holiday song, so I definitely shocked myself.
Many of the great Christmas songs were actually written in the heat of summer, and honestly, from a Scandinavian perspective, it’s pretty much always summer in LA. When did you record this, were you able to get into the right vibe for it whenever it was?
I actually wrote and started the song in the middle of September! I made this song with producer John Samuel and writer Chris Ayer, it felt a little odd to talk about the holidays when I felt like summer was still in full bloom, but they made it easier in a lot of ways and John turned on Christmas lights in the studio, and Chris reminded me to just write from the heart and from a place of reflection rather than fixating on the holidays.
I feel like you always bring your own authentic self into your songwriting. Even now, pairing yourself with Christmas-pop, a genre so often defined by tradition, your own voice very much still comes across, that self-reflective, even self-confronting, voice of yours?
I appreciate that. I definitely write from a place of self reflection, because even though I let my emotions get the best of me sometimes, I feel like I have a mature outlook on things once they subside. This song was inspired from a really authentic place and was honestly a perfect addition to this narrative I'm trying to convey to my fans. I had gone through a really emotionally taxing break-up and this relationship was my introduction to love and heartbreak so there were a lot of firsts in one. After we ended things I continued to show him love, support, and make him a priority while he was already moving on. This was all happening around the holidays and I remember feeling like this cycle would continue forever, but, maybe next year I would have been able to move on.
What do you hope your song will give to others in this time?
I hope people will see that it is okay to feel lonely and heartbroken around the holidays. And even if things are tough now, that there is always time to heal. There is an immense pressure to surround yourself with love this time of year, but for a lot of people it's a really lonely time.
What are your own favourite Christmas-songs. What songs do you need to hear to get in the right Christmas spirit?
My favourites are 'The Christmas Song' by Nat King Cole, 'Merry Christmas Darling' by The Carpenters, and 'The Man With The Bag' By Kayy Star!
You did not always live in LA, will you be coming home for Christmas this year?
I am lucky enough to get to go home and see my family! They live on the east-coast right outside of Boston, so it is the perfect place in my eyes to spend the holidays.
You for sure have brought it this year. Releasing tracks all the way into the new year. But I hear you have even more coming up?
The rumors are correct! I am releasing another single in January, and in February I am putting out my first full length-album. All of the music I've been releasing thus far has been in preparation for this album, so I could not be more excited to finally release it. Stay tuned, and happy holidays!
