Celebrate a decade of haunting melodies and profound impact with LOVELORN DOLLS’ iconic track, “Happy Valentine”.
For 10 years, this gripping anthem has resonated with fans worldwide, and now, LOVELORN DOLLS is marking the occasion with a surprise all new music video. It’s a celebration of the song that brought them acclaim and a chance to give back to those in need. With its appealing somber theme, catchy chorus, incisive goth rock guitar melodies and dark and tortured electronic arrangements, “Happy Valentine” quickly became one of the top-favorite songs from LOVELORN DOLLS’ second album “Japanese Robot Invasion”…
Watch the official video for LOVELORN DOLLS’ “Happy Valentine” BELOW:
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Hot off the release of their brand new EP “Beautiful Chaos” (read our full review), we were given the absolute privilege of catching up with the creative duo behind Belgian gothic band Lovelorn Dolls to ask a few questions. Please enjoy our interview with Kristell Lowagie (Lyrics, Vocals, Arrangements) and Bernard Daubresse (Music, Programming, Guitars, Production).
Thank you for agreeing to this interview. It’s a pleasure to be speaking with you!For those who may not be familiar with Lovelorn Dolls, would you mind briefly introducing yourselves and describing the band’s music to our readers?
Kristell : Hi. Bernard is a writer/composer/guitarist, I’m a singer/songwriter/composer. The Lovelorn Dolls sound is gothic rock, enhanced with a visual worthy of a fantasy film.
You just released a new EP titled “Beautiful Chaos”, which we reviewed very positively on our website. How has the reception been elsewhere?
Kristell : As I speak to you, the EP has only been out for 24 hours, so it’s still difficult to analyze, but so far, the reactions have been very positive. As we were absent for 5 years, people are happy to see us again, and we are also happy to connect to our listeners again.
The new single on the EP was mixed by the female-fronted industrial metal duo Helalyn Flowers. Did you trust them to do a good job since they had already remixed Lovelorn Dolls songs in the past?
Kristell : Of course ! I have been a fan of Helalyn Flowers since their very beginnings. I didn’t know them personally and I was already listening to their songs. Then, Lovelorn Dolls had the honor of becoming their colleague by joining the same label, Alfa Matrix. We hired Maxx Maryan several times as our producer and it’s a match made in heaven.
While on the topic of remixes, we enjoyed the remixed versions of the newsingle. How does it feel to have your material re-envisioned by other artists? And do you have a favourite?
Bernard : I must say that it is an honor to have talented artists offer you a new view on your work. Regarding Beautiful Chaos I would say that the remix of Antidote for Annie is my favorite because it reuses guitars… and I love guitars above all else.
Kristell : My personal favorite is the one from AudioPyre, with its more industrial sound.
We also love the chibi artwork on the EP and the ‘cute but creepy’ vibe of the visuals which fit the music perfectly. This has been a common thread with many of your releases. Who is responsible for these illustrations, and the concepts behind them?
Kristell : I am responsible for it. These visuals are a mix of my love for Tim Burton, mangas, the surrealist lowbrow movement. Until 2017, I always called on other artists for our designs: Gogo Melone, Natalie Shau, to name a few. Then, I immersed myself in the visual arts (photography-graphic design) for several years, I learned lots of things and now I do everything myself. I also use AI to enhance creations.
I like a lot of different styles of music. I’m not limited to hard rock or metal.
Kristell Lowagie
In addition, you just brought out the music video for “Beautiful Chaos”. Itlooks as though you had some fun shooting it. Was this your first time acting and performing in front of a green screen?
Kristell : Yes. In fact, we used my photo studio to turn it into a video studio! And we took the opportunity to do everything ourselves! It was the first time we made a green screen video, we also did post production and editing. It was a great experience, and we’re going to do it again very soon!
Your last album was Darker Ages, which is notable for its more gothic style and for standing in contrast to much of your other work (both musically and visually). Can you perhaps explain this change in direction, and why your new material appears to be shifting away from this darker tone?
Bernard : Darker Ages was composed in two stages. In 2015 I wrote two pieces then health problems prevented me from continuing for almost two years after which writing the album was a kind of catharsis. It could only be dark. With the upcoming album we still remain on a dark side but the color has returned.
Speaking of new material, I hear there is a new album coming this year. Can you tell us much about it?
Kristell : The album is completely finished. There will be 12 titles, sad little girls, and unexpected guests. Be prepared to be very surprised. The sound is really good, our producer Maxx from Helalyn Flowers has outdone himself.
Bernard : What I can say about this album is that we tried to compose the best songs possible every time. So you have a sort of « all killer, no filler » album.
It seems like a while has passed since you performed on stage. Are you planning any upcoming tours?
Bernard : Unfortunately we do not have any concrete opportunities for concerts… yet! But of course we are very open for that.
The music of Lovelorn Dolls is often compared to the likes of Lacuna Coil, TheBirthday Massacre, and Theatre of Tragedy. And deservedly so, as fans of any of those bands will undoubtedly love your music. But it seems there has been some difficulty in reaching that audience. Why do you think Lovelorn Dolls has had such challenges with exposure? Is it part of the reason why you changed your name at some point?
Bernard : We changed the name Lovelorn into Lovelorn Dolls only because there was already in italian band called Lovelorn. But it was a good idea anyway to add « dolls » because dolls are often present in our visuals. As for the challenges regarding the band’s visibility to potential fans, I don’t really know. I sometimes read comments from people who love it after listening… but who didn’t know the group before. I would prefer that we were a little better known and that people could choose to like us… or not, knowingly. That said, this interview will certainly help give us more exposure.
Kristell, you were the founding member of Skeptical Minds correct? Can you describe your time in that band, and why you decided to move onto different projects?
Kristell :Correct. I created Skeptical Minds with Vincent Lacrosse (who also left the project) in 2002. We immediately found a particular industrial electro sound. Michel came to add guitars. We lived some great years with incredible experiences for my part: holding your first album in your hands, delivering it to the world, receiving a wonderful welcome in return, going on unforgettable dates. When the main composer Vincent left, the musical tone changed and I no longer recognized myself in it. I also preferred to leave, in search of my next partner… Bernard!
It was simple between us. It was easy. No hassle. No need to speak to understand each other.
Kristell Lowagie
You have covered a diverse range of musical styles in your career, including singing for a symphonic metal band during your time with Valkyre. You are clearly very versatile with your ability. So what is it that draws you to gothic and electro-pop music in particular over all other styles?
Kristell : I like a lot of different styles of music. I’m not limited to hard rock or metal. My music library is very broad, ranging from trip hop, pop, new wave, and metal. I think that each person remains very closely attached to what they loved during their adolescence, and will unconsciously reproduce it. For me it’s Depeche Mode, Placebo, Garbage, The Smashing Pumpkins or Bat For Lashes.
One of your past projects was the rock-metal opera The Road toConsciousness, where you and your musical partner in Lovelorn Dolls originally met. What was it about that experience that made you both realise that you wanted to start your own band together?
Kristell :It was simple between us. It was easy. No hassle. No need to speak to understand each other. When we make a song, it’s a direct match. It can’t be explained, but it’s magical, and what’s more, we’re very good friends!! We have a lot of fun together!
You also branched out on your own and released a solo project called SIN SIN. How liberating was it to work independently? Can you see yourself doing something like that again?
Kristell : It was a project I had to do. I had these songs, and these songs needed to officially exist. It’s very rewarding to create everything from A to Z. Plus, you can really afford anything, there are no limits. At this point, I don’t know if I would do it again. But you should never say never…
You are affectionately known as Ladyhell in some circles. Should we be concerned?
Kristell (laughing) : This is the best question I’ve ever been asked. It’s a kind of joke we had at the beginning of Lovelorn Dolls. To call myself Ladyhell, and Bernard, for his part, Corpus Christi. But today, we feel much better (laughing) and you can simply call us Kristell and Bernard.
Would you be interested in having a profile page on our website?
Kristell :My pleasure !
Thanks so much again for your time. Is there anything else you would like toadd?
Bernard : Thank you for having us.
We are really looking forward to share more music with you.
It is not a usual habit for us review EPs, but it was evident that we needed to make an exception once “Beautiful Chaos” graced our desks. This EP is the latest music to be released by Belgian electro-goth rock/metal group Lovelorn Dolls (due on the 19th January 2024), and is the perfect match for fans of glam melancholy and “cute but creepy” aesthetics. A fact that you may have gleaned for yourselves by simply glancing at the cover artwork, which evokes familiarity to Alice in Wonderland or the assorted works of Tim Burton.
And it would seem that I’m very late to the tea-party, because this is the first time that I’ve had the pleasure of listening to Lovelorn Dolls. You can imagine my disbelief when I uncovered that the band has been producing music for well over 10 years now. It is perhaps even more alarming when you consider that my pre-existing affinity for bands such as The Birthday Massacre and Lacuna Coil means I fall into the exact target audience for this type of music. So in case there are others out there like me (who have also been living under a rock for the past decade), we should probably start off with a quick band introduction. Originating from Brussels, Lovelorn Dolls is the consequence of the creative chemistry between the extravagant duo of Kristell (lyrics, vocals, arrangements) and Bernard (music, programming, guitars, production), with the two currently signed to the Belgian record label Alfa Matrix. To distil their sound down to but a few words – it’s an intoxicating mix of synth-heavy electro-pop, heavy guitars and mesmerising female vocals.
On the “Beautiful Chaos” EP, we are presented the radio edited version of the upcoming single (which bears the same name), along with 4 remixed interpretations of the song. Now I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve never been much into remixes, since my past experiences with them have always yielded little of value or interest. But here again, I find myself pleasantly surprised. Alas, we are getting ahead of ourselves though, because the original track and its expert mixing and mastering by Maxx Maryan (Helalyn Flowers, Im Judas) deserves our primary attention. This radio single feels like the perfect introduction to Lovelorn Dolls (which for us it technically is) as it showcases Kristell’s captivatingly characteristic voice, and the darkly intriguing ambience and melodies of their songwriting. The vocal lines occasionally do sound similar to Cristina Scabbia, and if anything, that’s a massive credit to Kristell. The sound successfully straddles the genres of gothic metal and synth-pop/darkwave. And while we are speaking from a position of not really knowing the band’s backlog, we still think we’re able to confidently predict that fans will not be disappointed with this new track. And if this merely serves as our first taste, we cannot wait to hear what else the band has in store for us (Ed – It’s possible that we know a few details of their future plans too but are not permitted to say!).
As alluded to earlier, we’re also surprised by how unoffended we were by the remixes on the rest of the EP. Perhaps having an electronic foundation to start with makes this song a more suitable canvas to manipulate and experiment with, but it definitely works and feels more natural here. The Restriction 9 remix introduces a clubbing vibe to the track, with thumping beat and plenty of hi-hat drum samples, but it never feels overdone or tiresome. While Absynthe of Faith puts a more industrial or cyberpunk spin on the song with their remix (and Kristell’s vocals adopting a more echoey quality as well), The Breath of Life remix goes a different tack and brings it back to basics a little, with an extra spacy and stripped-down rendition. Lastly, the Antidote for Annie remix rounds out the package by returning listeners to a much edgier sound, and some particularly razor-sharp guitar riffs. The fact that none of these remixes sacrifice or betray too much of the original composition while still providing a unique take is to be commended. The EP never felt repetitive either, an issue that could easily occur as a result of hearing the same song essentially repeated several times except for different mixing and arrangements. And while remix songs are still not my particular cup of tea (there’s that reference again!), they were still far better than I was expecting, and perhaps that is also a testament to the source material. Time will tell, but right now it feels like I may have just discovered a new favourite band.
Verdict: Lovelorn Doll’s “Beautiful Chaos” EP gives listeners an exquisite new single, showcasing itsdark and distinctive blend of gothic rock/metal, laced with elements of darkwave and electro, which is then revisited and re-envisioned throughout its various remixed versions in genuinely interesting and compelling ways.Worthwhile checking out for fans of The Birthday Massacre, Lacuna Coil, or just goth music in general.
