Lola Marsh

words by Nikita Satapathy

If you need some background music for a road trip or a whimsical indie feature film, look no further than Israeli indie-pop band Lola Marsh.  The group, consisting of Gil Landau, Yael Shoshana Cohen, Mati Gilad, Rami Osservaser, Dekel Dvir, and Ido Rivlin, is reinventing summer sounds with infectious guitar melodies and dreamy lyrics. We caught up with Yael and Gil in preparation for the release of their debut  LP, Remember Roses, which is out now. Tracks from Lola Marsh, including “Wishing Girl” and “You’re Mine” are currently available on Spotify. 

How did you, Gil and Yael, meet? How did the rest of the band connect?

It was about five years ago. We were both searching for partners to make music with.

It was at Gil's birthday party, when we first played together and instantly felt that there was a strong connection. We met a few times, and it just clicked, like magic. We wrote and recorded so many demos, and performed all around Tel Aviv as a duo. After about a year or so we started looking for additional musicians to expand our sound. Soon we were joined by Mati Gilad (bass), Rami Osservaser (guitars & keyboards), and Dekel Dvir (drums). We found a real family in these guys; they are truly phenomenal at what they do and are really great people.

What drew you to starting a career in music? Was there a particular moment?

Gil : From a really young age I played the  piano and guitar. I grew up in a musical house. My parents played and sang all the time, and my big brother played the guitar. I remember one day, my brother played "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and I was blown away! I think that was the moment that I realized that I wanna do music. 

Yaeli : Since I was a child I loved being on stage. I sang, danced and performed wherever I could. One of my biggest idols was Julie Andrews, I loved the movie - "The Sound of Music” and knew all the songs by heart!  I think music saved me, and many times when I was sad or lonely I always knew that I could sing and all the bad and scary thoughts will disappear. 

Who would you say are your biggest influences?

Well, it's always a difficult question, cause we get inspired by so many things. From musicians and music that we love to books, movies, people and places. Legendary Musicians like Edith Piaf, Elvis, Nina Simone, Nick Drake, and soundtracks from classical movies such as "Star Wars", "For A Few Dollars More", and "The Sound of Music”. We also love Sufjan Stevens, Lykke Li, Bon Iver, and many more. 

What is it like having fans in your own hometown and country and fans abroad?

It's an amazing feeling to have people that love our music; doesn’t matter if they are from your hometown and country or aboard. This support is so important and priceless- to see them singing the lyrics at our shows, to reading their beautiful warm messages on our social medias. Sometimes on tours we have tough and intense days, but the moment we go on stage, and see our crowd, smiling at us, and moved by our songs, we know that the sleepless nights and all the difficulties of being a musician is all worth it. 

What is one of your favorite parts about performing live?

The adrenaline! The rush! The fact that we are all friends, playing together. That each song that we'll play will turn out differently according to the mood we're in. The fun in playing each time in front of different people from different countries around the world, and meeting them after the show. 

What do you hope your fans take away from your music?

We hope our fans will be moved from our songs. That they will find themselves suddenly whistling Lola Marsh in the middle of their day. That our songs will give them hope, and will make them happy, sad, and emotional in all kinds of ways.  

make sure to check out Remember Roses + follow Lola Marsh for updates!

website