A Quick Chat with Louella

Louella makes a stunning debut with Before I Go, a heartfelt folk-pop ballad that reflects on love, loss, and the courage to let go. The Sunshine Coast singer-songwriter blends folk, soul, and R&B into a warm, emotionally rich sound, pairing layered harmonies with vulnerable storytelling. Accompanied by a cinematic music video filmed throughout Tokyo, Before I Go captures the feeling of emotional displacement and the grief of leaving both a relationship and a future behind. We caught up with Louella to talk about the single, its story, and more.

Can you tell us what this track means to you and what you want people to take away from it?

This song was inspired by an experience from a few years ago, having to let go of a future I had pictured with someone in a new city. It's about realising that the life you imagined and planned for doesn't always work out, and learning to make peace with what could have been.

Revisiting that city years later brought a lot of those memories back, and when I returned home to Australia, this was the first song I wrote. In a way, it felt like closure for that part of my life.

I hope people can take whatever they need from it, whether they connect with it emotionally, relate it to their own experience, or simply enjoy it as a song.

Who are some of your influences, and why?

I have too many to count, but I love a lot of R&B and soul artists, as well as singer-songwriter and folk writers. Some of my biggest influences for my own sound would be Lizzy McAlpine. I love her vocals, songwriting and beautiful harmonies.

I'm also really inspired by Clairo for her vocals and organic-sounding production, and Olivia Dean — no explanation needed.

My top artist on Spotify for the last three years has been Michael Jackson, and one of the things that got me into recording my own vocals and harmony stacks was watching his song breakdowns on YouTube. He makes me feel like it's acceptable to add hundreds of harmony layers into my music, even though I do feel bad for whoever has to mix them.

What's the creative process for you, from writing through to recording?

I normally start with chords or melody, and once I have a clear idea of where I want the song to go, I start writing the lyrics. I usually build the base of the song myself, and then sometimes bring it to a collaborator to help add lyrics, shape the structure, and polish everything.

From there, I put together a demo and bring it to the producer and musician duo I've been working with at the moment — Blake Malone and Graham Ritchie. We're currently wrapping up another fun pop track, and I love what they've added to the song. I'm really excited to share it.

What do you think makes a great song?

I think a great song is one that stays with people for a long time after they first hear it. It might remind them of a certain time in their life, or make them feel something years later in the same way it did the first time. I think of artists like Fleetwood Mac, Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder, who have written songs that continue to connect with completely different generations. I think that kind of timelessness is what makes a song great.

If you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be and why?

I think it would be amazing to create a song with Tame Impala. Kevin Parker is an incredible producer and is someone I've looked up to for a long time. I love Houdini, which he produced for Dua Lipa, and I think it would be so fun to make a pop/dance banger with him. I've also got tickets to see Tame Impala in Brisbane in October, so I'm really looking forward to that.

When not working on music, what other creative outlet/s do you have?

A bit niche, but I love designing PowerPoints and trying to crack cold cases. I think I would have loved to be an investigator if I wasn't a musician. Every now and then, I have a group of friends over and we each make a slideshow presenting our theories on a famous case. There's definitely a lot of laughing involved, and I don't think we've ever actually solved anything, but it's a lot of fun.

Who are some local bands we should check out?

Jemzel! I really respect that she makes all of her music in her bedroom, and mixes and produces her work herself. I opened a show where she was on the lineup, and it was so cool to see her live show — such high energy and an amazing night.

Although they're from Sydney, if you haven't already heard of them, you should also check out Maden Lane. I love that they're also self-produced and make really fun jazz-pop music with some spicy chord changes.

Summer or winter and why?

I've always been a summer person, but recently I've really wanted to experience a proper winter. Growing up on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, I've never really had the chance to experience snow or a true winter, but I've definitely had plenty of hot weather.

Getting to be in Tokyo during spring when I shot my music video was really nice, and it made me want to experience more seasons. Having a white Christmas is definitely on my bucket list for the next year or two.

What else do you have planned for 2026?

I'm currently planning a backyard show on the Sunshine Coast with four local artists, including myself, which I'm really excited about. My second single, Missing Piece, is also set to come out at the end of August. It's a fun, summery, Olivia Dean-inspired pop track with an epic guitar solo.

After that, I'll be heading overseas to catch the end of summer in Europe and attend a songwriting camp in France. I'm also very excited that Before I Go has been nominated in the Listen Up Music Songwriting Prize, and I'll be performing at the finals in Sydney on September 26. I'm hoping to book a few Sydney shows around that time too.