Lauren Tate is indie music’s most versatile and most recognizable female creator. She is the voice of acclaimed four piece Hands Off Gretel. She is also the mastermind behind her solo project (and an alter ego) named Delilah Bon. Outspoken, unapologizing, uncompromising and all around brilliant, Lauren is leading the revolution to finally change the music business for the better. It’s a dirty job to deal with racism, rampart misogyny and other most unpleasant isms in existence, but someone’s got to do it, right? And there is nobody better than her.
Since breaking into music with a huge sonic kick in 2015, Lauren has been doing things the way she wants them to be done and she excels every single time. We sat down with her to discuss her first solo tour as Delilah Bon, fighting for girls’ rights and what can be done to help female musicians to succeed.
First things first. Who`s that girl with a guitar making a lot of noise and giving all the lad bands a run for their money? Please introduce yourself to the readers of Indieterria.
Lauren Tate: That girl is me, Delilah Bon. I write and produce music to empower and uplift women, LGBTQ+ and non binary people. My lyrics address sexism and misogyny, my experiences as a woman navigating the world and girl power.
In the past you said that in the beginning you did not enjoy learning to play your instrument and would even lock yourself in your garage not to go to music lessons. Did young Lauren have any specific plans for a future career? Who did you want to be when you were at school?
Lauren Tate: Haha! Wow you’ve done your research! Yes, so since I was young, I’ve always found it very hard to concentrate and listen to instructions. I hated my guitar and singing lessons because guitar hurt my fingers and my singer teacher kept telling me to stop singing like p!nk. When I was 4 years old, I’d stand in front of the TV and sing over the singers on “Top Of The Pops”, getting my mum to film me as I twirled around in my sparkly outfits. At school as a teenager, I’d fantasise being a popstar like P!nk (my idol), strutting the stage in crazy stage outfits, hearing a screaming crowd of girls in front of me. I have so many school books covered in doodles as I’d sit in class and daydream out of the window. I hated my history teacher as he always singled me out, he even once said I was possessed by the devil because I’d argue back at him whenever he’d pick on me. He came over to my desk one day and crumpled the drawing I had in my book which was a drawing of myself on a big stage surrounded by thousands of fans. When I walked out of class, I took it out of the bin and kept it to this day in my memory box. I just knew someday I’d look at that drawing and know I’d manifested it all from the start. Nobody believed in me, I’d make them regret it.
What changed your perception towards music? Was there ever an “eureka” moment when you decided this is what you wanted to do professionally?
Lauren Tate: Even before I’d written any songs of my own, I knew I wanted to be a professional singer. I’d upload covers to my YouTube channel when I was a teenager and kids at school would tease me for it. I’d be getting messages from people all around the world when I was 13, coming home from school to read them, it was surreal. It was then that I truly felt the potential my music had, seeing how many people out there loved my voice and wanted me to make music of my own.
You are incredibly artistic: you design your costumes, direct videos, write both music and lyrics, design merch, produce your recordings. And that’s just scratching the surface. You are very open that you learned all those things yourself. How important is it for you to have creative control over your music and visuals?
Lauren Tate: Thanks so much! Well, when I was 15, I worked with a producer who tried to write songs for me. I remember disliking the style and disliking the lyrics he’d given me to sing. I’ve had people in the industry tell me to change my image, change my music style, change my lyrics and each time I’ve stood my ground and no doubt lost opportunities because of it. Style and lyrics are so important to me because they’re my whole identity. I knew early on when I tried to sing on the songs the producer had written for me that the only way I’d feel authentic as an artist was if I actually wrote music myself. Since that point, I’ve written every single song of mine, every single lyric. People offer to write for me all the time but no, I know I have the ability to write my own hits. I don’t want some man to come along and take all the credit. I’m a songwriter not just a singer and it’s so important to me that I have creative control.
Your body of work is also impressive: you have three albums as a solo artist, two albums, an EP and demos with Hands Off Gretel and an album and an EP as Delilah Bon. That’s more than most established artists will release in a decade. Tell us about what drives or motivates you to compose?
Lauren Tate: Yep that’s a lot. I have so many more songs that I’ve never released also that I hope to release eventually. My favourite part of making music is writing songs and experimenting with multiple styles, hence why I have three different projects on the go. I love re-inventing myself and playing with different concepts. I think that’s my inner child speaking as dress up was her favourite game. I want to leave behind every part of myself when I eventually die, I’ve always been so so terrified of dying and not living out every dream and goal before I do. I’d say that’s my main driving force, the fear of running out of time.
Delilah Bon is your solo project outside of Hands Off Gretel. It is described as alternative hip hop “brat punk princess”. Tell us more about its beginnings. Why did you create Delilah?
Lauren Tate: Delilah came about when I was feeling pretty burnt out on the road with my band Hands Off Gretel. I was dealing with harassment from men at my shows, having to tell men to stop kissing me and pulling me into them, arguing down the mic with drunk men harassing girls in the crowd and constantly feeling like I had to call it out. I’d swallowed down my inner voice for years, posing for photos as a teenager with men three times my age, having their hands wander around my waist and squirming as they complimented my small frame, leaning in to kiss me. I always felt like I couldn’t say no to them because they were my “fans”. I guess I was too afraid of coming across as a bitch. It took me 8 years to finally say no.
When lockdown happened, all my shows got cancelled with my band, which at the time I was grateful for because, I was dreading going back on tour. I just didn’t feel safe anymore. More than anything, I just wanted to retreat to my studio and not come out until I’d put into words how I was feeling. Delilah Bon came about when I was ready to hang up the gloves and take a break from music, particularly performing live. When I spoke about how I felt online in regards to the harassment from men I was facing at shows, I had comments from men saying basically “if you can’t hack it on the live scene then quit. They were pointing out how other women in rock seem to handle it fine and that I was alone in what I was saying. I think in that moment I decided I didn’t want to be part of the “scene”, particularly a scene that couldn’t support me or have my back when I got attacked online. If the scene wasn’t made for girls like me, I’ll make my own damn scene.
You are currently in the middle of an eleven-date tour that is taking you all over the UK – from Birmingham to Liverpool. Are you excited?
Lauren Tate: It’s a dream come true. Being able to play shows every night alongside two of my best friends to a crowd full of people that really get behind my message is everything I dreamt of when I was younger. Seeing so many girls, LGBTQ+ and non binary people standing up at the front and screaming my words right back at me makes me think that all of the knock backs I’ve faced have been for a reason. Although I’ve cried a lot of tears and considered quitting so many times over the years, looking out to a crowd that truly understands me for the first time, makes it all worth it.
Lauren Tate is Delilah Bon, but it’s not only you on stage. Can you please introduce your amazing band that will take the stage alongside you each night?
Lauren Tate: Yes! So my girl band is my whole world. Ruena my bass player and Goldenaxe (Aka Tasmin Taylor) my DJ, are truly my favourite people ever. Being on tour with them is like being excited kids on a school trip. This is why I’m constantly losing my voice after shows, I’ve never talked and laughed so much in my whole life! They have shown me so much support and love, constantly thanking me for bringing them on my journey each night. There’s nothing quite as powerful as women supporting each other, it makes me feel like I can achieve anything I dream of.
Your shows are LGBTQ+ friendly, you support minorities and push girls to the front. What do you want young girls to learn from your show? What’s the message you want to give to the women in music and those in the audience?
Lauren Tate: I feel like as women we are always told we are over-reacting and shouldn’t be so angry. I very much disagree. I feel like there’s so much we should angry about, there’s so much injustice in the world particularly when it comes to violence towards women and minority groups. When people come to my shows, it’s a safe place for them to let out their rage. My show is fun, it’s emotional, it has dance routines. It has a horror section, we have barbed wire baseball bats and axes, we shake our butts. I hold hands with fans, it’s truly a moment in time that feels so magical and authentic. For that one night, it feels like we are all on the same side, we all want a better future, we all look around and see people that feel the way we do. When I sing certain lines, I glance into the audience and see girls looking up at me, sometimes they’re crying and as I go to scream, I find myself screaming for them. I see them when I close my eyes. It’s more than music, it’s a voice for those that do not feel seen.
We must ask about our favourite song from your debut album – Bad Attitude. We heard there was a funny story linked to it. Tell us more about it.
Lauren Tate: Aw yes, that’s one of my favourites to perform live! So, when I was 14, I was banned from performing at school following one of the most chaotic nights of my life at the Christmas show event. Rumours were spreading that after the show I was going to get jumped by girls much older than me because someone started rumours between myself and another performer there. As soon as I arrived at the event, I was a nervous wreck. I told my Nanan, I didn’t want to be there. “Give em the finger Lauren” she said, which I found later was only meant as a figure of speech. Before I got on stage, the deputy head told me to change my outfit because it was “too revealing”. She pointed down at my exposed stomach and demanded I wore a jacket to cover up or I’d face exclusion. Ignoring her, I walked onto stage, looking out to see the kids from my school whispering and giggling, hardly anybody clapping as they called my name. “You go girl”, I remember my Nanan shouting from the back, my heart pounding. I sang the angriest version of a Sugarbabes medley that night, the whole performance a blur when I look back at it now. All I remember was holding out my middle finger at the crowd, seeing as people looked up at me shocked, seeing the look of horror on the head teacher’s face as she sat front row with the mayor (the schools special guest).
I spent the next day at school isolated in a room on my own as punishment. Teachers kept coming in and lecturing me, calling me a disgrace to the school. “You’ll never get anywhere in music with your bad attitude Lauren” the music teacher said, explaining to me then how I’ll never make it in music if I think it’s okay to stick my middle finger up at the crowd. If only she knew, hehe.
You don’t always mention your mother and photographer Helen Tate or your sister Olivia, who is responsible for some amazing illustrations promoting your tour. It seems that you are not only surrounded by fellow creatives but you get a chance to work with the best team ever- a family.
Lauren Tate: Yes my family is everything. My mum helps me so much, she manages my messy brain and ensures I stay focused on deadlines and planning for the future. She also drives us around on tour, taking photos and filming and working the merch table each night. My sister is so talented too, she makes feminist art and is currently starting a new venture into fashion which is so exciting. She made me the cutest animation to use as promo for my tour too!
Delilah Bon on tour
Last question: imagine you get to write a law. Let`s call it The Delilah Bon Bill. What does it say and what rules and regulations we have to obey?
Lauren Tate: Oh wow I’d have so many things in my law. Protection of LGBTQ+ rights so absolutely nobody can come and remove them. Your body your choice, legal safe abortions and life sentences for rapists. There’s so many things I’d want, it’s far too big of a question, I’d need to write a whole book! haha!
Follow Delilah Bon on social media at:
https://www.delilahbon.co.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/delilahbonofficial/
https://www.facebook.com/DelilahBon
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5JUFYlgwsbqpLcU9TMlsve
https://twitter.com/DelilahBon_
https://soundcloud.com/delilahbon
https://www.youtube.com/c/DelilahBon
https://www.tiktok.com/@delilahbon
Please buy tickets for the remaining shows from:
https://www.delilahbon.co.uk/tour
Rita and Malicia Dabrowicz
Indieterria 