Lolo Is Getting Country — But Only In The Big Apple

Lauren “Lolo” Pritchard grew up in Tennessee, the home of country music, but she wouldn’t exactly call herself a country girl. “You’ve been to Nashville, right? There’s no getting away from country music,” she says over Zoom from her home office in New York City, where she’s starring Off-Broadway in Music City.

Funnily enough, the 38-year-old singer-songwriter and Broadway alum is now embracing her country roots in the immersive new musical that takes audiences to a fictional Nashville bar called the Wicked Tickle, where three aspiring artists try to make their dreams come true against all odds. “That is a real story of life, how we all have things we want to accomplish, and there are a thousand different ways to get there,” she says.

Pritchard’s character, 23 (yes, that’s what she goes by), faces financial challenges and a mother struggling with substance use but is determined to remain strong. “For a very long time, there was this damsel-in-distress vibe that permeated the world of country music,” she says. “I remember seeing Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton [defy that]. They came from humble beginnings and built remarkable lives for themselves. There’s a lot of 23’s character that is rooted in that kind of thing. But she can still be very soft and tender, and she has a big heart.”

In Music City, Pritchard draws on her own experiences as a singer-songwriter, having released four albums independently under her stage name Lolo, with soul and indie-rock flair. “It’s been so much fun and really cathartic in ways that have been very unexpected,” she says. “I’ve been through a lot in my career, and for all of the highs, there are just as many lows. I want the audience to feel like they’ve learned about what the music industry is like, and what the struggle can look like.”

Music City is also a homecoming for Pritchard in theater. She made her Broadway debut when she was just a high school senior in the iconic 2006 musical Spring Awakening, which also launched the careers of Lea Michele and Jonathan Groff.

“Groff and I lived two blocks from each other on the West Side, and we would walk to work every day and back,” she recalls. “On opening night, we were like, ‘OK, this is the first day of our lives. This could really be the start of something so special.’ We really believed in the little show that could.” Two decades later, Pritchard says the cast’s group chat is alive and well. “It’s the strangest little family of all time.”

Between theater runs and recording sessions, Pritchard expanded her musical repertoire, working with the likes of Fall Out Boy and Panic! at the Disco. Now she is using her time back in the city to combine her two passions. “When I left Spring Awakening, I signed my publishing deal with Sony, and I was beginning my life as a songwriter,” she says. “It’s crazy because it’s like going back to where I started 18 years ago. It’s a lot of fun.”

Get to know Pritchard more in the Bustle Booth below.

In The Bustle Booth

What’s your coffee order?

A small nonfat latte, preferably hot.

What are the saved weather locations on your phone?

NYC; Jackson, Tennessee; Nashville, Tennessee; and Gulf Shores, Alabama.

What’s your sign?

Capricorn.

Favorite overused movie quote?

“To infinity and beyond” from Toy Story.

What was your favorite cartoon as a kid?

Animaniacs.

What’s one movie or TV show you’re currently obsessed with?

Resident Alien. Alan Tudyk is the greatest.

Who is your celeb idol?

Bryan Adams. I love his songs and songwriting so very much.

If you had to be on a reality TV show, what would it be?

Big Brother. There is something really fascinating to me about putting a whole bunch of strangers in a room and just seeing what happens.

Go-to karaoke song?

“I Wanna Dance With Somebody” by Whitney Houston.

What’s something that’s inspiring you lately?

Revisiting albums that I loved as a kid. It’s a fun walk down memory lane. Plus, I find new inspiration ’cause I can relate to it in a whole new way, too. I highly recommend it.

What is something you would want people to say about you?

That they enjoy my company.