Today we’d like to introduce you to Lola Romero.
Lola, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
So leading up to high school graduation, I was hit with the big question… “What are you going to do now?” I had no idea what the answer to that question would be. It seemed that nothing truly interested me enough to do every day for the rest of my life. I had one idea in mind but it seemed far fetched and I wasn’t sure where I would fit.
I was always interested in music but being that I did not play any instruments, I wasn’t sure if there was a lane for someone like myself. I signed up for general education classes at San Francisco City College to stay active in school until I was able to figure out exactly what piqued my interest. On my first day of classes, I went to the wrong building and stumbled upon a class for audio recording. I went home, researched all I could about the class/program and the very next semester I signed up for the class that changed my life – “Intro To Recording Arts”.
After completing the certificate program at City College, I wanted more. I found an accredited school in LA that offered degrees upon completion for the field I was interested in. I made the move to LA with some high school friends, attended school, and within a year’s time I had graduated and was looking for work as an independent contractor. About a year after graduating from The Los Angeles Film School an old classmate reached out. He referred me for a starting position at Aftermath Entertainment. I was hired there as a runner and although I had been hired at such a low-level position, within months I had been requested and began picking up sessions as an assistant engineer. I was able to make the transition to full-time assistant (and then later lead) engineer when I met Anderson .Paak and his team.
Not long after making my break as an assistant engineer at Aftermath, .Paak and his team came back around to finish his Aftermath debut album, which was later released as “Oxnard”. Anderson had a lead engineer, Jhair Lazo, and they needed someone to lend a helping hand during additional sessions. Jhair and I hit it off and in no time we were actively tackling the album together. I had once again moved positions in no time and began working as lead engineer on more frequent sessions. “Bubblin’” was then released as a single while we were still working on the albums and later went on to win a Grammy for “Best Rap Performance” in 2019. Ultimately, I was presented the opportunity of being a lead mix engineer on Anderson’s second album, Ventura, which was presented Grammys for “Best R&B Performance” and “Best R&B Album”.
Has it been a smooth road?
To say that there were some obstacles and struggles would be an understatement. I actually almost gave up and moved back to the Bay Area! There was a long break, about a year, where I was actively looking for professional work as an engineer and I just wasn’t finding any. During that time a multitude of obstacles came to light, one of the biggest being that I am a woman looking for work in a male-dominated industry. Obstacles and struggles, in my opinion, only cease when you have achieved all that you can. Almost a year ago, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, a degenerative autoimmune disorder that affects the central nervous system. The diagnosis came by way of optic neuritis, inflammation of the optic nerve, which left me with dark, blurred, impaired vision for months. I viewed this diagnosis as a death sentence. I took about six months off of work, wracking my brain on what I could or should have done differently and whether or not I would ever be able to engineer again. Thankfully the inflammation in my eye began to subdue and I was able to return to work with even bigger opportunities and a new appreciation for my passion.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am a recording and mixing engineer. I work in a state of the art studio under Aftermath Entertainment. I’ve had the privilege of growing as an engineer under the roof of Aftermath. That being said, I have been able to learn from some of the greatest engineers, producers, and musicians. In the digital world we live and record music in, it is not as common to find young engineers who are familiar with both analog and digital gear. I have experience recording and mixing on SSL and Neve consoles as well as in-depth knowledge and experience recording and mixing in Pro Tools. The greatest asset I carry is the invaluable information passed along to me by Dr. Dre himself. Every day is a new lesson learned when working with such a legend. I carry and apply that knowledge and experience onto on every project I’m involved in under my personal brand, Keep It On The Lo.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
In the past, engineering has been considered a role where one is seen but not heard. Engineers are often not considered for their creative input but rather their technical skill. I would like to see to it that both of those ideas are nonexistent. Creating a role for engineers to have more input and be seen as a creative in the room is definitely something that I am trying to accomplish through my own practices. With laws now in place allowing royalties for engineers, I believe that change will come sooner rather than later.
Contact Info:
- Website: keepitonthelo.com
- Email: lola@keepitonthelo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keepitonthelo/?hl=en
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/keepitonthelo?lang=en
Image Credit:
Kraft Visuals
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