About
Lolabelle is an indie-rock band from West Buxton, Maine.
In the summer of 2024 a group of neighbors met in their backyard and bonded over a shared love of 90s alt rock, bringing together an unlikely pairing of musicians: Kurt, a veteran of the touring scene who recorded with J Mascis/Dinosaur Jr, Mark Lanegan, Gobblehoof, among others; Gene, a music educator and saxophonist with feet in both the classical and jazz worlds; and Caroline, an ex-opera singer and late-in-life guitar player. The casual meetup quickly became a vehicle for Caroline's songwriting, and the trio would regularly sneak into the dusty unfinished basement of their apartment building to jam (don’t tell our ex-landlord!). With the addition of Stephen Bennett (of bands Robert Samantha and God’s Furniture) on lead guitar, the group hit the circuit. With powerful, lyric-forward vocals and an emotional and cathartic live show, the band quickly gained a loyal local following.
On their debut EP Sugarbowl, the band chases unbridled cathartic release through distorted guitars and bittersweet melodic charms. Over 4 songs, the group strikes a precarious balance between light and dark. The deeply visceral approach to lyrics and sound is what has made the band compelling to audiences in the past two years, who have connected deeply with their honest and moving live show, always driving to find the truth in imperfection.
The band has played venues ranging from the highly-established (SPACE Gallery, Portland House of Music & Events, Blue Portland Maine, AS220) to the totally DIY (basements, house parties, driveway shows, you name it). Just as important to the music is the handmade/homemade spirit infused in the band– whether it’s the limited edition shirts Caroline screen-printed-on-demand at a backyard fest, or the film photo you spot of yourself in the crowd at a driveway show, or the zine you picked up from the merch table.
Lolabelle is honored to be chosen for the 2026 Longfellow Emerging Artist Fellowship, among the first cohort of musicians to pilot this program run by One Longfellow Square in Portland. The LEAF program is “a year-long fellowship offered to five Maine-based artists who are ready to deepen their craft, expand their network, and build a sustainable future in the music industry.”
Other highlights of the past year include: playing to a crowd of nearly 200 people at their EP release show at SPACE Gallery; festivals like All Roads: Portland and Resurgam; organizing FOGGY NOTION, a one-day fest featuring bands from Maine; putting together a bill that raised $600 for the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project (ILAP); a DIY Northeast tour in support of Sugarbowl; and opening for Boston legends The Sheila Divine.
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