It all started when Emma Lov and Jackson Foote first met in 2013 as average college students. Fast forward to a few years later, the two have already toured across the U.S, and are preparing for an appearance at both Billboard Hot 100 and Panorama this summer.
Loote — a name combining the surnames of the two artists — was not the pair’s first identity in the music industry. Jackson and Emma started off as songwriters, and talented ones: their work on “No Promises,” sung by Demi Lovato and featuring electronic group Cheat Codes, is what made them decide to become artists.
In an interview with Kulture Hub, they explained their mindset saying,
“We came in as songwriters, and we knew we wanted to do more. Once ‘No Promises’ came out, we knew it got the ball moving. We had more traction as people, not just songwriters.”
“No Promises” was a collaborative with Lauv, an indie-pop artist considerably well known for his bright, smooth pop vibes.
Much like their co-writer, Jackson and Emma bring a confident and upbeat tune with lyrics that will have you jamming out, brush in hand, to every angsty word:
Hope you never hear this / You probably can’t deal with it / Hope your family’s still doing great / I’m missing every Sunday / Friends probably hate me / Wish you’d never met me / F**k a happy ending.” – “Your Side of the Bed”
The magic is working. After a wild cross-national tour, Loote is ready for their performances at some of the New York’s best summer festivals. Loote will be joining a huge lineup at both Panorama and Billboard Hot 100, and the two are syked for it.
When asked who they’d like to collab with in the future, Emma didn’t hesitate saying,
“Halsey. Definitely Halsey. I love her, she’s super cool.”
The suggestions go on — Kim Petras, Olivia O’Brien, Kehlani and The Knocks — until finally, Jackson says, “Everyone!” The two have already snagged some hot collabs with some big-time artists, including America’s heart-throb Joe Jonas and one of South Korea’s biggest solo artists, Eric Nam.
After joining him at his performances in New York this summer, Loote and Eric Nam hit it off, leading to their release of a remix to the duo’s most popular song, “Your Side of the Bed.”
Eric wasn’t Loote’s first brush with South Korea’s music industry. This past April, the group was shocked to discover their song had been featured on a tour video for BTS, the hottest K-pop group with one of this year’s best selling albums in the U.S. He told me,
“We would love to go more international with collaborations. Getting more jobs overseas is the goal. We want to tell the world.”
In just a short amount of time, Loote has seen a massive wave of success, and the two have been on the road for long enough. One of the benefits of having a partner-in-crime, however, is knowing you’ve got each other’s backs.
The pair admits that, after spending so much time together, they’re able to sync into one another’s struggles. When one has a hard time, they write about it together. Emma said,
“No matter what, we always come back to our cave in New York City. It has been an adjustment, traveling and not being home. It’s overwhelming, and we are forced to be away from friends and family. With all that stuff and all that noise, you have to learn to mentally keep things in perspective. It’s easy to think of a million things, but eventually, you get drawn into what you’re doing, and it’s fun.”
For Emma, there is a bigger monster – anxiety. For a while, she was considering releasing a video to touch upon the topic. Though it is difficult, she opens up a bit about her struggles during the interview.
Emma said,
“To relax, I usually write more songs to wind down. I was planning on addressing it — maybe in a video or something — but I’ve been having moments of panic because of how overwhelming things are. I’d like to talk more about anxiety and stress and health… in fact, two of our songs — “Out of My Head” and “Good to Me” — the lyrics are more about anxiety. “Good to Me” especially…after being signed, it was very emotional, and the song discusses that.”
Both Jackson and Emma are relieved to finally return to New York. Though Jackson grew up in Boston, Emma was raised in Chelsea and attended LaGuardia High School. The two both admit to having been raised in communities that encouraged music and expression, which is what led them to their decided careers in the music industry.
For those who have yet to reach their peak, Loote has some words of advice:
“Do it because you love to do it. Don’t think it’s work. Do what you love, and it you’re committed, push yourself. It’s important to know how to get better, and there is always room to grow. It’s okay to judge yourself. But don’t think too hard…remember to have fun. Have patience, because if your just getting started, it will take a while for you to get monetized. Just trust in your vision.”
Young, tough, and unafraid, Loote is prepared to take on the world — one hit song at a time.