First of all, thanks to Lottie Jones for taking the time to chat with us. With Surrender, released through Make Your Era, she delivers one of her most personal vocal performances to date. The track leans into atmosphere, restraint, and songwriting rather than chasing oversized moments. As one of the most recognisable voices in modern drum and bass, Jones has spent years moving between liquid, dancefloor, and more experimental corners of the genre, collaborating with artists including Fred V, Hybrid Minds, Kanine, and Andromedik. We caught up with her to talk about the story behind Surrender, the changing role of vocalists within drum and bass, and the music currently inspiring her away from the scene.

Hey Lottie, I'd love to start right at the beginning with this one. When you first started writing Surrender, what feeling or idea were you trying to hold on to before the rest of the track started taking shape?

I started writing Surrender with the feeling of being at peace with myself and my relationship. It’s not often I am able to write about something positive that easily, so I really just allowed myself to get in my feels and enjoy the creative process without overthinking it.

Your vocals sit really naturally inside the mix on this one. Was that something that happened instinctively, or did it take a bit of back and forth to stop the track from becoming overcrowded?

I am very blessed to have Fred’s (Fred V) production on my tunes, he has been working with my vocals since I was 17 and knows exactly what to do with them. He’s a musical genius, and we have a very strong bond. Working together comes very naturally!

There’s a restraint to the arrangement that works well. No massive theatrical moments, just a steady emotional pull through the whole tune. Was that deliberate from the start?

I think with this track, the subtle moments were more important. We were really focused on keeping the arrangement restrained so the atmosphere and feeling could breathe naturally. It felt more honest to let the emotion simmer throughout the whole tune rather than overcomplicating it for the drama!

You’ve worked across quite a few different corners of drum and bass now, from Fred V and Hybrid Minds to Kanine and Buunshin. Do you find your writing changes depending on who you’re collaborating with?

I always keep the collaborator’s intentions for a tune in mind, so the writing really depends on what originally inspired them. But if they give me complete creative freedom, I definitely have a particular style of writing I prefer.

Do you think differently about writing vocals for a club tune compared to something meant for more personal listening?

Absolutely, I’m really into my thought provoking lyrics but a lot of club goers tend to be in the club to not think about anything other than the club…..if you know what I mean!

How different does a track feel to you once it’s actually being played out in clubs and festivals compared to hearing it privately while writing and recording it?

So different!! It’s like it puts extra life into it once it’s been played out. Always surreal hearing a tune you wrote in your bedroom being played to thousands of people at once!

You’ve done both live PA performances and full club sets. Does performing in those different environments change the way you approach writing?

I don’t think so, I’ve always had lovely feedback from the crowd after performing live. It usually just inspires me to keep writing the way I do.

Make Your Era has carved out a pretty distinct lane quite quickly around melodic and vocal records. What felt right about releasing this one through the label?

Everything! MYE felt like the perfect home for the tune, we had been sitting with it for a couple of years before deciding on a label and we 100% went with the best one.

Outside of drum and bass, what sort of music have you been listening to lately that’s quietly feeding into your writing, even indirectly?

I’ve actually been listening to a lot of metal music and Paolo Nutini. Bit of a contrast, but I take a lot of inspiration from both!

It feels like vocalists are getting more recognition within drum and bass now rather than just appearing as a feature line on a track. Does the scene feel different to you compared to when you first started releasing music?

100%, a lot more vocalists are thriving in the industry than when I first started out. I love to see so many live sets on the lineups these days, the appreciation for vocals is better late than never.

What’s one thing about your creative process that people would probably not expect if they only knew you from the live side of things?

I think people would probably be surprised by how much silence and space are part of my process. From the live side, it can look very high-energy and emotional, but when I’m writing, I spend a lot of time sitting with ideas quietly and not forcing anything. A lot of my lyrics and melodies come from moods or moments that feel really subtle at first. I’m less focused on making something technically impressive and more focused on whether it genuinely feels something.

You’re stranded on a desert island with one turntable, a generator and one record. What’s it going to be?

I like wayyyy too many genres to answer this question!! But if it’s drum and bass, I’ll go for Entropy by Vibe Chemistry. Every song is an absolute tune so I’d be absolutely vibing on that island for sure!

Huge thanks to Lottie for taking the time to answer our questions. Surrender is out now via Make Your Era, and if this conversation is anything to go by, there is plenty more to come from one of drum and bass' most distinctive vocal talents.

Read our full review of Surrender here.