Pixie Lott says music 'healed' her when she was in a 'very dark place'

As Pixie Lott releases her first album in a decade, the pop star opens up about her mental health, the power of meditation and juggling work with motherhood, as she plans to take 11-month-old baby Albert on tour with her.

Having burst onto the music scene in 2009 with her hit debut album, Turn It Up, Pixie Lott was just 18 when she became a household name. With three top 10 albums and three number one singles under her belt, including the infamous All About Tonight, the 33-year-old is flying high. A regular face on TV, including being a judge on the X Factor and The Voice Kids, as well as doing a stint on Strictly, the mother-of-one has also made a name for herself as an actress, best-known for starring in Breakfast at Tiffany's on London's West End in 2016.

Now, for the first time in 10 years, the London-born singer is back with a new album, Encino. Here, she tells us about the inspiration behind her new music, why becoming a mum has made her appreciate life more and how meditation has helped her cope with difficult times.

You were recently papped taking your 11-month-old son, Albert, to London Fashion Week with you. What did he make of the catwalk shows and all the buzz?

One of the things I love about being a mum is that I can take Albert with me on all my adventures. I was watching him at the fashion shows and he was loving it all – especially seeing all the cameras going off which made me laugh, as with the work I do and with his dad being a model, he seemed to be a natural around them.

Next year I plan to take him on tour with me. I’m used to having a million bags with me and in addition, I’ll have Albert’s stuff but he will totally be my top priority and I can’t wait to take him on the road with me.

What has surprised you most about becoming a mum?

Having a child has totally changed my priorities in life and now I just appreciate everything that bit more. Since becoming a mum, I've realised how precious life is and it puts everything else into perspective.

I’ve started to think all the other stuff I used to stress and worry about doesn’t really matter. Life is short and I try to enjoy every moment, even simple things like appreciating food on the table and seeing the leaves on the trees. Albert makes me see the joy in everything that before I used to just take for granted.

My husband Oliver is such a great dad and even though we are both so busy with work, we manage to juggle it with parenting.

Having Albert in tow is the best thing ever and even though life is crazy-busy, I know how important it is to try to find time to put a date night in for just Oliver and I sometime soon. I recently was on a podcast with Tom Kerridge and my plan is to have a meal with Oliver at his restaurant at the Corinthia Hotel.

After years of dating Oliver, you finally tied the knot in 2022. How are you finding married life?

It’s amazing, we have been together such a long time and I’m so lucky because in the music industry, it can be so crazy-busy and have so many ups and downs, but Oliver has been my constant and always kept me grounded. We have kind of grown up together as I was 19 when we first met and, having shared so many incredible experiences together, it's made us even closer.

You've just released a new album for the first time in a decade. What’s it been like relaunching your music career?

It’s going to be such a different experience to when I first came on to the music scene as I remember in those days how the paparazzi would camp outside my house and follow me around which was a bit overwhelming. They even followed me to my grandparents’ house!

This time, I’m just so excited as I have been working on this album for over five years and as the songs are quite personal to me, it’s different to my old pop era work. I can't wait for people to hear my songs as I have put my heart and soul into them and want to get the message out, through my music, about the importance of love and kindness.

There is so much negativity all around us, particularly online, I just want to spread positivity. I wanted my work to be a reminder that we’re all human and we're all trying our best. I think that can sometimes get forgotten. On my album Encino it features songs I’ve written from the heart about all things we can relate to like romance, family and nostalgia.

Some of your new songs are related to mental health. You’ve experienced some difficult times and spoken about your struggles – did writing the music help you deal with your own issues? If so, in what ways did it help?

Eight years ago, I was in a very dark place mentally. Writing the songs for my new album and meditation helped heal me. I wanted it to represent all sides of me in the album and that includes my mental health, which took a huge knock when I was working on Breakfast At Tiffany’s. I found myself struggling in my head after the play as is has a very dark second act where the character I played basically loses everything. She’s left crying on the floor and pouring her heart out every night.

And so for me, doing that over and over again, I felt I had taken on the role of the character that kind of crept in to my head and by the end of it, I was like a broken person. I tried to mask my suffering but I was not good at all and found myself struggling. I had developed heightened anxiety and a tight chest because I felt so panicky and I knew I needed help as every night I was crying. It really took a toll on my mental wellbeing.

What helped you to recover from those dark times?

Fortunately, Oliver and our families were a huge support and really helped me but I came across meditation which was such a powerful tool. It’s not something I knew much about and it's definitely not a quick fix, but I honestly felt like it helped me gain control of my mind and calm me down.

I came across it after I was Googling online and it has been absolutely transformative for me. I found a Buddhist centre in East London, which really helped me and I fell in love with it so much so, I trained to be a teacher and am now fully qualified. It’s like a work-out for the mind. I’ve always been an active person and obviously have to have a lot of stamina to perform on stage but working out my mind is just as important to my body.

Also, writing down how I felt and putting some of my emotions in to my songs was a very therapeutic process. At the end of the day, I absolutely love performing, having a good time, seeing the smiles on the faces of people listening to my songs and letting the magic of music happen.

I’d love my music to help people in some way, which is why I felt it so important to put some personal bits into my songs. I’d love for it to inspire people to be themselves, which is what I learnt on this album.

Pixie Lott's new album, Encino, and her new single, Midnight Trash, is out now.

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Pixie was 'broken' by her West End experience (Bang Showbiz, 1-min read)

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