Yullola’s music is spiritual, sensual and spooky

For musician Yullola, aka Jasper Lotti, the spooky and the eerie have always been appealing. ​“There’s this church in the East Village that was gutted but never got renovated, and I’d always walk past it [as a kid],” she says, wearing large cat-eye glasses. ​“I love spaces that are sacred but also spooky and crumbling a little.”

Calling in from her parents’ home in Maine, Yullola is gearing up for her European tour, where she’ll be stopping off in Paris to film a music video – which is set in the crumbling ruins of a castle, of course.

Growing up in the suburb of White Plains, New York, she got her start in the biz by studying classical Hindustani music as a child, which still influences her music today via soaring vocal trills, which you can hear in tracks such as dark reggaeton number Body Godly. ​“My music teacher in elementary school was also the head of the local Black gospel choir,” she says, ​“so I grew up steeped in spiritual music from gospel as well as classical Indian stuff.”

Blending ethereal vocals with moody, reverbed guitars and thumping bass drums, Yullola often blends her sonic influences (James Brown, Smashing Pumpkins) with her multi-faith upbringing. Attending a Catholic elementary school, she got used to being surrounded by nuns before heading home to a devout Hindu grandma, who would often host pundits (Hindu priests) at their house for ceremonies. It’s no surprise, then, that Yullola’s last two albums were called Monastery of Love and Zen Maiden.

Earlier this month, she released her latest album, Strange Serenity, a slinky dose of alt-pop that evokes late-night wine bars and clouds of incense smoke. Yullola says it marks the end of a trilogy. At the time of making the album, Yullola surrounded herself with all things eerie and sensual. Think: David Lynch films and, um, Italian softcore porn soundtracks from the ​’70s. ​“There’s this one composer, Stelvio Cipriani, who had an amazing discography and [the films] are always a weird sort of sexy murder mystery,” she says. Sounds about right.

What do you like to wear on stage?

Vintage slip dresses. They feel ghostly but girly.

Do you have any morning or evening rituals?

I dance naked in the dark in my room before I sleep. I just let it all out. And naked yoga, I highly recommend doing that.

What’s a beauty product you swear by?

I love the Josh Rosebrook Hydrating Accelerator.

What’s the best way to implement a phone detox?

Find something that you’re really passionate about and dive into it so it consumes your entire being.

What do you wear when you don’t know what to wear?

I love martial arts pants. They’re so comfortable and are made from good quality cotton. So those, a tank top and a big leather jacket.

What do you use to make your house smell nice?

Japanese incense. It’s super light because it’s meant to be an ambient scent rather than like, ​“Oh my god this smells so good”. The one I have is called Hinoki from Nippon Kodo.

Can you recommend us a film to watch?

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. It was actually Heath Ledger’s last film – he passed away while making it. It’s a very strange, cool film.

Who do you go to when you need a recipe?

Traditional Chinese medicine practitioner Zoey Xinyi Gong has a great recipe book.

What do you do when you can’t fall asleep?

Box breathe. You inhale for four, hold for four and exhale for four.

What should we always remember?

To have fun!