Instagram/@lolakirke
The heydays hairstyle and music rendition of a chilled-out dreamy lyric by Lola Kirke definitely took her followers through flights of nostalgia and contemporary style.
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The Hollywood star and musician went on social media with some humor, singing and reciting and then remixing those famous lyrics from Scott McKenzie’s 1967 classic San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair). Instead of the flower-filled attire for the trip down to the Bay, Kirke cooed an alternate sartorial suggestion: she sang a brief section of the original lyrics, “Skip your flowers, they’re standard.” And then continued with this clever change, “Get yourself a very very ripped shirt that says ‘Tania’.”
Her own artistic venture is injected into this post very much. Presumably, “Tania” is an advertisement for her band Tania’s imminent release, a self-titled debut album. By building on a familiar cultural reference, Kirke triggered interest and curiosity about this name. The ripped shirt concept suggests a style that is edgy and commonly associated with rock and roll, strengthening the connection to her musical project.
The McKenzie original: a song for counterculture movements of the 1960s, principally Summer of Love centered in San Francisco, about putting down arms, loving, and bohemian style that comprises wearing the flowers. Therefore, we see Kirke drifting from the gentle metaphor of flowers into something much more aggressive, down and dirty, and tra-la-la-rock. In this contrast lies a fruitful representation of the transition in cultural styles from the pathos of peace and love to the hard gritty and DIY view of the music scene her band establishes.
With an absence of a crowd to comment, the post plus Kirke’s insight creates a clever spotlight into her own promotion. It has an almost theatrical element, a short art piece where instead of an old tune of memory an old familiar melody with a fresh voice is sung. The beauty of picturing a ripped band tee is easily grasped by music lovers; it’s an embodiment of an older, more battered-on experience-based love of music rather than a polished and commercialized product. This is genius branding for her musical act, placing it within the great musical legacy of San Francisco and keeping it very much of the present.
For some time now, Lola Kirke has maintained a dual life-that of a familiar actress and that of an untamed wandering musician. This post epitomizes the mingling of the two worlds in which the actress side is used for promoting the music side. It’s laid-back but very effective marketing; seriously, it just does not feel corporate at all. Claiming a shared landmark in culture immediately bonds her with the audience, almost rendering the intended promotion for the band an inside joke or a secret shared between the fans.
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It’s quite a brief moment on social media, yet it fulfills her band-promotion aim, all while turning the focus on her crazy-witty humor, paying it homage to a musical classic and casting a particular image onto the project. What a prime example of turning the tools of promotion to the advantage of the artists in a way that builds a special rapport with the audience beyond the cold formula of advertising. Kirke’s funky, fashionable update to the hippie anthem really shows that sometimes the best tribute to the past is owning it in a black-skinned manner. She recently shared heartfelt thanks for her new song “Maps”, and has also teased another new song from the Trailblazer deluxe album. In a more bizarre promotional move, she once offered her firstborn child in a Manchester ticket promotion. Meanwhile, Dolores Catania recently celebrated an Irish wedding with a heartfelt post.