LIL LOTUS // Drops New EP ‘All My Little Scars Vol. 1’

May 18, 2020 / WORDS Ciara Allen / PHOTOS Kyle Thompson / New Blood.

A pioneer of the alternative rap scene, Lil Lotus is known for blending confessional lyrics, pop-punk melodies and rap beats.

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Like his namesake the lotus flower that blooms in muddy waters, Lotus’s music grows from the pain of real-life experiences.

Lil Lotus has today dropped All My Little Scars Vol. 1, featuring two new tracks Rigor Mortis, Last One and the previously released I Don’t Even Like You, and Never Felt Better.

All My Little Scars Vol. 1 is the first instalment of a three-part series, and Lotus’ first EP since 2017’s massive Body Bag EP (featuring GothBoiClique’s Cold Hart and Nedarb).

Lil Lotus is the creative persona of singer and multi-instrumentalist John Villagran from Dallas, Texas. Considered to be one of the biggest influences of the emo-rap genre, a younger Lotus would play in garage and metalcore bands as a bassist and scream vocalist.

He started rapping and singing in late 2016 and found his niche ever since, employing his seemingly limitless vocal range and draws from his vast array of influences in metal, pop-punk, and hip-hop to create genre-blending music.

Lotus also founded the goth metal band Be//gotten in 2016. While working at a dead-end warehouse job, Lotus became increasingly drawn to Wicca Phase Springs Eternal, Cold Hart, and others’ avant-garde approach to hip-hop. He eventually left the band to start his own solo project: Lotus.