Lalu Returns with "No Tears Left to Cry"

With grit in her voice and glitter in her veins, Americana-pop artist Lalu returns with “No Tears Left to Cry”—a breakup anthem that trades sorrow for liberation, fusing emotional honesty with a beat that begs you to dance through the wreckage. It’s dreamy, defiant, and effortlessly genre-blurring, pulling from Empire of the Sun's lush soundscapes and her own country roots to carve something uniquely her.

Backed by the quiet storm of her debut EP Time for Us and a comeback shaped by vocal injury and self-reclamation, Lalu steps into her next era—one where letting go, moving on, and blasting the stereo are all part of the healing.

You wrote No Tears Left to Cry during the chaos of COVID, a time when you lost your voice — literally. How did that silence change your relationship with music?

Oof, big question. I think I’m still unpacking it, to be honest. Not being able to sing messed with me more than I expected.

I’ve always appreciated vocals - obviously, I’m a singer - but suddenly not having that tool made me hyper-aware of things like tone and breath and those tiny flickers in a voice that say so much. It also forced me to change how I wrote. Normally, songs start with a melody for me - I hear it in my head, sing it out loud, and the lyrics kinda tumble out. But when you physically can’t sing, that pipeline dries up real quick. So, I started writing poetry instead. No melody, just thoughts. I’d journal every morning, just to clear the fog, and that slowly helped me rebuild the confidence that like... cool, I can still write - even if it sounds different now. Only recently have I started stitching those words back into melodies.

The single feels like both a release and a recovery. Was there a specific moment when you knew you were ready to sing again?

Honestly, I don’t think my voice is fully back yet - it’s still finding its way. But I hit a point where I realised if I waited to feel 100% “ready,” I might never sing again. It’s way too easy to slip out of the habit when something you once loved suddenly feels… off. Or worse, when you don’t sound like you anymore. So yeah - persistence. Bit of stubbornness. A lot of muscle training. And one very patient friend: Alex Beitzke. He’s an amazing producer and vocal engineer, but more than that, I just felt super safe singing around him. No judgement, no pressure - just space to wobble and warm up again. That’s when I kind of knew. Not because I sounded perfect, but because I felt okay sounding imperfect. That’s a kind of recovery too, I think.

There’s a definite “driving with the windows down” energy in this track. What made you want to pair emotional weight with such a danceable beat?

I think for a while, my music leaned pretty heavy - like, real weighty stuff. Processing heartbreak, letting go of someone you love, even losing a friend to addiction (not physically, but emotionally - which is its own kind of grief). That kind of pain. But with this track, I just felt like… the energy needed to shift. Maybe I did too. I didn’t want the emotion to disappear, but I wanted to move through it - not sit in it. So the beat had to feel like momentum. Like okay, yeah, life’s a mess sometimes, but let’s still roll the windows down and feel the breeze, you know? A reminder that you can be down and still dance. That things can be painful and still hopeful. That joy doesn’t mean the struggle wasn’t real - it just means you’re choosing to keep going.

You’ve said this song was almost about a breakup, but turned out to be about making peace with yourself. What did writing it reveal to you that you didn’t expect?

Heartbreak and pain - those are such strong emotions, and I think because of that, my brain tends to go there pretty quickly when I hear chords on a guitar. And yeah, there are definitely lyrics in No Tears Left to Cry that could lead someone to think it’s about a breakup. Even the title alone kind of sends you straight there.

But truthfully, it was just really fun to write. Which, for me, isn’t always the case. I’m pretty intense on the inside - always pushing, always trying to make things happen. So writing something that felt like a release while I was writing it, not just after the fact, that was new for me. My usual headspace is a constant mental tug-of-war - but somewhere in the middle of this track, I stopped pointing the finger outward and realised I needed to ease up on myself. You can chase big things without feeling like you’re failing if they don’t land tomorrow. This song gave me that reminder - a little moment of peace.

Your vocals balance Chappell Roan shimmer with Cranberries grit. How do you shape your vocal style to reflect both heartbreak and hope?

Wow - what a compliment! Heartbreak and hope - love that my voice hits both ends of that spectrum for you. I don’t think anyone’s ever described my vocals as a feeling before… that’s pretty special.

For me, it’s all about singing from the heart. People can hear emotion, whether it’s a crack in the voice or even a smile sneaking through a phrase. And I think that’s where the hope comes in. Even in a sad lyric, if there’s a little lift in the delivery, a little shimmer, that’s the light peeking through.

You’re blending Americana roots with modern pop. How do you walk that line between raw and polished, especially as a producer or collaborator?

Another killer question. I mean, the mix is tight - hats off to my friend Alex for that. He really brought everything to life in a way that feels both fresh and textured. There are definitely some quirky, unexpected sounds in there - gnarly basslines, gritty little guitar riffs, electric sprinkles here and there. The guitar progression in verse two honestly made my day - it just adds this extra bite, gives the verse a kind of unexpected edge that keeps things from getting too clean. We leaned into a bit of a “Kids by MGMT” vibe with the mix - expansive, dreamy - and then paired that with this repetitive, almost old-school synth texture that still feels kinda pretty. It’s all sitting under these relatively clean, airy vocals… so yeah, there’s this constant push and pull between rawness and polish. And I love living in that space - it feels real.

“Piece to Keep” made it all the way to Love Island. What was it like seeing your music hit a global moment like that?

Absolutely mental. My phone basically blew up - all my friends who watch the show were calling and texting like, “Wait… is this you??” Not only was Piece to Keep on the episode, but it came in at such a peak, emotional moment. Wild. I’m forever grateful to Pretti from ITV for making that happen. It’s one of those surreal little milestones - definitely a “pause and scream a little” kind of night.

Your debut EP Time for Us caught early traction on Spotify. How does No Tears Left to Cry feel different — sonically or emotionally — from that first release?

The energy is in a completely different dimension. Time for Us carried this strong sense of longing - a kind of emotional ache that ran through the whole project. With No Tears Left to Cry, it’s lighter. There’s movement. It doesn’t sit in the sadness - it shifts through it.

After recovering from something as personal as a vocal injury, how do you protect your voice now — physically, emotionally, or even creatively?

There’s definitely a lot more intention around it now - on the physical side, I do regular breathing exercises to build strength, and I’m way more aware of tension in places like my neck and jaw - so there’s a fair bit of stretching involved too. Socially… I’ve had to dial it back a bit. I used to be that girl belting songs at the top of my lungs all night long - no mic, just vibes. Creatively, it’s been about learning patience. Giving myself space when things aren’t flowing. Not forcing the voice or the process.

With this release out in the world, what’s next? A new EP, live shows, or something totally unexpected you’re excited to share?

Live shows aren’t quite on the cards yet - still rebuilding. I’ll be releasing more music bit by bit, but the next EP won’t drop until next year. In the meantime, I’m open to writing for other artists, which is such a fun shift creatively. I’m also running artist-brand partnerships behind the scenes - helping build those bridges between music and culture. And there’s a little idea brewing for a podcast with some of my favourite artist managers… more on that soon, but it’s shaping up to be something really special.

With “No Tears Left to Cry,” Lalu isn’t just bouncing back—she’s breaking forward. Through silence, setbacks, and soul-searching, she’s carved a sound that’s both emotionally raw and sonically fearless. It’s the kind of music that doesn’t flinch from the hard stuff but still insists on joy—windows down, volume up, heart open.

And if this single is any sign of what’s next, Lalu’s not only healing, she’s redefining what it means to rise.