Meet the Rising Music Star Who Has Folk Babe Hair on Lock

Yesterday Bonnaroo kicked off in Manchester, Tennessee, with a number of on-the-rise acts including newcomer Lael Neale, whose spectral voice, bedhead bangs, and sun-kissed lengths have all of the makings of a major folk stage babe. Days before she jetted off to the festival, she called from her home in Silverlake, the flower-strewn, quiet Los Angeles neighborhood the singer-songwriter describes as “paradise.” The Virginia farm–raised Neale admitted that she was a little overwhelmed by the idea of playing for the 80,000 plus attendees, her largest audience to date. One thing that would quell her nerves? “I want to wear a uniform,” she said of her failproof look of menswear-inspired clothing and second-day hair. “That’s kind of all you need to say about your look and then your energy can be put into other things.” Here, Neale talks about the texturizing benefits of skipping shampoo, cutting your own hair, and why Sun-In may actually be the best colorist running.

Congratulations on Bonnaroo! This is your first time playing the festival.
Thank you. I’m very excited. This is my first festival. I was just kind of surprised and excited, like when your stomach drops a little bit.

Tell me about the title for your album, I’ll Be Your Man.  
I grew up on a farm, kind of as a tomboy. I just wanted to be one of the guys. I really resented anything that was girly or powdery perfumed or pink. [But] my hair has been long as long as I’ve had a choice about it—my dad used to give me bowl cuts, which is probably why I have long hair now.

What made you change your tune about being seen as feminine?
I don’t feel like resisting my femininity anymore. I kind of just realized that there’s so much strength in being a woman. It shifted a lot as I’ve gotten older, [seeing] all of these women I admire and respect so much. But for me, the ultimate [honor] would be to kind of be outside of gender stereotypes. You just want to be good—good at writing, good at playing.

Who did you look to for feminine inspiration, especially for that hair?
Marianne Faithful and Brigitte Bardot are incredible. And Jane Birkin always looks so effortlessly beautiful. I love the story about Patti Smith having long silky hair in New York and she wasn’t being taken seriously by the guys, so she lopped off her hair and people started noticing her and respecting her.

Yes, she cut it herself! So cool. Who cuts your hair?
I trim my own hair. I got scarred by having bad hair-cutting experiences. My last official “real” haircut was seven years ago. You know how hairdressers have standard cuts that they give everyone? It just always looks like a “haircut” to me and I never want [my hair] to look like a haircut. I just want to look like that’s the way it is. It’s kind of like sculpting, there’s something really satisfying about cutting hair off. But I can get carried away. I kind of lopped off my bangs the other day.
 
Would you ever go short?
I’ve fantasized about it, but I want to be one of those seventy-year-old women with long braids tied up, like Georgia O’Keeffe.

Who colors your hair?
I embarrassingly used to use Sun-In every summer—child of the eighties. I used to have really blonde hair when I was young, and I wanted to maintain that without having to get highlighted. [Sun-In] is a really dangerous game. I’ve definitely turned my hair orange before. [To get it right] I use a teeny bit and really slowly. I spray [only a little] straight on and pull it through [my hair], once a week in the summer. I kind of gave that up so now it’s growing in pretty dark.

How do you get that great texture?
I shampoo it twice a week and I use only this Five Star Shampoo and it’s supposedly just coconut oil. You have to get over the hump of greasiness for a couple weeks, and then [your hair] acclimates. It doesn’t over-produce oil [anymore]. I don’t wash it as much as my mother would like me to, but it seems to be working pretty well for me. I air-dry, and I put baby powder in it if it seems like it needs it.

Is the rest of your routine that natural?
I use olive oil to wash my skin and a Deep Serum and highlighting lotion from Noto Botanics. They’re really nice. I kept seeing my friend from the neighborhood and her face was always glowing. I realized she was developing an all-natural line of skincare, [Noto]. She uses all natural ingredients that you can pronounce—that’s kind of my only rule for what I eat and put on my skin.

You wear eyeliner well—what do you use?
I use a Pacifica Natural Eye Pencil [in black] every day, just on the very outer corners and smudge it. And I just got this Reviva mascara. It’s hypoallergenic. Usually natural [mascaras] are horrible but this one seems to work. I like it. I’ve been wearing more lipstick lately. It’s a whole new game to me. I started a year ago. Sometimes you just get bored with your own face [Laughs].
 
Other than the lipstick, you seem to maintain a very consistent look.
I sort of want to [have] a uniform. I love clothing and style but I really like simplicity and keeping it minimal. I admire people like Joan Didion or Emily Dickinson—they’re often represented by this one sort of classic image, especially poets. This one outfit [in this one photo]. Joan Didion [wrote out her packing list]. It’s concentrated and condensed and simple like her writing. Style is funny because although you’re covered [by clothing, hair, and makeup] it’s the ultimate transparency, because it communicates who you are—you can speak without words.

 

 

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