An NY native, Lotti Golden, grew up and was educated in Brooklyn, NY serving as her high school’s Poet Laureate. Graduating with honors, including the National League of Pen Women Prize for Poetry. After attending Brooklyn College, Lotti began writing for a music publishing company.
After securing a record deal with Atlantic records, Golden released her debut album Motor-Cycle in 1969. The songs on Motor-Cycle deal with subjects like gender identity (“The Space Queens (Silky is Sad)“), drug use (“Gonna Fay’s”), and urban alienation (“Who Are Your Friends”). Shortly after, Newsweek magazine did a piece on the new women singer-songwriters of the time which included Lotti, Laura Nyro, Joni Mitchell, and Melanie. Unfortunately, Atlantic Records didn’t promote the album or have Lotti play live shows on tour. Instead the record label put all of their focus on a band of four young British male musicians, Led Zeppelin. Typical male patriarchal music industry bullshit. After this ill-fated experience Lotti decided to write songs which were recorded by many other artists and went on to marry and have a daughter. Who is now Lotte’s manager.
Fast forward to 2025, High Moon Records re-released Motor-Cycle to unanimous critical praise from both music journalists and other musicians as well. These reviews featured quotes like “Golden’s all in, the psychedelic daughter of the Beat generation” and “Motor-Cycle is a musical memoir, a sojourn in the East Village, then the darkling epicenter of the New York underground,” “The missing link between Aretha Franklin and Patti Smith.” “Motown meets The Velvet Underground.” All accurate and yet they don’t quite cover it all.
Since the album’s reissue and high praise, Lotti and her kick ass band, having been playing live shows. At NYC’s KGB Bar in the East Village last Thursday, Lotti, and her musicians played a killer set to a captivated audience. To say that this woman is, to use two very overused words, amazing and awesome is an understatement. Lotti’s voice sounded as gorgeous live as it does on the recordings. Motor-Cycle is a must for all serious music lovers as are Lott’s live performances. At 75, Lotti Golden is back in full force. This time the world is ready to receive all of her gifts.
Lotti on motorcycle Photo credit: Courtesy of High Moon Records
Lotti live shot Photo credit: Taylor Hill/Courtesy of Big Hassle Media
