There’s a band from Vancouver called Old Soul Rebel that brings their mix of soul and rock to the music scene. The duo, Chelsea D.E. Johnson and Lola Whyte met each other at a community house in East Van, and from their backgrounds, they had this compatibility in their music. Johnson is black while Whyte is a mix of Cree, Ojibwe, Blood Nation, and Italian.

Their differences were made clear to each other the more people they met that they couldn’t relate to. They both come from marginalized communities, and the effect of intergenerational trauma struck Lola since her grandma came from a residential school, and as someone who explored that topic in high school, its effect is on such a large scale that I can’t comprehend their pain. That experience drives Lola to continually help others and not hurt.

Old Soul Rebel

Paired with their identity of being queer, their experience as outsiders and their hardships brought them closer, and the core of the band is about taking pride in yourself and building a community through it.

Johnson’s musical talents stem from their theatre background, where singing and acting share similar fundamentals, and Whyte has a cabaret dancing background, and singing is where their passions lined up.

Johnson had lots of experience, being in a lot of bands, but things really clicked with Lola. 

The band also competed in CTV’s The Launch, which is a reality music competition where five emerging musicians are guided by a mentor from the Canadian music industry to have a debut released commercially. The band really expressed their talent and their authenticity in the show. They ended up in second place, but following that was the death of Lola’s father. From her background, things happen like death, but the two are still spiritually connected even after his passing. With that concept, her relationship with her dad has deepened.

Through that experience, the band has grown to develop a responsibility to their audience. While Johnson says that music is a very therapeutic experience when they perform, they want to make sure the audience gets that same emotional lift.

Lola also ties in with the theme of healing as a medical worker, providing dental care to those facing barriers like access and affordability.

Each of their shows provides a safe space where the audience can enjoy the love Old Soul Rebel gives to them.