Kirke was born on 27 September 1990[1] in the Portland Hospital in London, England.[2] Her father, Simon Kirke, is a musician who served as drummer for the rock bands Bad Company and Free, and her mother, Lorraine (née Dellal), is a fashion designer. Kirke's father is of English and Scottish descent.[a][3][4] Kirke's maternal grandfather, Jack Dellal, was a British businessman of Iraqi-Jewish descent, and her maternal grandmother, Zehava Helmer, was an Israeli flight attendant; Kirke has described herself as Jewish.[5][6] Kirke is the youngest of four children, with two sisters, singer Domino Kirke and actress Jemima Kirke,[7][8][9][10] and a brother,[11][12] Gregory.[13] She is a cousin of curator Alexander Dellal, shoe designer Charlotte Olympia Dellal, and model Alice Dellal.[14]
The family relocated to New York City, United States, when Kirke was five years old. She grew up in the Manhattan neighborhood of West Village, where her mother founded and owned the vintage boutique Geminola.[8][11] Kirke graduated from Saint Ann's School in Brooklyn and in 2012 from Bard College.[9][10][12] She is a naturalized US citizen.[15]
Kirke is also active in music. In 2016 she released an EP.[24] In 2018, she released three singles, including two with accompanying music videos, "Monster" and "Supposed To".[25][26] Her debut album, Heart Head West, was released on 10 August 2018 by Downtown Records.[27][28][29]
On 12 March 2019, Kirke released a cover of Rick Danko's "Sip the Wine" on Downtown Records, produced by Matthew E. White at his Richmond, Virginia studio, Spacebomb Studios.[30]
In October 2021, Kirke was signed to Third Man Records.[31]
In April 2022, Third Man released her sophomore LP, Lady for Sale.[32] The album was hailed as "immediately iconic" by AllMusic,[33] and was said to bridge "the gap that once existed between Madonna and the Mandrell Sisters," by Uncut Magazine [citation needed]. "A new era of sparkle-country is upon us," declared No Depression.[34] "Lola Kirke is here to usher it in." "Lyrically, Kirke moves into the top tier of writers," wrote The Line of Best Fit.[35]Pitchfork gave the album a mixed review, finding both "pure pastiche" and "pure delight" in its "genre-first approach".[36]
In August 2022, it was announced that Kirke would be supporting Swedish folk duo First Aid Kit on their UK Tour in November and December 2022.[37]
Kirke is an activist for women's rights. In 2017 she notably wore a "Fuck Paul Ryan" pin on her gown to the Golden Globes to protest the defunding of Planned Parenthood.[38]
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