Nova 100’s Jase & Lauren caught up with singing star and Lauren Phillips’ close friend Rita Ora joined the team for a fun chat about marriage to Taika Waititi, a move into acting and a tease toward her next musical chapter, saying she “can’t wait” to perform in Nova’s Red Room when her new music drops.
Rita Ora: I have to leave on the Sunday, which I’m really upset about, but I’ll catch the beginning of the race, and then I’m heading out to Europe. But the gang is staying. Taika’s staying. Lauren’s gonna look after Taika, help us all. I don’t know what’s gonna happen there.
Lauren Phillips: Paulie and I left in charge of her husband when she leaves.
Rita: Paulie’s gonna have to carry him out of the race at some point.
Jase Hawkins: Is Taika like traveling with a child?.. you being the responsible one?
Rita: I don’t know, because we’re both very childish… But that’s kind of what we love about each other. I mean, you know, I think you have to be… You can’t take yourself seriously when you’re sort of a grown up. You have to make grown up decisions, but that spark should never leave, and I think that’s kind of why I love him so much.
Lauren: We’d been out for dinner on Thursday night actually. And I don’t know if you’ve seen Rita recently, but we’re not only hearing music from her, she’s getting right into acting as well.
Rita: Yeah, it’s just a great transition. I mean, honestly, I’m just going through an organic phase. I just want to work with people that I admire, that I want to be like. All the writers and directors and, you know, coming obviously, here to Australia, you guys have so many amazing actors, you know. And I’ve been lucky through Paulie and Loz and obviously a couple friends that we all have in common to meet some really great actors and who’ve given me great advice. And overall, you know, I think it’s about the script. If I fit the script, I’m learning a lot about how to get the roles and what works.
Jase: Was there someone you’d love to work with?
Rita: Well, I love, love the Hemsworths, obviously, because they’re friends of mine, and I love what they do. So maybe something down the line like that, just because I know it’d be a laugh. It’d be a laugh to work with them.
Lauren: Let’s talk new music.
Clint Stanaway: So what’s on the way?
Rita: Yeah, no. Well, we were having dinner. I was just telling [Lauren] about my process, and I’m actually going through a really different experience, and I really wasn’t planning on actually making a record this year. I just wanted to chill out a little bit, and I just thought, let’s see what happens. And I’ve just got a ton of really great musicians that I respect, and we’ve just been in the studio, cooking up and just jamming, and things are really coming out of nowhere. And I’m actually really excited again… honestly, I don’t know what’s happening, but I know it feels good and it feels fresh and it’s exciting.
Clint: Which is what’s important. Is there a sort of, like a theme, or?
Rita: I’ve just taken myself out of being in front of this sort of world that I’ve created, of being the musician and the famous person, and I just thought, what would happen if I looked at myself from a different eye? You have to remember that this job we do is insane. It’s not real, and you have to just be grateful for the things that…
Lauren: We’re getting you in [Nova’s] Red Room when the new music comes out.
Rita: Please get me in! I can’t wait.
Jase & Lauren can be heard from 6am to 9am on Nova 100 in Melbourne. Listen live or via the catch up podcast by downloading the Nova Player.
Image: Lauren, Rita, Lauren’s fiance Paul, Taika Waititi, Clint Stanaway and friends at the Melbourne Grand Prix. Source: Instagram @lfizzlphillips