[EDMTunes] The Next Chapter: Angel City’s Lara McAllen on Returning to Music, Evolving Her Sound, and the Road Ahead

For many, Angel City’s euphoric Dance anthems were a defining part of the early 2000s club scene. Tracks like ‘Love Me Right’ and ‘Do You Know’ dominated the UK and US Dance charts, earning singer-songwriter Lara McAllen widespread recognition as the voice behind the project. But after a whirlwind of success, she stepped away from the industry, taking time to focus on family and personal commitments. 

Now, after a decade-long break, Lara is reigniting Angel City with a refined sound that blends her signature melodic vocals with modern Trance and Melodic House influences. Collaborating with some of today’s most respected producers, including Ferry Corsten, Ruben de Ronde, and Amy Wiles, she’s entering a new creative chapter, one shaped by experience, resilience, and a deep love for music. 
We caught up with Lara to reflect on her journey, the evolution of Angel City, and what’s next for her in 2025 and beyond. 
 

Hi Lara how’s it going? 

I’m feeling very positive at the moment, I feel like I have come out the other side of a difficult year (I had orthopaedic surgery and the recovery took a lot out of me and slowed me down) but, I have felt so much better both physically and mentally over the last couple of months so I am in a really good place to be creative now.  Productivity levels are back on track! 

Looking back at your early success with tracks like ‘Love Me Right’ and ‘Do You Know,’ what stands out most about that time in your career?  

The music industry was very different in the mid-2000’s.  I remember working really hard to get Angel City out there, touring clubs for months on end with ‘Love Me Right’. It paid off because I was soon performing all over the world as Angel City, I was even doing shows in New York and LA as ‘Love Me Right’ really caught on in the US.   I think the turning point was being picked up by Radio 1 as a record of the week.  It was amazing as an EDM vocalist to have that kind of exposure and it led to some amazing TV opportunities. 

After taking a break from music, what inspired you to return and reignite Angel City? 
I started to feel some real regret about leaving music.  During the pandemic when we had more time to stop and reflect on things, I knew that I needed to sing again and be doing the thing I am truly passionate about.  I set up my studio at home.  But timing wasn’t on my side and my grandmother got very poorly right in the middle of the pandemic.  It was never in question that I would nurse her myself rather than let her go into care.  But it would have been impossible to create musically at that time, because nursing someone as poorly as my grandmother, as well as having two young children, takes up every moment of the day. So, music waited until after she died in 2023 at which point it became an outlet for me as I adjusted to the big change in our lives when she was no longer with us.  Although my grandmother was in her nineties and had lived a long life, there was that sense of, “wow, life is short so what are you going to do about the thing that’s been niggling you for so long?” 

How would you describe your signature sound now?  

I love to write over beautiful chords in Melodic and Progressive House. Of course, there are Trance and Pop elements, but the sound is more grown up now, the toplines are more personal and definitely more authentic.  My voice has evolved too, the same tones are there but there’s more light and shade.  There’s better depth to the sound. 

In what ways has collaboration influenced your creative process and approach to music?  

Collaboration is everything and it helps you to grow creatively and pushes you out of your comfort zone.  It’s always nerve-wracking presenting ideas to another artist, but when they can hear something in your work and develop it to the next level it’s a really exciting process.   

Are there any specific themes or messages you hope to convey through your upcoming releases?  

The new single ‘STARS’ is about a journey of loss. It was written following the death of my grandmother, but it’s not dark – it’s reflective.  The instrumental is emotive but in an uplifting way.  I think pretty much all of my upcoming collaborations are about personal life experiences, mainly navigating through the highs and lows of significant relationships. I have a lot more to draw from now, I had zero life experience singing Angel City songs at 19 years old.  I have two children now, I’ve dealt with divorce, lost close family members, had children.  Had great times, not so great times… I am a totally different person approaching songwriting now.  It’s also important to me to push the message that it’s never too late to make changes.  Sometimes it seems like there is a mountain to climb to get to reach your goals but it’s the small steps, consistently and purposefully that add up.    

How do you approach balancing your signature sound with fresh, modern elements?  

Essentially there’s no getting away from the fact that the sound has changed. The vocal remains melodic but in terms of the overall sound, you can’t take a long break like I have, and not come back with a total overhaul. The great thing about returning after an extended break is that the nostalgia element is even more enhanced and everyone loves a bit of nostalgia! It’s about getting the right balance in terms of a nod to the 2000’s with bang up to date production.  It’s been a journey over the last year developing my vocal, to make sure it can sit proudly back in 2025. It’s the small details in the vocal like the way you end your notes, the amount of inflection in your delivery, even these details change with time and trends… sounding familiar but sounding current has definitely been the focus. Even listening to the recording I did at the beginning of last year, I can hear how my voice has found where it wants to be, as working with current producers brings a fresh direction to the way I deliver my vocal. 

How do you see your music evolving as you move forward with this new chapter?  

I want to focus on being part of the production process from the ground up, as much as I can, work to receive instrumentals from DJs and Producers, I adore the process of starting with some bare chord progressions and developing something from nothing.  So, I hope that will see me evolve in 2025. I think my music will remain somewhat eclectic but I’ll definitely be bringing in more ethereal harmonies wherever I can.   

How has the dance music industry changed since your early days, and where do you see it heading next?  

Coming back to the music industry has been a shock frankly, as everything is different, from the way labels consider music, the social media influence and of course, how saturated the market is. It’s been a steep learning curve. 

With new collaborations and releases on the horizon, what can we expect from Angel City next?  

I’ve just collaborated on a really cool House version of ‘Love Me Right’, a little faster than the original with a 2025 House vibe which I am really excited about, this will be out soon, and then some commercial Trance collaborations with the likes of York, Ruben de Ronde and Sonin.  Talking of the nod to previous decades, I really hope that Amy Wiles and I will manage to get our Eurodance inspired track out to the world at long last. ‘Dream Away’ captures the nostalgia of the 90’s and noughties with a really fresh production and it’s had some great feedback on social media. That was actually the first track we wrote when I came back to music so it’s long overdue, but hopefully it will be out there ready for the summer sunshine! 

As Lara steps back into the world of Dance music, it’s clear that Angel City’s next chapter isn’t about recreating the past, it’s about building on it. With a new perspective, evolved sound, and a wave of exciting collaborations on the horizon, her return feels both timely and revitalised. 
From reimagining ‘Love Me Right’ with a fresh 2025 House twist to working on deeply personal, emotive releases, Angel City is embracing a sound that honours its roots while moving confidently into the future, with plenty for both longtime fans and new listeners to look forward to, and with more music set to drop throughout the year, Angel City’s journey is far from over, it’s just beginning again. 

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