Meet Lila Blue

Lots of amazing things go into Lila Blue’s sound. There’s a strong eclectic presence of musical ideas and experiments, otherworldly vocals, and deep cutting personal lyrics. All of these terrific ingredients can be found in their latest release “Leave Me Be”.

Get to know the artist a little better in our latest interview as we chat about the new album, thumb wrestling, and texture.

A self-portrait by Lila Blue

Would You Rather

never stop growing taller or never need to sleep? Why?

This is a question I’ve spent many a night pondering. I’d say that both of these options sound like their own particular hellscape to my brain. I ADORE sleep, so the concept of not doing that hurts my soul, however I feel that this world and the way society has constructed most things is not necessarily built for people of strikingly tall heights. I am a perfectionist, and I can get wrapped into things for long periods of time, so while I would be deeply concerned for my overall well being, I think never needing sleep is the option I must go with.

Some questions with Lila Blue

What kind of textures do you gravitate towards in your production style?

It really varies. I think on this most recent record I really wanted something that was texturally lush, yet was able to juxtapose it's semi-orchestral sound with moments of raw silence that were bare in terms of texture. In previous projects, because my voice was still developing I feel that the textures matched where I was in vocal maturity and maturity in general; predominantly soft and solemn with moments of cracking open sonically and narratively. I think this album has been about exploring the spaces of growl and rage that my voice and words now lend to, and the textures I’m interested in exploring and did explore within “Leave Me Be” are about supporting and lending to both the soft and the rageful.

What narratives do you like to tell in your writing?

Some of the stories I tell come from personal experience, typically in retrospection to get a grasp on what I was feeling in the moment. However, I do feel that from the beginning of my songwriting journey I’ve been drawn to stepping into the shoes of others and breathing into those other lived experiences to the point of hopefully articulating something I want to say and people want to listen to.

Are you better at thumb wrestles or staring contests? What is your strategy?

This is a STELLAR question. As a child, I was quite good at staring contests but over the years I feel I’ve somehow gotten worse? But! Growing into an adult body, biology has gifted me with intensely long thumbs, and the combination of this god-given gift along with guitar-playing has left me with the most ripped thumbs a 20-year old folk gal could hope for. So, in summation: I’m gonna go with the former, and a thumb-wrestling icon can never reveal their strategy.

Who has been your biggest support throughout your musical career?

I would say that my parental unit has been the biggest support, along with the artistic community I was raised within. Both of my parents are artists, and from the time I started making music there was this overwhelming amount of support from the both of them, which I know is rare. They have both been great in terms of feedback (as they’ve heard all 12 years of material!) and that is something I’ll never take for granted. Also, I was raised within a community of artists which played a huge part in terms of cultivating my own creative voice within a group of people trying to do the same and hold each other up.

Being a solo project do you usually show people your music before it is finished to get feedback? Who do you show it to?

Whoops! Kind of just answered this in the prior question before looking at this one! The only thing I’d add is that when recording, I’m very intentional with who I show stuff to just cause I’m a sensitive little sea cucumber who is actively working on taking criticism better!!! I tend to show it to my friends, a few collaborators, my parental unit, and some mentors of mine with specific boundaries depending on where I am with a record or a song, and vocalizing prior what type of criticism I’m open to hearing at that time in the process.

How long can you really enjoy chewing a piece of gum?

Hmmm… I truly believe this depends on the brand. Certain types of gum lose their luster after a few chews whereas some pull through and stay doing their job for HOURS. We trust and purchase the latter.

What was the creative process like working on “Leave Me Be”? How do you feel now that it has been released?

“Leave Me Be” was recorded over the span of four months: one week in-studio, three weeks out. My most vivid memories are of the first week in the studio, just turning into an absolute music nerd gremlin with the incredible Sami Perez, engineer and co-producer extraordinaire. We spent those first seven days in the cave that is the studio, cackling and experimenting in really exciting ways with songs that were written years ago or right there in the moment. That along with the final week of recording working with 16 other amazing musicians to bring what you hear on the finished record are the highlights of the experience. It’s interesting to hear the record now, as I finished recording it when I was eighteen, and I’m now twenty. When I listen back, I’m always struck with the thought that the Lila who made that is no longer here, for many different reasons (predominantly positive growth!). And that’s come up when listening back to any of my older material. But instead of judging that feeling like I used to, I now have these immense waves of love for who I was, and feel proud to bring forth what I had to say at that time, even if I don’t necessarily align with it all now.

Any final comments? (This is your electronic soapbox for one last answer.)

You can find me on most platforms with @lilabluemusic, and if you want the most current material from me, I’d recommend following me on Instagram and Bandcamp. You can also find Leave Me Be on all streaming platforms if you want to take a listen. With the turbulence of these times and the rebellious and necessary response in regards to BLM, all funds from purchases of my music will be going to organizations aligned with the Black Lives Matter movement and the defunding of the police for the foreseeable future. While I would appreciate your support, please please please go support Black artists in every aspect that you can.