Deep Dive of Lila Gray
Interview by Esosa Zuwa and Photo by Aza Deschamps
Introduce who you are. How would you describe your music genre and your artistry?
My name is Lila Gray, I'm an indie pop artist from Vancouver, BC Canada. I enjoy writing and producing music in a wide variety of genres but I'd say my go-to lies somewhere under the indie alt-pop genre.
How did you start and how did you get to where you are today?
My interest in music began when I started playing the cello at around 5 years old. From there it grew into a fascination with musicians and songwriters my parents were listening to when I was growing up. I eventually picked up a guitar and started songwriting around the time I was 13 or so. I was really lucky because my parents filled our house with music, my Dad plays lots of instruments, and as a family, we would have regular Sunday night dance parties to James Brown, Feist, & The Beatles. I think because of that environment it was inevitable that I would end up working in music in some capacity.
What is your creative process like? How do you go from an idea to a finished project?
I mean each song and project is different. There isn't a set formula on how to make art, if there was I think it would be a lot easier. It really varies for me, sometimes I'll write a song and let it sit for months or years before even beginning to start production on it, others I finish writing it and I cannot wait to get started on recording it. For albums though, I usually make a playlist of everything I am listening to at that time, and a pinterest board of visual stuff that I'm inspired by or I want the project to be infused by.
What does music-making mean to you?
It started out as something I just did for myself; a way to cope with things I didn't want to tell anyone. Now, it has morphed into a way to cope but also this awesome thing that I get to share with people. So I think to sum it up music-making is a creative and therapeutic relationship that I get to have with many different people in so many capacities.
Who do you hope to inspire in making your music and what message do you spread?
I don't know that there is a specific message I want to spread or a specific group of people I want to inspire, but overall the message I want to put out there is to create art that is authentic to you, that you feel is an extension of yourself, and of course, if I can inspire the next generation of musical queer kids then that would be pretty f*****g cool.
Tell us about your new project ‘Haunt’. What’s the thematic or sonic concept behind this project?
'Haunt' is my new single that is out everywhere on January 12th! We've shot a video for it too that is incredible and will be out later this month so keep an eye out for that. I wrote this song about my experience with disassociation and the relationship with coming to terms with my queerness. I think that's a pretty normal thing for queer people to experience when you're not "out" yet. This feeling that you're keeping something from people and that often takes a big toll on your ability to be present. After I wrote the song it sat for a while before I ended up producing and engineering it for a project we did in school, I ended up loving it so much that I needed to put it out.
What’s your favourite song from this project or in general?
Well, 'Haunt' is from a larger project but nothing else has been announced or is out yet so I think I'll keep that a secret for a little while longer. Of the music I have out I'd say my current favourite is 'Normal People'. That song was a sonic departure from anything I had done before, it took me a while to love it as much as I do now, but when that came out that was the early stages of me finding the genre I like to write in.
How does it differ from your albums ‘Wild Tension’ and ‘Not What I Was Promised’? How is it the same?
'Not What I Was Promised' was an opportunity for me to put out a collection of tracks that I loved, there wasn't really a theme or genre I was trying to stick within. 'Wild Tension' is the album that I really feel like I found the sonic region I want to exist in right now. In a way I feel like 'Haunt' is a continuation of that but in another, I know the songs that are going on the full project and I feel like it is still a departure. I think that's the really cool thing with a music career, you get to watch yourself grow up and go through things through the lyrics you write and the way you choose to produce them.
What does queer identity mean to you, and how do you further express it in your music?
This is a tough question cause I think the beauty of being queer is kind of all-encompassing. It's not one specific thing; sure you can tether it to sexuality or gender expression but I think that's just the beginning. It's this amazing and massive community of people from all different walks of life and it's so cool that such a vast variety of people can connect with one label. I express my queerness through lyrics, but also the artists I gravitate towards; both that I listen to and collaborate with
Which artists inspire you and helped form your current artistry?
I mean there are so many, and they’re all for different reasons. Some regular suspects are; Lorde, Arlo Parks & Joy Crookes. They are all such powerhouses and I really admire all of their work for a variety of things. I'd say Lorde is probably the most influential off that list solely because I remember going to the 'Melodrama' tour and walking away from that with the confidence to release my music. After watching that show I just knew I had to make it work as an artist.
If you could collaborate with any artists, who would it be? What would be a dream collaboration?
My top dream collaborators would likely be the people I mentioned that inspire me most; Lorde, Arlo Parks & Joy Crookes, but I can always tack on more. Some additional dream collaborators would be; Finneas, Sarah Kinsley, Feist, Florence Welch, Billie Eilish, Alt-J & Renee Rapp. The ultimate dream would likely be Jack Antonoff, I just want to be the female version of him; he's got a solo career and an incredibly successful career as an engineer and producer.
It says in your biography that you are a producer who has studied audio engineering. What is it like producing for you versus for other artists? Do you tap into a different creative process?
I love producing for other artists, it's such an unbeatable feeling to be able to bring somebody's vision to fruition. I think it's largely different because for the most part, I am there to flesh out their pre-existing idea as opposed to forming the idea for a song. I definitely switch into producer mode when I'm working on someone else's music, whereas when I'm working on my solo stuff it's an experience I'm sharing (for the most part) with just myself and I feel I can be my most vulnerable. When I'm producing for someone else I like to allow them the space to be vulnerable and I really try and make the experience about them which is usually the inverse of creating my music.
What’s the craziest, funniest, or most interesting story behind the scenes when creating your music?
I think it might have to be something that happened on the set of the video for 'Haunt'. We shot it back in October and I had to be in the ocean at one point and then myself, cast members, and our awesome crew all had to go in an unheated pool. It wasn't funny at the time but looking back on it now we can laugh about how truly horrendous the temperature of that water was. Big huge props to everyone who had a hand in that video, I can safely say it paid off.
How do you navigate an independent career in this day and age?
It's pretty tricky, there are sooooo many talented artists and creators out there now and everyone is trying to make sure their voice is heard. I think I keep chipping away at it, and trust that it will work out in some way shape, or form. Persistence is the keyword for independent artists these days.
What advice do you wish you would have had in the early stages of your career?
Don't pin expectations on certain projects or songs. I think it's really unhealthy to have hopes that a certain album or song will move your career in a certain direction, I have had some really amazing moments in my career thus far and none of them have been expected. You can obviously hope that things will happen but I think putting all that pressure on yourself and your art ultimately ends negatively, and I've learned that now.
How do you navigate rapid social media trends as an independent artist? Do you think you have pressure to constantly put out music for the algorithm or do you rise above it?
Man, promo is the most exhausting and frustrating part of being an independent artist. It's 100000% not the reason artists get into music, or at least it shouldn't be. Music is about being vulnerable and allowing people into your intimate thoughts and feelings, when you have to promote that constantly and find new facets that people may latch onto through a 15-second video I think it destroys the whole intent behind the music. Coming up with new promo ideas and ways to put yourself out there is a full-time job and it's so easy to let that take precedence over the thing you're actually working to promote, it's so backward and I think it really eats away at the creative process. I try and tune out the pressure to rapidly and frequently release music but I think at the end of the day it feels good to have your music be heard so you do have to feed the beast a little bit.
What are you currently working on, and what goals have you set for yourself in the coming year?
I am currently working on a few singles that I hope to release later this year. I've got one coming out on January 12th called Haunt! The idea is that these singles are kicking off the next album but I like to take my time with big projects so I'm in no rush to release the full album yet. Moving into this year I really want to work on shaking up the way I write music. I think it's easy to fall into routines so I want to subject myself to alternative environments; songcamps, writing a song a day, working with new artists etc, just to test the waters and see what I may end up writing.
