Lily Grace’s Latest, “Follow My Road”
17-years-old. From Mudgeeraba, the Gold Coast. Where would you take visitors to your hometown?
If I had visitors visiting me back home, the first stop would be taking them with me on my favourite beach walk, stretching from Miami Beach all the way to Tallebudgera. It’s a beautiful 2-hour-long trip along the boardwalk where you get to see some of the best parts of Australia’s coastline, our native wildlife and the best beach views! Some beautiful cafes and coffee shops along the way too! I used to walk this trail 3–5 times a week — it’s the best!
Grew up listening to the music your mother played around the house. Began singing at 10, gifted your first guitar shortly after — which you used to learn to accompany your singing. Self-funded own equipment by performing at open mic nights and busking at local markets along Peel Street. The money was saved for an amplifier so you could start gigging at cafes/restaurants. What was an important lesson you learned from this first phase of your career that shaped you as an artist?
I learned many important lessons from the early phases of my career, and these have shaped me as an artist today. I got my start busking which is a really tough gig! A lot of people will ignore you; a lot of people will give you dirty looks and a lot of people will say mean things. That said, there are also a lot of people who will stop, listen and support you — which is amazing! One of the earliest lessons I learned was that not everyone is going to care, and not everyone is going to be nice which is why it’s so important to work hard on improving your set and it’s so important to have some thick skin. If I didn’t busk when I was little, I would never have the confidence I do today or the strength to try new things. I was told ‘no’ by a lot of people and I’m now not scared of rejection — which helps a lot in this industry! HAH.
2019, CMAA Academy of Country Music in Tamworth (Australia’s premier music program for emerging, talented singers/songwriters/performers and instrumentalists) — it is where you learned about songwriting and were inspired to start writing your own songs. What was the first song you wrote after attending the program?
The first song I wrote after attending the program was a song called ‘music and me’ which was all about how important music was in my life.
Inspired by Maddie & Tae, Maren Morris, Tenille Townes, and Morgan Evans.
Meeting Keith Urban. How have these artists influenced your music?
The artists I listen to have really shaped my sound, live set and brand as an artist. I spend a lot of time listening to music from others and analysing the song structure, the way the story is setup, the melodic composition, what vocal techniques, what scales, at what tempo and in which key are they writing these songs. I love breaking down the pieces and working out what it is that I like in that song and incorporating this into my own writing. Their music has influenced my music heavily.
Co-wrote duet “Annie June” with legendary country musician James Blundell. The song hit Top 10 on Australian Country Charts and won the People’s Choice Award and Best Video Award at the 2022 Gold Coast Music Awards. “Annie June” was inspired by a scene where a husband introduces his new girlfriend into a family situation. This woman is blamed for everything and is portrayed as a home wrecker. The song takes the audience on a journey of discovery where they come to an understanding that Annie June is not the sole cause of the family’s problems as people originally thought. Deep diving into the underlying cause of a problem. Can you share the writing process for this song?
Yes! I wrote this song with James over a zoom call on a lazy Sunday afternoon. I had this idea to write a song about someone who is portrayed as a homewrecker and is introduced to this damaged household and blamed for all the damage and havoc that is caused. I also had a name, ‘Annie June’ that I’d found in the form guide, in the paper, and I wanted to name the character in this song Annie June. I got into the write and James and I played around with our guitars and came up with a cracker melody! We finished the song in about 2 hours and we both loved it! We played it live when we were doing some radio promo around a show we were playing together and couldn’t stop talking about how much we loved the song. We released it a few months later as my debut single and it did really well which was so rewarding and exciting!
Solo debut single, “Sixteen Wishes.” The song is about a dream … a dream to have just one summer where you do all of those things you’ve been meaning to do. Going to the beach, spending time with the people you love, ticking those things off your bucket list and not letting anything step in the way. The focus is to make memories that you can cherish. You shared how this was a reminder to get things done and not focus entirely on work. Go out and LIVE and don’t let anything stop you. Do everything you can to ensure that every one of those ‘sixteen wishes’ come true. Were you able to check off the sixteen wishes before your birthday?
Sure did! I was really lucky to have an awesome summer break before my 17th and took a few weeks off to spend time with my friends and fam! We got up to heaps of exciting things — going to the beach, on road trips, on hikes, to concerts and made some of the best memories!
Emotions of love, determination, kindness, gratitude, pure joy in every performance. 2022, supported Vance Joy at Riverstage in Brisbane and performed at Tamworth, Australia’s Largest Country Music Festival.
“The Two Of Us Meet,” your most successful solo release, charted #1 on iTunes Australia Country Chart and Country Thunder. It is a classic Romeo and Juliet story with a modern twist. Taking the idea of falling in love, it beautifully describes all of the feelings and intricacies of young romance with a modern-day lens that appeals to your generation. If you were to make a playlist of songs for new couples, which songs would top the list?
So hard to pick! There are so many good ones. Some of my favourite songs to add to the track list would have to be ‘Wanted’ by Hunter Hayes, ‘Glad You Exist’ by Dan & Shay, ‘I Think I Fell in Love Today’ by Kelsea Ballerini, ‘Fallin’ for You’ by Colbie Caillat, and ‘The Two of Us Meet’ by Lily Grace — she’s really good! HA!
Moving to Nashville. Writing songs, meeting with industry people, and watching live music every night. Your latest, “Follow My Road,” is about your journey from your homeland to America. It was co-written with Chaise Flanders and Kirsti Manna (“Austin”) and produced by Australian Award Winner Michael Flanders. What have been some of the most challenging aspects of moving to Music City?
Being here in Nashville is an absolute dream and I am loving every minute of it! It definitely comes with its challenges too! I’m 10,000 miles from home and the hardest part is being so far from home, away from most of my family and all of my friends and trying to keep in touch with the time difference. I’m completely loving meeting so many new people over here and all these fun events, shows and opportunities I’m experiencing. I’m missing my senior year of high school, my prom and all the fun that comes with being a senior which is sometimes a shame! The hardest part would be trying to find time to keep in touch with the people I’m closest to. There’s a 15-hour time difference between Australia and Nashville and often when I’m free, my Australian friends are at school or work, and we can’t jump on a call and chat. It’s all a part of chasing down this dream and it’s one of the challenges I need to face in doing so. Wouldn’t have it any other way!
Large portions at McDonalds. Are there any foods that are typical in Nashville that are quite different from Mudgeeraba?
There are so many! My US friends and management team have been making sure I’m trying out all the new things. A lot of Southern foods like Biscuits and Gravy, Cornbread, Sweet Tea, Pumpkin Pie and heaps of different sauces/dips are things I’ve never tried before. I’m getting the full American experience thanks to my team!