By: Staff
Lili-Violet Drops Captivating New EP Featuring Hits Like “Cut 'N' Run” and “Blue”
We got the chance to check out the EP from this artist, and here’s how it went:
The first track we listened to was “Cut ‘N’ Run,” and it opens with a funky synth arrangement that tricks you into thinking the song is stopping and starting and somehow immediately you’re hooked! You can’t anticipate what’s next because the intro is one of the most unique we’ve ever heard. Enter Lili-Violet, and the vocal performance is both unique and captivating. We quickly realized we were hypnotized by the sounds, and now the vocals are the only thing we can focus on. When we hear the lyrics, “Now where are you, she’s ready to cut and run,” the delivery stands out. It’s a Broadway-style performance, filled with emotion and drama that draws you in completely. This song is super distinct, exciting, and kept us hooked. The soaring vocals and perfectly orchestrated dramatic drops and returns make this track a standout.
Next, we jumped to “Blue,” which opens with a sweet acoustic accompaniment to Lili-Violet’s vocals, but it quickly grows bold and commanding. Lyrics like, “This one’s for you, just letting you know, I know better, you fucked yourself over when you walked out the room, you made me feel blue, so I paint over you,” are striking. This is an incredibly well-written lyric that perfectly captures the feeling of heartbreak. The vivid imagery of painting over someone because they made you feel blue is both creative and powerful. We can already imagine thousands of people singing along to this, connecting deeply with its emotional resonance. You’ll love the beautiful performance at the end, which adds another layer of depth to the song.
We wrapped it all up with “Whiskey Or Love (Rose-Coloured Glasses).” This track is packed with energy, gritty guitars, and an irresistible sense of fun. The production and engineering team did a fantastic job adding layers of ear candy throughout. The vocal performance, as expected from Lili-Violet, is outstanding. The song has a high-energy pop feel with infectious claps that will put a smile on your face, regardless of the underlying message. We can tell this artist has a clever approach, and after hearing the other songs, it’s clear you don’t want to break any more hearts!
Summary:
Lili-Violet’s EP is a masterful blend of theatrical emotion, creative songwriting, and dynamic performances. The ability to captivate listeners with distinct vocals and vivid storytelling marks this artist as one to watch. You won’t want to miss this collection of unique, heartfelt tracks.
You can find this on any major platform and see below for links to take you straight to some of the profiles. Make sure to playlist, stream, and share “Cut 'N' Run” by Lili-Violet.
Wait….. there's more!
We caught up with this exciting artist, for an interview in “The Cage” Music Blog, to talk about music and learn more about them.
Here’s how it went:
Begin Interview
Hello Lili-Violet, we’re thrilled to have you for this interview! We've thoroughly enjoyed diving into your music and exploring your work, and now we’re even more eager to discover more about you, both personally and professionally.
Is there a story behind how you chose your artist name?
Yes and No, Lili-Violet is a shortened version of my first and middle name, Lilith Violet.
When I was figuring out the ‘stage name’ of the project, I wanted it to be different but similar enough that people would know it was me, also as a coincidence, purple is my favourite colour so I’d like to thank my parents for that one!
What are the main challenges you face as a solo artist, and how do the benefits of
working independently compare?
Under any circumstance, juggling both a full-time ‘9-5’, as well as a music career is difficult - but as an adult diagnosed with ADHD, and having an intense passion for both pursuits, this makes working on both at the same time an absolutely mammoth task! Not only do artists in the modern age have to write, record and release music, but we also have to make trendy videos and content to get the word out, create and send emails to mailing lists, upload the music to distributors and additional services like Bandcamp, attend friend’s and other artist’s shows to build our networks, and so much more!
It is more than a full-time job to be a musician and it is an unpaid, full-time job 99% of the time. I’m fortunate enough to have developed quite a good network over the past year and a half. The members of my band are super helpful with technology, one of my closest friends is really good with marketing and content, and we all support and body-double when needed. Although being a solo artist can be incredibly difficult and time-consuming, I love having the ownership, creative control and power to make decisions over my project, and it is extremely satisfying when people say they love my art or that I have helped them through difficult times. I’m not working towards someone’s KPIs or financial goals and I’m not making up a persona to fit a criteria someone made for a gap in the industry, I’m 100% me.
Was there always a desire to create music, or did you have an event in your life that made you realize this is what you want to do as a profession?
When I finished high school, I realised that now there was no one telling me I had to do music for homework, there was a gap in my life. It was stagnant and boring. A few months after I finished school, I noticed my mental health declining as I had no structure or routine (an adult ADHD diagnosis provides a TONNE of hindsight), but music was helping me cope. I started writing again, I started reaching out to my local community for other projects and connected with other people in my similar situation, this was the first step I took into the world as Lili-Violet and I’m so happy I did!
What emotion do you feel inspires your desire to start a project, ie sadness, worry,
happiness etc.?
I think it really depends! Most of my songs come from an experience I’ve had or that I’ve
observed in the world around me. I do find writing songs with a sad backstory more cathartic, and I find it easier to emote vocally for sad songs.
Can you walk us through your songwriting process, i.e. where you like to be when you write, and where the inspiration comes from for this latest project?
I like to be in a calm space where there’s no room for judgement. Songwriting is a very
vulnerable experience, especially when I’m writing songs about my mental health or
sexuality, so I need to be either by myself or around someone/people I trust. When writing the EP, I wrote most of ‘Anxiety’ one night in my bedroom after a particularly tough day at work. I remember going out to my parents and being super proud of it and their response was so warm and welcoming - I’ll always remember that. The rest of the EP started with little ideas and themes and then fleshing it out in the studio together. I knew I wanted it to follow a storyline as I always wanted my first bigger-than-single release to follow a storyline and so once we had “Anxiety”, “Time + Space” and “Blue” done, it made it easier to finish “Cut ‘N’ Run” and we finished the EP sessions by finalising “Whiskey Or Love (Rose-Coloured Glasses)” which rounded it out well.
Can you describe to us the theme for your artwork and what was the inspiration and intention for the observer to absorb from it?
I wouldn’t say there’s a theme to the cover, but more that it serves a purpose. Part of the Lili-Violet persona is colourful, purple, and definitely in your face. Last year, I did a photoshoot for an event I was in where I wore what is now becoming my signature purple fluffy jacket. Coincidentally, my sister sent me a photo of me at 9 years old in a very similar fluffy jacket, and that photo is now the cover art for my new EP! It showed me that although so much in my life has changed over the years, one thing about me that has always stayed the same, is my outgoing fashion sense and my love for the colour purple!
What was the most challenging part of bringing this project to life, from the initial idea to the final recording?
Figuring out how to market the idea of childhood traumas leading to relationship issues and mental health concerns to an audience without sounding like a ‘please pity me’ storyline was quite a challenge. I wanted to share the raw journey I was on growing up but in the usual tone used in Lili-Violet releases of sass, fun and empowerment. I’ve done the work to acknowledge and process that what happened in my life has happened and the best I can do is learn how to continue living with those experiences without labelling them as bad or something I need sympathy for.
What has been the most motivating force in creating your music?
The fact that the little girl who wrote she wanted to be a ‘professional singer’ in her Year 5 yearbook would be so surprised and excited at the fact she’s figured out how to release, write and share music across the globe with people!
What part of the music-making process is the most stressful, ie the creation, the actual release date, etc?
I find preparing for a release VERY stressful. From marketing to photos and videos, to emails and contacting people, to booking shows, releasing music is a task and a half, and sometimes, this neurodivergent brain of mine does NOT want to participate in a process we haven’t mastered yet! In saying that, I also find sharing the first draft with a producer or co-writer pretty daunting, as I know there will be critiques and I am a bit protective of the work if I have written about something so vulnerable and personal.
Which of your already released songs is the most important to you, or had the most impact on your life or career and can you tell us why?
I think ‘Anxiety’ is probably the most important song in my career to date. It was the first time I openly spoke about my challenges with mental health on a public and somewhat global scale. It got the attention of a new crowd of people, it’s my most streamed track on Spotify, and it was the first time I wrote a song and had a strong sense of belief in myself, and where I wanted to go with my music career.
If there was one thing you could change about the music industry, what would it be?
I believe there are way too many glass ceilings to break in the music industry. Every person has a different way they want artists to approach them and there is no one way to write, record, and release music in the world which can prove difficult for women/gender diverse/BIPOC/disabled artists who don’t have access to the secrets that are gatekept from us. We live in a time where women and gender-diverse artists are EVERYWHERE (see Chappell Roan’s and Renee Rapp’s recent catapults into fame) yet we still have to fight to get festival lineups, or supporting slots or for someone to even listen to our music if it isn’t palatable, respectful and easy to swallow. Although we’ve come a long way, society still expects women to be quiet about their sexuality or personal experience, and if we speak up, they expect us to sit through the discomfort of people speaking horridly and publicly shaming us.
Was there ever a time when you emotionally felt, “I can’t do this anymore”? Can you tell us why this happened and how you found the strength to continue?
I have felt this a few times, the amount of work that goes into a music career wouldn’t be found in any other role that offers next to zero financial return, or possibly any return for the time and effort invested. But it is the small things, like someone saying my music helped them, or even me realising how important music is to me and how important it is for me to share my art with the world, that keeps me going.
What advice would you give your younger self?
You will find a way to process all these big feelings you’re having. You’re not alone in what you’re going through, you just don’t know what it is quite yet and you won’t until you’re around 21, but that’s okay! You don’t need to know what you want to do with your life, you don’t need to look after everyone and you don’t need to change who you are, just to ‘fit in’ with other people. You are a worthy and important woman, even just being you in this world!
What is your favorite quote?
‘Why fit in when you were born to stand out’ – Dr Seuss. A quote one of my Year 6 teachers showed me that has stuck with me since. It was probably the first time I felt validated as being a more outgoing and different person than my peers. My teacher didn’t know it at the time but this one line changed my life.
When you reach the stage where you have the admiration and respect of other world-
known artists, what band or artist would you love to call and say, “Let’s go on tour
together”?
When I tell you I would die happily if I did a Warped-style tour with Renee Rapp, Chappell Roan, G Flip, girl in red and King Princess, I am not lying!
As humans, we should strive to perform acts of selflessness daily, and many do. Once your artistry has achieved widespread recognition, how would you use your influential voice to make a bigger positive impact on the world?
My passion and personal experience with a disability would bring accessibility to the forefront of my shows. I know that it is inevitably impossible to make events and music entirely accessible for all, given that the human experience and a person’s needs are entirely individualised, but I would want to make any tour, show or content as accessible as possible! I want to do this already but it is really hard in this stage of my career to afford the services and products I need to ensure accessibility for anyone wanting to consume my art. But I try my best!
End Interview
We’re thrilled to have shared this artist's exciting journey with you and to have uncovered such inspiring details about them.
Now click the links below to experience their incredible work firsthand
Check out this latest release and listen to more of Lili-Violet on Spotify & YouTube.
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