In Conversation With #147 - Lucy Hall
London based songwriter Lucy Hall has just released her debut EP ‘Lines’. With live music being on hold for the past year, she has been busy in her bedroom studio recording her new EP, which touches on experiences of love, loss and self-discovery. Lucy took a moment to talk to us about the EP in more depth.
Hey there Lucy, how are you? So your EP is out now, how does it feel to have it out there finally?
I’m doing great, thank you. Oh man, it feels so good to finally have it in a place where people can listen to it. It’s my first EP and it’s been my baby for the last couple of years, just stealing hours here and there writing, recording, refining. I don’t think I’ll ever quite feel ‘done’ with it, you know? The work doesn’t stop now that it’s out, either - I’m telling everyone I speak to about it! But, it does feel amazing to see the end result of a project that’s been on my mind for a long time.
So it is called ‘Lines’ - is there a meaning behind that?
Yes, well Lines in the title single that came out just a couple of weeks before the EP. The song itself is about reflecting on a previous relationship - there were a lot of barriers for us both, and it’s really about drawing a line in the sand, as such, and finding the confidence to say that this isn’t right for either of us. I think that there’s some nice imagery there with drawing a line under something, and moving forward with what else life has got planned for you.
Where was the EP recorded? Any behind the scenes stories from the creative process you are happy to share with us?
Oh absolutely. These songs have been written for a couple of years - I started 2019 trying to write a song a month, whilst I was doing a lot of self-discovery, but with working full time I struggled to find the hours to actually get them recorded. They were largely built from snapshots of voice recordings (although you can mostly just hear the traffic as I mumble in to my phone on the street!), notes of lyrics that I thought of in conversation etc - listening back to them you can see how those initial ideas changed over time. I’ve been so, so lucky to be living with my housemate, fellow musician and music producer Tom Powell - he’s been the driving force behind getting it recorded and believing that it could become something bigger than just an idea, you know. With the lockdowns last year, although of course it was a horrible situation, it gave us both the time that we needed to be able to steal weeknights in his bedroom studio, pulling it together, fuelled by coffee and snacks late in to the night - that reminds me, I should thank my neighbours..
What are the key themes and influences on the EP?
All of the songs on The Lines EP were written during a year that I was doing a lot of reflection and thinking about who I am, what I had and what I wanted, specifically in the context of my past relationships. There’s one song in particular that I’m proud of - ‘City Sirens’. It was inspired by a calm Sunday morning, just waking up with someone I loved, but being scared about what falling in love again actually means - for us both as a collective, for my future self and the goals that I had. Yeah, a lot of self-discovery and reflection, and ultimately finding peace, I would say.
Do you have a favorite lyric on the EP? If so, which one and why?
That’s a great question. I would have to choose part of Lines; ‘I get the feeling that you’ll walk away, while you wait for that kiss from faith’. For me, it summarises how my ex was feeling, and how so many still do, whilst she waited for permission from her faith and family to be comfortable with her sexuality. It’s unfortunate that it’s still a struggle for a lot of people, and hopefully we’ll get to a point soon where everyone feels okay to be who they are, unapologetically. My fingers are crossed.
Now the EP is out there, what next for you?
Well I’m playing my first live show in over a year very soon, on the 22nd July at The Water Rats, in Kings Cross. I’ve usually only played solo, so I’m so excited to have an amazing band behind me. After that, I’m sure there’ll be some more live shows - before Covid I used to do a lot of pub gigs, farmers markets, open mics etc and that would be nice to get back in to. I also teach a young people’s choir and marching band, and now that restrictions are lifted, I can’t wait to get back to making music with them! In terms of future releases, there are plenty of songs left from that year of writing, and I’m coming up with new ideas all of the time - let’s see how The Lines EP goes down, and I’m sure I’ll be back recording in no time.