Artist Of The Week #237 - Zoey Lily
This week’s Artist of the Week is singer-songwriter Zoey Lily - who has just released her new EP ‘Too Many Nights’ - an delicate piece of alt-pop which sees Zoey cultivate her Anglo-French heritage to pull on heartstrings.
The EP is a whimsical journey through the mind and emotions of the London riser, whose previous release ‘Project Prologue’ now has over 4 million streams. Guiding us through romantic relationships, friendships, existential fragility and loss, over the course of seventeen, carefully crafted, minutes. In Zoey’s own words, she describes the EP title of 'Too Many Nights’: “When the rest of the world is asleep, I feel most connected to myself and find comfort in my own solitude. ’Too Many Nights’
is the story of my late night thoughts and feelings. A mirror of my own reflection. My journey of growing & learning to love myself.”
She took a moment to talk to us about how the EP came together.
Hey there Zoe - how are you? So your EP is out now - how does it feel to have it out there in the world?
Hey, I’m doing great, thank you! So excited and proud that this project is finally out. It’s been a long process so it’s very rewarding to complete another chapter. I’m already very excited for the next one.
It is called ‘Too Many Nights’ - what is the meaning behind that?
There’s something magical about nighttime. I feel most connected to myself when everyone else is asleep, I can be more vulnerable and honest to myself without the feeling of judgment of others. It’s my favourite time to be creative. This EP was very literally written over the course of ‘Too Many Nights’ which made it the perfect title for this project.
Where was it recorded? Any behind the scenes stories from the creative process you are happy to share with us?
I write all of my songs at home in my bedroom or studio. It’s my safe haven to create. I have a furry co-writer aka my cat Kiki who’s been very supportive throughout the process and makes sure I get lots of cuddle breaks in between.
My songs usually start off with just a lyric, a chord progression or a vocal melody that I come up with or collect in my day to day life. Basically even the smallest thing that inspires me, even if it’s just one word, gets written down or recorded there and then as a voice memo on my phone. I use all these bits as inspiration when I’m back home working on music.
What are the key themes and influences on the EP?
The main theme of the EP is personal growth, finding myself and learning to love myself. The older I get the more I’m realising that loving yourself also means setting boundaries and only allowing people into your world who love and accept your true being and in who’s presence you can flourish. Sometimes that unfortunately means letting people go. So the EP is sort of a mix of empowerment, heartbreak and finding comfort in yourself.
‘stay’ is the only song that deals with a different topic. It’s a personal letter I wish I could have given to a boy called Louis, who left this world way too early. I kept asking myself if he would still be here today if only someone had told him how much he was loved and cared for before it was too late. I wrote ‘stay’ in the hope that it can be that voice for anyone who finds themselves in a dark place.
If the EP could be the soundtrack to any film - which one would it be and why?
I’m going to say ’13 reasons why’ even though that’s technically a series. I think my EP would have a track for most of the topics the series touches on and it evokes a similar mixture of sadness while still being uplifting and light in other parts just like my EP.
Do you have a favorite lyric on the EP - if so, which one and why?
‘But you can’t hear the music, so I’m dancing on my own’
I like this lyric because even when taken out of context of the song it sounds like it’s own little poem. I came up with it much before writing the song and it was the key piece of inspiration that I needed to come up with ‘dancing on my own’.
Now the EP is out there - what next?
I’m really happy you’re asking this question. I want to say I’m working on an album but whether it will actually be released as one or not I don’t know yet. But what I know is that it’s going to be a little different from my previous music. It’s going to be more rhythmical and I’m taking more risks. I think I’m realising more and more that I’m a work in progress and that I will never fully have ‘found my sound’ or ‘found myself as an artist’ and that that’s the beauty of art. So I’m just very excited to see where this next chapter takes me.
