INTERVIEW: Lily Papas to perform at Girls Day Out at the 2020 Australian Open
Queensland’s Lily Papas is shaping up to be one of the most exciting new Australian talents to emerge onto the music scene in this last 12 months. Late last year she released her debut single, the sweeping ballad ‘Wild’ and is gearing up to release more music, including her debut album, this year. Today she is performing at the Australian Open’s Girl’s Day Out concert alongside Jessica Mauboy and Montaigne and we recently met up with her to find out more about her music and her upcoming performance.
Hi Lily! So good to see you. First up, how is everything in the world of Lily Papas?
Thank you for chatting with me again! Everything in my world is great at the moment thanks for asking, just busy and getting prepared for 2020!
If we take it all the way back to the beginning, what are you first memories of music?
My first memories of music are of my mum playing David Bowie in the car. I think that’s when my love of music started.
Where did the inspiration to pursue a career in music come from? Was there a ‘lightbulb moment’ when you knew this was want you were going to do?
I was about 9 years old and I had been doing vocal lessons for around a year. It was the end of year performance and I played a P!nk song to a crowd in an old tavern in Melbourne. I loved every part about being on stage and it was at that moment I knew I wanted a career in music
What were your first steps in building your music career?
The earlier stages involved a lot of vocal training, learning how to play guitar and then once I had a whole array of my own songs together it was about getting out and performing them as much as I could so I started doing gigs at local cafes and restaurants on the Gold Coast. It’s hard to explain really because the process has been about 10 years!
Your first single ‘Wild’ was released in October and it is absolutely brilliant. How does it feel to have it out in the world?
Thank you! It’s honestly the greatest feeling in the world. I dreamt of this moment my whole like to have it finally happen is quite literally a dream come true. I’m still pinching myself.
Can you tell us a little about the inspiration behind the track?
I describe ‘Wild’ as a dark love song that I wrote about the feeling of not wanting to let someone go even when they no longer love you. The song was born out of a writing session I had back in November last year with Mike Mac and Jordan Monroe and we sorta used the idea of this powerful enchantress / black widow type woman for the basis of the storyline in ‘Wild’ - similar to that of Angelina Jolie’s character in Maleficent and built around that.
The music video is also beautiful, with a bit of a shock ending! What was it like to make?
Haha yes it does have a shock ending and that’s what really caught my attention when the director, Jeremy Hancock, sent me through the treatment. I loved the drama of it. Filming it was quite literally a whirlwind - the wind blowing through my hair is not from a wind machine - it was the coldest, windiest day in Sydney EVER! But it was honestly so much fun to make and I can’t wait to do more visuals for my music.
On January 19 you will be performing at the Australian Open Girls Day Out alongside Jessica Mauboy and Montaigne. How are you feeling about this?
I can’t wait for the AO Live performance. I feel really privileged to not only be a part of an incredible line up, but to also be performing on the very first Girls Day Out to celebrate the women and girls in our lives. I think it’s going to be a really special day.
Can you tell us about your set and what you will be performing?
I’ve been working really hard putting together a set of my songs from the upcoming album with my band and it’s all started to come together so I just can’t wait to play them to everyone with a full live band. So if you want a sneak peak of the album feel free to come along!
What’s up next for Lily Papas? What is on the cards for you in 2020?
Well hopefully a few more exciting things! I’ve got a couple more singles to release, and video clips to record for each, and then I’ll be releasing my debut album which I cannot wait for. The album is really special to me and it has a really important message behind it so I can’t wait to share it.
Lily Papas’ debut single WILD is out now through Neon Records/Universal Music and available to stream on all platforms.
