Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how your childhood impacted your musical direction?
A: I grew up in Milton Keynes in a household of musical instruments and there would always be some form of music playing in the background. My dad played guitar and piano in various bands when he was younger and my brother also played guitar. So naturally I ended up trying my hand at it and started with classical lessons before teaching myself on the electric. I was lucky to have a group of friends at school who were all interested in music and spent a lot of time going to gigs together and forming our own bands. Back then everything revolved around rock and metal but since moving to London to study at BIMM my tastes changed and I ended up getting into just about everything which resulted in joining Lyra. So despite playing in an alt indie/soul band I like to think that the older influences still shine through every now and then.
Q: How are you planning on growing your fan base and sharing your music with the world? What message do you have for anyone who is about to discover “Lyra”?
A: We try to play as many gigs as possible so that we’re seen more in person. I think the best representation of Lyra is our live sound so we try to showcase that as much as we can. Obviously we try to fulfil the social media role too but we’ve learnt not to allow that to take too much time and energy away from making the music itself. We love connecting with people and chatting with anyone who likes our music whether it’s online or after a gig and I think that’s a great way to create a bond with your audience.
Q: Who is the most inspiring artist for you right now? And where do you find inspiration for making music?
A: I tend to be inspired by something different on a daily basis so it’s difficult to pin it on one artist. I think WILLOW has been exploring some interesting avenues with her music recently and it’s cool to hear a song like “Symptom Of Life” on the radio considering the odd time signatures and jazzy chords. I love Wolf Alice and I think they’ve inspired a lot of emerging artists. I also met them briefly when I was working at the Jazz Cafe in Camden and they were lovely people.
Q: Can you tell us about the story or message behind the song, “France.”?
A: It’s basically a song about finding an escape through travel and the nostalgia that people associate with being abroad. I think exploring new places and visiting different countries is a really important thing to do when you feel like you’re stuck in a routine. I always find myself wishing I could travel more often and wrote France as a response to that feeling.
Q: How would you describe your sound in one word for potential listeners?
A: Catchy
Q: Did you face any challenges while writing or recording “France”?
A: I think trying to create something that combines modern production with a band sound is difficult and we’re still working on it. We want to incorperate elements from our live sound into our studio versions so we tend to record as a full band in the studio and then add production afterwards. We’ve just started self producing so there’s a lot of room for improvement in finding the sound that we want.
Q: What is the message of your music? And what are your goals as an artist?
A: I think our songs are fairly light hearted and tend to revolve around personal experiences rather than pushing political motives or opinions. Sometimes you need music that you can listen to without having to question your moral compass too much.
Q: Who is your dream artist to collaborate with? (dead or alive)
A: James: Freddie Mercury
Jenna: Michael Jackson
Q: What is your advice for people interested in pursuing music as a career or for those trying to enter the industry?
A: Find something flexible on the side that pays the bills but still has a connection to music. I play in function bands and teach guitar and both of those have made me a better musician but also allow me to make my own schedule so that I still have time to dedicate to Lyra. It depends on your goals. If you want to be a session player then move somewhere with a big music scene and try to meet as many people as possible. You’d be suprised how quickly you start bumping into people in the industry. A lot of it is about being personable, friendly and reliable.
Q: If you could go back in time and give a younger you some words of wisdom, what would they be?
A: Follow your goals and aspirations unapologetically and don’t be swayed by the way other people live their lives.
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