More about: Fenne Lily

Releasing your third album is no joke – especially when your second one was promoted and released during a pandemic. We sat down to talk with Fenne Lily about the trials of her third-born and its ability to help her reflect on such a tumultuous period of life. 

It’s clear, just from listening to her talk, that Fenne prides herself on her ability to make art. She seems to constantly have something in her hands and sat in the sun, she looks as if the lifestyle of a musician was made for her. "I left Bristol because it felt like somewhere I was trying too hard to see the best in it – it stopped feeling like home, I couldn’t find that good," she tells me when explaining why New York was calling her. Moving to a city is one thing, but moving to a huge one across an ocean is a completely different experience; one that makes the new experience of debuting an album to a world back to normal, even newer. 

Fenne tells me that she thinks of the album as "like an old record – it’s quite dry, and real, made for the live experience." It’s no surprise that even though it wasn’t written in New York, New York is where it’s being finalised and given to the world. As the birthplace of so many music genres and a pioneer in live musical venues, Big Picture is sure to be a hit in its live qualities. 

"No one talks about the weird shit that goes into the process. Like, drinking a bottle of wine and having a fight..."

"There’s not a lot of scope to be imperfect, or for instinctual decision making in music … There’s a weird belief that to be ‘professional’ is to be successful," she tells me, musing on why being imperfect is often a good thing. She cringes in advance at the idea of me asking for her writing process, a question I pointedly avoid – how can you categorise an artistic movement and the stages of development by one single thing? There are so many ways to write lyrics, to string chords together for a melody, and then to add these alongside all of the intricacies that make a song ready for listeners. "No one talks about the weird shit that goes into the process. Like, drinking a bottle of wine and having a fight. Running out of things on Netflix and deciding you may as well write some lyrics down or get the guitar out."

I try to disregard the position of influences, too. They vary person to person, and there’s often a belief that inspiration means it has to be directly associated with that thing. Fenne does tell me that "some song writing seems alienating. It’s almost become a greeting card of stuff you say in songs, a stock answer to art." I see what she means – even the ‘underground’ music released now can have a tendency to be too polished and has a template to follow, almost. In making an album actively trying to disregard the societal expectations of what it should be, Fenne has carved a space in the industry that is very much her own. This third album is a result of the previous two, a new location, a pandemic, and many live performances. It’s a tale told through the role of love in Fenne’s life, and that is absolutely beautiful. 

"I pride myself in being creative rather than obvious. I think it’s so much more exciting to hear a song and think ‘how did they do that?!’ Going for the most obvious option will never get you there."

During lockdown, Fenne ran ‘The Bathtime Show’ on Instagram Live: a chance to chat to fellow musicians feeling stumped by the inability to perform, watch live shows, release albums in a traditional press way. "Just talking to people outside of my covid bubble was great," she laughs, clearly detached enough from Covid living to enjoy the silver linings it gave, "It was nice that everyone I spoke to felt the same. Their job is to exist and perform, and talking to them about it made me want to write again. So, this is what the album really stems from."

"I do love love. It’s what makes my music what it is. But I refuse to fall for stereotypes."

I was lucky enough to get a peek at the new album too, and what stood out to me was the beauty of the imagery. There’s a lot of implicitly religious lines that made me stop in my tracks and absorb the tune. When I ask if this was purposeful, she tells me that "I feel probably the same way about love as people do about faith." Love is the driving force that makes the songs feel complete – without it, they are shelled out, but giving that passion to the music adds a whole new layer. 

"I do love love. It’s what makes my music what it is. But I refuse to fall for stereotypes. I think I replace it with those other big feelings, like how some people feel about God. It’s a constant thing, and I can’t name people directly. I think I only say love three times on the album, and even that feels like pushing it sometimes."

It’s clear that it’s an album about love, not an album full of love songs. Fenne captures the multiple emotions that amalgamate to create love and its powers. There is also the element of not being able to define love – it’s completely different to everyone, and between each person. "I can never tell if I want to be quieter or louder about my feelings," she considers, "I have a foot in two different camps, but I like that. I think it makes it more cohesive; applicable to everyone."

Big Picture is out on April 14th – it’s an ode to love and all it stands for, a creative masterpiece that avoids traditions and makes for an acceptance of the artistic process, not just the finished result. 

Grab your copy of the Gigwise print magazine here.

More about: Fenne Lily