INTERVIEW: Lily & Madeleine
Follow WHIP Twitter Facebook Instagram
INTERVIEW BY: Brenna Torrence
Born and raised in Indiana, Lily & Madeleine began their musical exploration into songwriting and creating enchanting melodies as teenagers. Their music shows their versatility expressed through their folk-pop sound from early in their career to the mature rock sound underlining their most recent songs. The duo’s album Nite Swim, released October 6th, explores love from a vulnerable and contemplative point of view, amplifying the parts of a relationship that are not always visible to those around us.
With Lily & Madeleine freshly accomplished from their October 2023 tour with Sarah Walk, WHIP had the opportunity to discuss all things touring, musical influences, and new music with the duo.
WHIP: You most recently wrapped up your fall tour this October. How was this tour for you?
Madeleine: It was difficult and fun, and a necessary learning experience. Lily and I hadn’t had a proper tour since 2019 and were excited to get back out there. Unfortunately the industry has changed quite a bit since the pandemic and I feel like we’re still catching up. So logistically it was a real challenge, but the actual shows were fantastic! We had so much fun playing these new songs live and I’m grateful for that.
Lily: I absolutely love touring in general and try to always appreciate the good parts amidst the challenges. We managed the tour ourselves so it was really a lot of work, but I so loved being able to connect with people in person again. And truly, we love playing the new music!
WHIP: After the experience of this last tour, how are you approaching the setlist and style of your upcoming shows in late November/early December? Are you making any changes or adding new aspects?
Madeleine: Great question, and yes we’re planning to adjust some things for these upcoming shows. We’ve dipped our toes into adding recorded tracks into our set, which adds more dimension and highlights the amazing string arrangements producer Shannon Hayden wrote for this record. So we’re planning to experiment a bit more with the tracks. Also the songs on Nite Swim are extremely personal and it’s been a journey to figure out how to best express the themes/stories behind the songs to audiences. Luckily all the audiences we’ve seen have been very welcoming and supportive, so we’re feeling more comfortable to share on stage.
WHIP: You both were born and raised in Indiana, and began to explore songwriting when you were teenagers. Has where you grew up impacted your experience within the music industry, particularly when you first started out?
Madeleine: Honestly, I think we had a higher chance of success starting our career in Indiana, which might seem counterintuitive, but because Indiana is not nearly as competitive and oversaturated as an industry city like NYC or LA, we had the opportunity to really foster our songwriting in a relatively slow-paced and supportive environment. On the flip side of that, we were perceived/labeled as “precocious” and “wise beyond their years” for much of our early career. I have more clarity now that I’m older and I realize that language was lowkey creepy. I admit I have a mix of gratitude and resentment about how our career began.
Lily: Yeah, I agree with Madge. I think living in the Midwest, there was a lot of room to grow since Indianapolis isn’t really a competitive industry city. I think a big part of our early success had to do with our age and how naive and moldable we were. I never really felt like I was part of the Indianapolis music scene until more recently, and there are so many great artists in our community!
WHIP: Does being a sister duo in the industry affect how you approach decision-making when it comes to writing songs, stage production, etc.?
Madeleine: Being sisters and business/creative partners means that even when we butt heads, we can always come to an agreement. We understand each other on a very deep level and are able to recognize the other’s perspective on things.
Lily: It’s really nice to have someone you trust by your side when making decisions in your career. It’s also funny because I think we naturally have kind of progressed into being opposite personalities so we balance each other out. The only downside to being a sister duo is being seen as the same person, but I think as our songwriting and general life experience progresses we’re able to express our individuality more and more.
WHIP: Your career spans over ten years, with your album Lily & Madeleine being released in 2013. If you could go back in time and tell yourselves anything during the creation of that early album, what would that be?
Madeleine: I would tell my younger self to not lose sight of yourself for the sake of your career. Your relationship with your sister and your own health is the most important thing. I don’t have many regrets in my life because I believe they all led me to where I am today, but I do regret all the time I wasted worrying about not being “good/professional/talented/hardworking” enough in our career.
Lily: I would tell myself that my needs are important, as well as my desires and my fears. I did a lot of things early in our career that I just did not want to do in order to please other people or because I was afraid of seeming ungrateful. I got hurt by people in the industry that I was paying to watch over me. It took me a long time to be able to actually stand up for myself and stop being a martyr for the sake of the band, and to realize I will never be rewarded for denying myself the things I need. I should be able to say no without being told I’m difficult.
WHIP: The songs on your most recent album, Nite Swim, touch upon the darker parts of love and desire, with the lyrics being introspective and vulnerable. If there is one thing you hope for people to gather from your lyrics, what would that be?
Madeleine: Writing about those darker parts feels so essential and cathartic, but allowing others to hear it can feel so embarrassing! It’s like putting your diary on display! But, when a listener can relate to the lyrics, that’s what makes it worth it.
Lily: It’s funny because these songs are so personal to me that I feel like everyone knows exactly what I’m talking about in the lyrics, but in reality, I think the stories and messages are pretty veiled in metaphors. Nite Swim is really about feeling unlovable, and like if anyone knew what you’ve been through, they would never get near you, which has been my reality for the past few years to be honest! It was extremely freeing to be able to write about those feelings. Girls deserve to express their darkest hideous monster feelings without having to make it sexy or palatable.
WHIP: Creating this album took you across the country in different environments, from your parents’ basement to professional studios. Is there a location that you feel influenced the sound/feel of the album the most?
Madeleine: Our longtime friend Shannon Hayden produced the album and provided a lot of instrumentation remotely in her home studio in Palo Alto, CA. We also had a few in-person recording sessions in that studio and that was my personal favorite part of the recording process. We would get up in the morning and get straight to work, drinking way too much espresso and just messing around with different synth sounds and harmony parts. I’m grateful for that time.
WHIP: What are you most looking forward to with your music career? Especially with the new year right around the corner, do you have any goals for next year?
Madeleine: I’m most excited to write, write, write next year. I want to spend more time writing for other artists through our publisher BMG (who we love so much). I also want to officially start on our next album! But personally, I’m in no rush to get another album out quickly. I want us to just enjoy the process.
Lily: Agreed! I have always wanted to write for other people.
WHIP: Is there anything we should be on the lookout for?
Madeleine: I just want to thank you for these thoughtful questions!
Lily: I want to start making our next record ASAP so look out for that!
