Lily Forte Gives Glimpses of Nostalgia in Rock ’N’ Roll Tones With Latest Single “Reminisce on Innocence”

Q&AMusic

Jul 11

☆ BY MARILÙ CIABATTONI ☆

SPOILER ALERT: SHE WASN’T DRUNK in his room. Don’t know what I’m talking about? Then let me introduce to you rising music star Lily Forte. Despite just turning 21, she definitely has quite a few projects behind and ahead of her. After taking us down memory lane with “Reminisce on Innocence,” one of her upcoming singles, “I Wanna Be Your Rock Star,” will give you an idea of where Lily’s career is headed from here onwards.

Is a new album on the horizon? Definitely down the line, Forte notes, but not right now. Her long-term goal? “Just do it all.”

Currently based in LA, this talented singer-songwriter has been making music her whole life, beginning with the saxophone and performing jazz covers at a young age. Although she’s been composing songs since she was 12, it wasn’t until Dec. 2020 — when she was only 18 — that she got herself into a studio, intending to record and share her music with the World Wide Web.

It might’ve been her biggest musical role model, Carol King, whom she was introduced to by her mom, that inspired her “honest” songwriting process, as many of the ideas for her songs originated from first-hand experiences. Yet she still admits to embellishing them by expanding on that feeling of nostalgia they’re based on.

“What are my songs about? They’re about boys that I’ve never dated,” she jokes.

“Reminisce on Innocence” is a perfect example, as the song starts with the words, “I’m drunk in your room.”

“I was never drunk in his room,” Forte reveals during our Zoom interview. “But in my mind, I was like, ‘What if I was?’” as she considered returning to that guy.

So how can we distinguish between the true and not-so-true lyrics? A good rule of thumb is paying attention to how the “very specific lyrics are true while the broader ones are made up,” as Forte suggests.

Production-wise, the juxtaposition of quiet and loud instrumentation resembles a roller coaster ride for the listener, and this contrast matches the lyrics. While the second verse, “Dreamt of you / Baby blue,” is light-hearted and dreamy, “Reminisce on Innocence” becomes much harsher with the pre-chorus when Forte sings, “Now it’s such a shame / Kinda wish we never changed.”

This double persona is also present in the singer-songwriter’s visual aesthetic: on the one hand, we find the “romantic, feminine, [...] all glammed up” Forte; on the other, the “pretty gritty, rock ’n’ roll, kinda darker colors” artist. It’s up to listeners to decide which Lily Forte they like the most, but you’ll certainly find a bit of both in all of her music.

This duality in the way Forte represents herself on the covers of her singles can be compared to the mother of indie pop, Lana Del Rey, whom, together with Lady Gaga, she dreams of doing a featuring with one day. This comparison is even more accurate if we consider Del Rey’s pre-fame alter-ego, Lizzy Grant, who saw her artistic beginnings in the indie rock scene of NYC.

Defining herself as a piano gal, Forte admits she “can never write a good song on guitar.” Yet, her upcoming single, “I Wanna Be Your Rockstar,” might as well have been written on guitar.

Though many of her songs were released in collaboration with Dylan Thomas, whom she identifies as her “partner in crime,” moving to LA inspired her to experiment with different producers. This constant transformation is finding its new chapter in “I Wanna Be Your Rockstar,” which the artist calls “a totally different Lily Forte track” — a leap in a new, exciting direction.

So what’s in store for her next? Forte is unsure. She thinks about a year ago versus where she is now: she moved from Florida to California, where she now has a ton of shows and releases planned. Her North Star, however, will always be one: making it. And by making it she means writing music that will inspire as many people as possible.

“It’s a new era for my music, and it’s exciting,” she concludes.

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