Lilianna Wilde – wildeONE

By starrymag | November 17, 2015

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

A) At the core of it, my sound centers on the lyrics. I definitely consider myself a writer first. So, I develop the production around the meaning behind the words. “Movin On” is by far the most pop/R&B influenced track from the EP, something a little outside of my genre. But the rest of the EP has a real acoustic foundation, a singer-songwriter vibe.

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

A) My first love is country music. My grandparents always had it playing in the house. I draw a lot from that – Loretta Lynn, Johnny Cash, Conway Twitty and Dolly Parton. Lyrics means a lot to me, even more so than the sonic quality of a voice. So, it’s generally writing that influences me, from ever genre really – Bill Withers, Lieber and Stoller, Lana Del Rey, Sia, Cole Porter and Eminem. I know these names don’t really seem like they fit, but they are all greats in their style.

Q) Your new song is “Movin On.” Talk about the concept behind it.

A) We wrote the song almost a year ago. Listening to it now takes me right back to that moment recording it. There is an element of heartbreak in the song, but it’s ultimately about growing from it –  finding personal strength to move on from whatever it is that isn’t loving you back.

Q) How did you come to work with Cody Longo on the song?

A) I was brought into Cody’s project by one of his producers, Casey Sullivan. Over the summer we spent two weeks in a writers camp for Cody’s upcoming album. Those sessions were some of the most fun I’ve been a part of and can’t wait for you guys to hear the music that Cody has coming.

Q) How does the video for “Movin On” play into the message of the song?

A) We shot the video for two days in the Joshua Tree desert. We wanted the concept to be deserted and lost in both landscape and feeling. The video plays with past and present, going back and forth between them, and the struggle of leaving something behind that wasn’t always hurtful. It was a fun video to shoot. My brother, Marc Pannia, co-directed it along with Ruben Cortez. One of my longtime friends in LA, Andrew Scully, played the lead. It was nice to have a close friend and family on set for the video.

Q) What is your process like for writing music? Do you need music before you can write lyrics?

A) The cool thing is that it’s different every time. Sometimes you get this dope track sent to you or played in a session and the vibe just tells you exactly what to say. Other times, it’s a room full of musicians and writers and we all start jamming until one melody line or lyric shines. Most of the time, when I’m writing for myself, I write alone. The songs I’ve written for my EP are incredibly personal, from real feelings and experiences. So, it was important for me to write some of these alone.

Q) What is the feel and vibe for your upcoming EP wildeONE?

A) It is a really personal set of songs. Some of them are “listen alone in your room” songs and others are “sing out loud in the car” songs. They all resonate acoustically, mostly guitars and piano, something similar to Christina Perri or Ingrid Michelson.

Q) How much of a hand do you have in the production of your music?

A) It depends on the song. For “Movin On,” I let the producer take the lead. He had a vision for the song that I trust. But I’m in the studio during the entire process. I like to get a feeling for how it’s being developed. The production process is incredible – hearing a song go from idea to reality.

Q) How do you plan to celebrate your EP release?

A) I think I’ll go back a little and hideout for a weekend and then I’ll get on the road. I’d love to tour through Canada first and come back to the West Coast for some more. There is no better feeling than playing live.

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

A) Hozier! His writing is so sharp and his voice is like butter. He has got so much to say. I’d love to be a part of putting those thoughts into a song.

Q) What can fans do to help promote your music?

A) Just listening to it is incredible enough. To have someone go back and connect with a song multiple times, that’s an honor. If they have friends they share it with, that’s great too. But just a deep personal connection to a song – that really is the best thing. Then, come see a show and sing along with me!

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

A) Social media has made everything so accessible. It’s awesome to be able to directly connect with someone who is a fan of my music. To say thank you right to a fan, that’s a really amazing thing.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your music?

A) Thank you, a million times over and over and over again. Thank you for connecting and sharing a story with me. I hope I can do for someone what music did for me, help get someone through the hard times and brighten up the best.