Lydia May talks her new single, upcoming debut band show, fashion and her fans

By: Grace Pearson

Hi! I’m Lydia May. I’m an artist. I am originally from Melbourne, but I now live in London. I’m a big fan of the indie rock scene and I'm very happy to be here.

​1) When did you first start becoming interested in music?
I don’t think there was ever a time where music hasn’t been part of my life. My mom is an opera singer and my dad plays guitar, so I’m very grateful to have been born into a family where music is basically a part of everyday life. I realised that I wanted to continue and try to make a career out of music. I remember when I was around 8 or 9, going to see Beyonce and sitting right at the back of the stadium and everyone just had the best time. It was just magic to me. I struggled to make friends and communicate in school and when you write songs or sing in a choir, all you have to do is just feel the music and you are immediately part of something and I love that and I still do. 

2) Who were the first people that really inspired you?
My dad’s music taste has definitely influenced me the most. He loves Bowie, Blondie and The Beatles. They were huge for me. A lot of creative pioneering artists soundtracked a lot of my early childhood and I've fallen in love with them even more as I've gotten older. Also, my mum getting me into dance classes and musical theatre. It just brought out this free kind of eccentric world that I loved and I really see the parallels between the theatrical based performance stuff and rock music and pop. Music saved my life so it's sort of become a lifeline from that.

3) What inspired you to write your new single drop dead gorgeous?
I was in the studio for the first time with these two amazing guys who I had been writing and producing with for a while, and it was our first session, we ended up being in there for 12 hours creating this song. I just wanted something really fun that I could dance to. I really wanted to encapsulate a sense of confidence and something sexy and powerful, because I was feeling quite trapped by my eating disorder at that point. I also love kind of a play on words. I love anything fun and drop dead gorgeous came out as this phrase and I was like oh that’s interesting. It felt very fitting to the more destructive things I was struggling with, and still do, but in a more fun way. 

4) Have you had any memorable fan interactions that stick with you and remind you of why you wanted to make music in the first place?
So many things. At the Eileen Alister UK tour in Manchester, these two gorgeous people, Lucy and Theo made these little cardboard signs for drop dead gorgeous and I’d never seen anything like this for me. Then we all jumped in the crowd during the show. I had the best time. I think I’m so lucky that my fans are just so passionate and dedicated. They’re just the best I could talk about them forever. I’m just so excited to see how things grow. I really want it to be such a dominating thing and somewhere that everyone feels like they can be themselves and hang out and make friends. I’m always getting messages and seeing pictures of people who have become friends through my music and it’s the most insane thing. That’s the most special to me because I started writing music from a place of feeling very alone.

5) Who is your dream artist to collaborate with?
I think, as most would say, Lady Gaga but I’m also a huge fan of Gigi Perez and Sam Fender. There is just something about that type of artist that has something special. Up and coming side definitely Adela, who I’m loving at the moment. I also love an artist called Ellie Roe, who I could just talk about forever. She's just a fantastic songwriter and I would love to do something more folky and stripped back with her. 

6) Do you have any advice for young people who have a passion and maybe don’t know where to start?
I would say wanting to get into the industry, make friends and don’t be afraid to reach out. Don’t let anyone make you feel less important just because you haven’t done a certain thing or have things to your name because it will happen. Make shit happen on your own. Like, yesterday I organised a little shoot at a gorgeous location to make a video. I got my friends to film it and that little project type thing is what everyone's doing. The budgets obviously get bigger but it's such a self led thing. Just believe that you have something worth people listening to, connecting to and don’t fucking give up. In general, if you're feeling a bit lost. I think lost is such a damaging word because sometimes if you don’t know what you want to do. I’d say lead with curiosity, go with what feels right and don’t be afraid to try things. There is no such thing as running out of time. 

7) Out of all your songs, do you have a favourite? 
I think 16 year old me really had something when she wrote Another. It’s just so fun to sing and there is a vibe to it that I love. I hope I can write something like that again. But Confessions of an Insomniac has definitely become a favourite to perform live, which is such a dream come true. I always wanted a song that people could sing along to. I wish I could tell you what it feels like. I remember singing it at Omera and it was just electrifying. 

8) With you just announcing your debut band show in London, do you have any more shows or support slots planned?
I’m really hoping to play some festivals next year and obviously take the band up north and around the country, hopefully. I do have a couple more shows waiting to be announced, but hopefully a lot more support slots to come.

9) How important is fashion to you and the community you have created?
I’ve written songs for a really long time and I got to a point where I wanted to become more of an artist and taking bolder steps in the visuals and overall vibe and thinking about what I want this project to stand for. Everything is so intentionally chosen because I care about it and I want to make sure that I’m always doing things that I really care about. The visuals, even from my instagram layout to what I wear to how I write in my mailing list, I think it’s all about the art of confidence and being proud of yourself and really battling any feelings of shame. I just love this world that I’ve built. I remember drawing all over my walls about a year ago trying to come up with this character and now I feel like I’ve really been able to become her. The fashion side of things are so important. This whole project is just challenging all the very personal feelings of insecurity. I want to challenge that and just be like fuck that. I really hope that everything screams that even acknowledging the shit that life will throw at you and the personal hell we all seem to struggle with. I guess the community is an incredible result. The welcoming inclusive space where everyone is encouraged and is accepted to just show up as themselves and I’d like to think that all the choices from the way I do my eyeliner to the way my shows are going to be constructed supports this. I just hope to keep growing. 

10)Do you have any dream venues to play?
I would love to play some amphitheaters, like Red Rocks or The Greek Theatre in the US. A big dream of mine is a big crowd at a festival as the sun's setting and everyone’s singing and dancing. It would be amazing, but I’m just so excited to get the opportunity to play. I love live music. Omera or Electric Ballroom would be really cool. I love living in London and the history of it all. But going back to Melbourne would be so exciting.

11) What is your favourite part of making a song? 
I love developing an idea as I get it. I’m a musician, first and foremost, and sitting down at a piano or with a guitar, there is nothing better. I tap into that stream and trying to figure it out. There is no better feeling. It’s so exciting allowing myself to go with an idea and develop it in the studio. But me and the instruments are definitely the heart of this project. 

12) With your new song coming out, do you have any goals you want to achieve?
I hope that my identity as an artist and what I’m trying to do and the community I’m trying to build, I just hope it gets heard by more people. I’m not going away any time soon, but I really wanted to have a night where it was me and a band being able to play this new music and I’m so excited it’s happening. But also the people who are already excited about it, that’s already a success to me and anything else is just a bonus.

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