Jazzed up and rock 'n roll with Lily Appelt
Lily Appelt is fast becoming one of Australia's much sought after musicians performing with a vast array of artists and adjusting to their style of music with precision and professionalism. I've had the honor of seeing Lily perform Jazz and also Indie-Rock and she always puts on mind bending performances that you have to witness for yourself. After really enjoying Lily's solo release(Check it out it's absolutely stunning) I recently caught up with her between Adelaide and Melbourne and was keen to delve into the psyche of this Adelaide mega-artist.
Lily, your songs you’ve got up on on-line are just sublime. Melodic layering and it’s just perfect folk, especially with ‘Now I’m here’, lyrically you are very wordy – Where does this come from and what influences you to write your endearing folky, pop tunes?
My main influences have always been my friends and family! I was encouraged to take my songwriting more seriously by my dear friend Jack Wilsmore in 2024; he has always been a big inspiration to me lyrically and creatively. When writing ‘Now I’m Here’ I was on a group call with my two siblings and we were discussing all the memories we had of our first childhood home. Turns out we had a lot of fond memories and I really wanted to try and fit in as many as I could, hence my songs becoming quite wordy. I would also add I can be quite chatty when I want to be, so most of the time I am trying to cut down on how many words I use in songs!
Tell us about what projects you involve yourself in and how does this reflect on your own song-writing? Also, how many instruments do you play?
At the moment I’m playing bass for Birds are Spies, Silk, Day for Caroline, Soliloquy and any jazz gig I can get my hands on! Being a part of so many bands covering so many different genres is heavily reflected in the music I create. My music has become a bit of an amalgamation of all of these influences; this has become particularly evident in the music I have been creating more recently. I think it’s a really beautiful thing to have grown up musically around so many different genres and sounds, I am very fortunate to be influenced by it all. As far as instruments go I would really say double bass is my main instrument and then electric bass is a close second, but I definitely like to dabble with many others. I purchased a Moog Subsequent-37 synthesiser last year and this has definitely become a staple in many of the bands I’m in.
If you could perform with ‘any’ artist, who would that be and why..
I really struggle to answer this as I fear I have dipped my toes into too many genres to narrow it down to just one artist. Opening for the Psychedelic Porn Crumpets last year was definitely a goal for awhile since joining Birds are Spies so I feel like I’ve ticked off a big one already. Beyond this I would love to open for or play for Alice Phoebe Lou as she has been one of my main inspirations for song writing for quite some time. Her lyricism is so incredibly detailed and beautiful and I really try to emulate this when writing my own music. I would also very much like to open for Linda May Han Oh or Jasper Høiby; these are two of my double bass idols.
What is your vision for the future? I think you have huge potential to take your songs internationally, like in ‘Luna + Sol’, that song has international potential
Since moving to Melbourne I’ve been fortunate enough to play predominantly jazz gigs. This has completely altered my view on my future as a musician as I had not previously thought being a full-time jazz musician would be a possibility for me. However, this does not mean I have thrown my personal project aside completely. I’m currently working in collaboration with my friend Quinn Knight on an EP that I hope to release this year under my name. I’ve enjoyed exploring a new sound that feels more true to my current self, and I am very grateful to be in a position where others can put up with hearing me talk about it so much while I work out a unique sound! I’m loving exploring all aspects of art at the moment and hope to create something that pairs my music with some of my talented artist friends. As far as international touring goes, I would absolutely love to do this and very much plan on moving semi-permanently somewhere overseas in the near future. Hopefully I can take my career as a professional jazz double bass player further, but also explore any exciting new opportunities in other music genres.
The Adelaide music scene is pretty special, what sets us apart from the rest of the country as someone that has toured interstate? What differences have you seen in comparison to other bands and musicians you’ve encountered?
The Adelaide music scene will always hold a special spot in my heart. Even now, having moved to Melbourne, I still get excited to come back and play with Birds are Spies and Silk. The community atmosphere of the Adelaide crowds is simply unmatched. I think because our venue selection is on the smaller side people really do show up to support artists like no other state. This was particularly evident with the ‘Save the Cranker’ movement. I thought it was really special to see how many non-musicians were out supporting the live music scene in South Australia. I also just love all my bandmates! Although I have encountered many amazing humans and musicians touring and in my travels I truly think that what my Adelaide bands have created is very unique and special. I remember someone telling me that the hardest part of a band is keeping it together and I would very much agree. That being said, the task becomes significantly less difficult when all your band mates are as amazing as mine.The ongoing support I receive from Birds are Spies and Silk is really unmatched and I am so grateful that we have been able to navigate the challenges of staying together despite me moving in 2024. I love them very much, so shout out to all of them!
I also think people don’t realise how much time you spend in a car with the same people when touring so it's a clear sign we were meant to be, given how many 8-hour days of travel we have survived together!
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