Since she first arrived on the country music scene with her TikTok smash hit ‘Villain’ in 2020, Lily Rose’s career has continued to blossom (if you’ll pardon the pun).
She was named as one of the CMT Next Women of Country Class of 2022 and nominated for the ACM Award for New Female Artist of the Year the same year. Alongside these accolades, she’s toured with the likes of Shania Twain, Dylan Scott and Chris Lane, as well as recently opening up for Sam Hunt on the latest run of his Outskirts Tour. Now she’s about to release her latest EP, ‘Runnin’ Outta Time’, the follow-up to her 2021 record ‘Stronger Than I Am’.
Ahead of the release, I recently caught up with Lily to talk about putting this project together, performing at C2C, making her Grand Ole Opry debut this weekend and what’s next for her – as well as what she orders at Greggs…
Your new EP ‘Runnin’ Outta Time’ comes out tomorrow – what can you tell us about it?
Yeah, I’m so excited. We’ve been really cultivating this music for a long time, and kind of laying low when it comes to releasing music. So these six songs that are on this EP just feel so right, they feel like the most Lily songs ever. There’s not a single syllable or second that I regret in the six songs and it’s just a really great example of where I’m at in my life right now. And it’s a crossroads between trying to be the best person I can be while giving myself a little bit of grace that I’m human, while also we’re having a really fun time out on the road, and I’ve been married for a year, and it’s just been a party. So I think all six of those songs just kind of encompass those two things.
Did you find it quite an easy decision knowing what songs you were going to put on the EP? Or was it a challenge to get it down to those six?
Yeah, you know, we’ve cut a lot of music within the last 12 months. And there were four or five songs that were like no brainer, we’re doing this. So it was kind of just like picking and choosing between one or two. So yeah, I think ‘True North’ and ‘Parking Lot’, the ones we’ve already released were no brainers, and ‘Back Pew’ has been really doing well on social. So we knew those three and ‘Runnin’ Outta Time’ were going to be the four but it was kind of figuring out what the other two were going to be.
How did you find the process of writing the songs for this EP?
I’m surrounded by some of the best writers in Nashville that I consider in my camp. So some of these songs… Andy Albert and Blake Pendergrast, two of them are just guys that come in with full choruses ready to go, that they’re like, “Hey, I wrote this for you”. And I think three of those songs, we had the full chorus before we even started writing because of those guys. But all of them kind of fell out. I don’t think any of them were necessarily a falling out of me that it was like, “Oh, we only we wrote this in 45 minutes”. All of them were pretty long writes. Because we all wanted to get it right. Like there was no shortcuts we wanted to take. One of my favourite things about all of my co-writers that are on this project, specifically, is they all really respect that I say things a certain way, and my cadence is a little weird and I don’t just sing normally. So they really respect that and let me dial it down to exactly how I want it. And we didn’t take any shortcuts to say the least.
How do you feel you’ve grown as an artist since releasing ‘Stronger Than I Am’?
Yeah, from my world as an artist and a songwriter, I think of it as how I am on the road and who I am here and in town. And when it comes to in town, it’s been a lot of patience. I think every artist in the world wants to put out music every week [laughs], and that’s just not the case. That’s not how it works. And I’m so grateful in hindsight that we’ve had this patience here in town. We got the songwriting correct. We got my new producer, Paul DiGiovanni – [he] and I have really clicked, and everything feels great. So I’ve learned there’s just been a lot of patience on the artist side when I’m home that I’ve learned how to do. But on the road, we’ve just been on tour with Sam Hunt and Shania Twain, so many incredible, incredible artists that have these amazing fan bases. So I feel like the live show just keeps getting better with every single show. So I think we’re ready when this new music comes out that we’ve been working on at home, when you combine it with how we’ve grown in the show it’s just a recipe for for success.
You’ve mentioned touring with Sam and Shania already. What have you learned from being out on the road with them – and other artists – that you’ve taken into your own performances?
Yeah, with Sam specifically, I’ve watched how he is as a leader and a boss. And I’ve always really looked up to – there’s so many artists here in Nashville specifically that the ones that are selling out arenas and amphitheatres and stadiums have had their band since they were nothing. And I’ve always really looked up to that and tried to cultivate a family and a nucleus, and once we’ve got that thing we can expand and move out. And Sam is an example of that. His band and his crew have been with him for so long. He’s an amazing leader. He’s so kind to everybody. He hangs out with people, and he doesn’t have to.
And with Shania, she is all of those things as well, while being a pop icon. And that was a lesson in how to write a hit song. I was sitting there at front of house where the mixing board is every night just looking around. And I was like, “How do I get 42 year old men to sing ‘Man! I Feel Like A Woman’?” Like, what’s the code that you can crack on that? So both of them are just incredible entertainers and leaders. So it was really cool to learn [from them].
You’ve got this immersive experience coming up for the EP launch in Nashville tonight. How did you come up with the idea to do that? And can you tell us anything about what’s involved?
Yeah, I think in this chapter in my life right now, I’m really running as far away as I can [from] doing what other people are doing. I’ve always kind of been that way. I’ve always been true to myself. But when I see that somebody else has done something, I’m kind of like, “ugh, I just don’t want to do that.” Like, how can we be different? How can we be cool? And there’s a there’s a venue here in Nashville that’s been around for a long time, called The Cannery Ballroom. And they just revamped the whole thing. And the main room has this massive video board behind it. And the second I saw that I was like, “We can do an EP release show that’s not just another EP release show or an album release.” So it was really kind of just the really great recipe for the venue meets my creative brain. And I was like, “hell yeah, let’s go.”
And then after the EP comes out you’ll be making your Grand Ole Opry debut – tell us about finding out what that was like and what you’ve got planned for it…
Yeah, the Opry has always been something that’s… I think it’s special to anybody that is a fan or inside of country music. But I worked at the outlet mall that’s on the same property, it’s called Opry Mills Mall, while I was trying to chase this dream down, and those were some of my hard days, very hard days. So I promised myself, I was never going to walk into the Opry until I was booked to play it, and got to do that the other day. And we’re very excited. It’s just – I have something to say for country music. And I’ve been waiting a long time to make this debut. And make it an intentional debut. And I want to make sure every time I step in that circle, it’s for country music and for what I have to say. So very excited that it has to do with this music that feels like the most authentic version of me.
We also got to hear some of the EP live when you came over here in March for C2C. How did you find that whole experience of coming to the UK?
Oh my gosh. I think about it, like, every day. It was so awesome. It kind of blew me away. You know, when you travel, and you’re like, “oh, man, we’re playing our first show in Montana” or North Dakota, or a state inside of our country that you’ve never played, you do have that expectation, “Okay, somebody’s got to know some of the songs because they played on Sirius XM”, and all that. But I went over there and I was like, “They’re not gonna know who I am or care or anything. Let’s put on a good show.” And it was just the opposite. There were just so many people. You guys are the most intentional listeners and fans, and it just blew me away. Like really blew me away. And immediately had me texting everyone like, “I don’t care what capacity it is. We got to come back over here and play, because these are the best music fans ever.” It was awesome.
Have you got any songs you’re really enjoying playing live at the moment?
Yeah. The title track from the EP, ‘Runnin’ Outta Time’, is the one that pops into my brain first. It’s just an absolute hammer on stage. We were kind of spoiled – we’ve only played that one and ‘Back Pew’ in arenas and like amphitheatres. Actually ‘Back Pew’, ‘Parking Lot’ and ‘Runnin’ Outta Time’, we’ve only played in arenas or amphitheatres. So I think that’s where those songs were made to be played, for the masses and just massive rooms like that. But I’m excited to, you know, whatever’s next in the fall, whether it’s a headlining tour, theatres, clubs, kind of see how those feel in the small rooms too, because the energy is electric.
I wanted to ask you about filling in for Kelleigh Bannen on her radio show recently. How did you find that experience of switching into such a different lane?
Yeah, I loved it. I grew up in a radio household. My dad’s been in radio for 50 years now. I think he’s on air too. So I grew up watching my dad create notes and create liners and a script and everything. So when it came to doing that it was just fulfilling something that is another huge passion of mine, which is hosting and being able to interact with people, whether it’s just a one on one conversation with somebody or me talking to the masses. So it’s a huge bucket list thing that I think my whole team knows that I really want to do is host in some capacity – radio or TV.
This is a two-part question – is there a song you wish you’d written? And is there a song you’ve written that you’re particularly proud of?
The first song that pops into my head that’s relevant within the last few years, and not to just keep harping on Sam Hunt, but I think ’23’ by Sam Hunt is one of the most beautiful love songs I’ve ever heard in music. I’m a big fan of, especially country music, it’s breakups, falling in love, party. And then very rarely, there’s this fourth lane of “how do we crack a code?” and they figured out a way to crack the code. I’ve never heard that “I’ll only know you at that age” storyline before. So Josh Osborne and Shane McAnally and Zach and Sam, I was like, “you guys, come on!”, and it’s so good.
But for me, one I’m particularly proud of right now… honestly, it’s a very superficial song, but I say it live when I intro it – ‘Parking Lot’. I think, as we’ve gotten to travel this country and travel the world now, we all have like one thing in common and it’s like everyone loves to like drink beers and kiss people in parking lots. You know, like, the tailgating. Whether it’s a pub in your brain, it’s a parking lot, whatever. But it’s such a universal thing. And I think it brings a lot of people joy. I watch it on stage every night. So I’m really proud of that song even though it sounds like just the stereotypical country song [laughs].
What does the rest of the year look like for you? Obviously you’ve got the EP and some tour dates in the summer – will that be the main focus for you?
Yeah, you know, when you’re not on a full tour, how we were last year with Sam Hunt, where a whole summer is just dedicated to him, we’re grateful we’re going out with Luke [Bryan] and Cole [Swindell]. But then we’ve just got some really cool random stuff in the summer. And then I’m hoping we’re doing a headlining tour in the fall. It’s just all talks right now. But we’re just waiting to see if any of these songs work and let the wind blow us where it does with with a song, you know.
Are there any plans for a full album at any point soon?
I mean, we’ve cut a lot of music. So I sure hope so.
We’ve touched on this a bit already but do you have plans to come back to the UK at any point?
I am begging my agents as we are potentially planning this headlining tour and just playing more shows that are ours. I was like, “whatever capacity, whether it’s just I go over there, or we’ve got an acoustic thing, or we go full band, please get me back over there”. So I think they’re working on it. I would hope within the next 12 months, we get back over there.
Fingers crossed! And then lastly I know when you were here for C2C you discovered Greggs, so now I need to ask you what your Greggs order is…
Yes! So we stayed in Piccadilly and like right next to our hotel, there was a Greggs, so it was like if you needed a bottle of water, you’re going over to Greggs. So I definitely had a sausage roll. And it was amazing. But my guitar player kept getting the pepperoni roll up or roll or something. I was dragging one morning, we definitely stayed out of the pub way too late before our flight, and I got a strawberry sprinkled donut and it was great. So I mean, we got a lot. There’s lots of things, but you gotta go with the sausage roll first.
You know now you’ve said that people will be bringing them to shows next time you come over here…
Oh, 1000 per cent. I mean, Greggs followed me. They comment on all my stuff now on Instagram. If we go back over there, maybe we’ll do a run sponsored by Greggs! [laughs]
Lily Rose’s new EP ‘Runnin’ Outta Time’ is out on 10th May 2024 on Big Loud Records/Back Blocks Music.
