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STRAND x FEMMESTIVAL Spotlight: Lia White

Oisín McGilloway

Lia White
Image courtesy of Lia White

After her performance at FEMMESTIVAL late last year, we caught up with electronic soul artist Lia White to talk about her experience of the showcase, her songwriting process and where she sees her career going in the future.


What got you into making music? And how does this fit into your songwriting process?


I’ve always loved music—I think I started with just singing, but I didn’t start writing music until I was 14 or 15. I got to the point where I started to learn how to play guitar and that’s when I started writing songs. I would just teach myself from YouTube. I think it was just a form of expression for me, and that’s kind of changed over time. Now I produce as well, developing on the same concept over time and now it’s just a part of who I am, like I have to write songs.


So you performed at FEMMESTIVAL in November, an all-female music showcase dedicated to championing rising female artists in the UK—you might say that it gives female artists a space to “evolve together”. How do you think the music industry is for women at the moment?


It’s great to showcase female artists in this way, I think what was cool about the gig I did was that we’re all very different, which I think showcased a broad spectrum of different types of female artists as well. I think you see the same type of female artists a lot, in the mainstream, so I also think it’s broadening what a female artist can be. Sometimes I think there are limitations or expectations of female artists in the industry. On how they should present themselves, so I think in that sense that’s why [FEMMESTIVAL] is important, and choosing a balanced line-up.


Who inspires you as an artist? Or, maybe more importantly, what are you bringing to the table that hasn’t been done before?


As I said I started with just a guitar, and now I produce, and I think when I was younger I had those inspirations that are locked onto my brain for life. I used to be so inspired by Tori Kelly, and I think she’s the reason I decided to pick up a guitar, definitely influenced by the way she sings, with the vocal riffs and stuff. I’m not as insanely teenage-obsessed with her anymore, but I still really appreciate her and how she’s shaped me in terms of what route I’ve chosen to go down.


I guess when it came to songwriting, I got to a point where as an independent artist, I found I was relying on a lot of people, which has a lot of costs and was what got me on to producing—I wanted to get things moving so I decided I had to learn myself. I feel that’s something I bring to the table; I think there are a lot of female producers now, which is amazing to see, but I still think it’s a minority, and if I’m going to the studio for a session it’s always a male producer at the desk. I’d love to see more women making music in that way.


I think sometimes it can be scary to start; I feel that women may drift more towards songwriting and lyrics because of the emotions, which they may feel in a stronger way, whereas production is more theoretical, but I think it’d be nice to see more women get into it and believe that they can. I think it’s a limitation that shouldn’t be there.


In 2017 you appeared on The Voice—how do you think that experience has shaped your music career since?


I think it shaped me, more than it did my career. It’s one of those things you do and it catapults your life for a while, and then that’s kind of it. For me it was more of a massive experience because I’d never done anything on that level before, the performance experience, the experience of working with a whole team, and the crew and all of those things. 

It was a learning curve; I think at that point I didn’t really know myself musically, being 17, so I kinda just took it as fun, something amazing I got to do, and it definitely gave me a feel for what I want to do. I don’t like to tie myself too much to it.


Your first single, Together, was in 2019. How do you think your music has changed in 5 years?


Definitely a massive amount. I released that in 2019, and then a couple in 2020, and then nothing, so it’s been five years since the release. I guess those releases will always be a part of me, they were the start of what I was putting out there, but at the time I was just sort of like “Oh I’ve got one song, let’s see how it goes” whereas now I’ve spent the last three years I’ve written song after song after song, so I have a big catalogue now, so I’m kind of at a point where I’m ready to put a lot out and just keep going with it. 


Back then I wasn’t producing, so I didn’t have much control over the sound, or how I wanted the music to sound. I was just songwriting and experimenting. I love working with other producers but sometimes it’s nice to have that creative control, but also working with a producer now I feel like I have more knowledge to direct them and say “This is what I’m going for”. 


So I’d say that’s what’s changed. I feel like my sound is similar, but I think my new songs are more mature, and maybe just a little bit different in that way, so I’m excited to finally get them out into the world. 


Your single Winter Reflections was a collaborative project with Sam Wills and Brotherman, and you’ve also featured on tracks by FADES and Tom Gortler—are collaborations like these something you’re planning on continuing in the future? If so, who would be your dream feature?


I would love to collaborate more! I think a lot of the music I’m writing at the moment is all on my own, which I think is important to make a bit of a stance with who I am, in the sense that I haven’t released music in a few years, then moving on to some collaborative stuff could work well.


I don’t know if I have an answer for my dream feature…I don’t know but I do like Tom Misch a lot, I’d love to make a track with him that would be cool. He has a collaborative album with Yussef Dayes; I’m obsessed with anything with his drumming on it.


What are you working on at the moment? What can we expect to see from you in the future?


So I’m currently finishing my first EP, and hoping to put it out soon. I’ve got some singles collated into a project, so we’ll see where that goes. I have such a massive back catalogue of songs, so I’m just ready to release those—I’m interested in experimenting with it, as I haven’t put music out in a while, trying to be a little bit strategic as this is how I see myself. I’m really passionate about the whole storyline, so I’ve gotten into visuals recently, going to release some content, so yeah I want it to feel like a whole world rather than just songs. Hopefully, when I put them out, my world will become visible to my audience.


To keep up with Lia's work, follow her on Instagram. To see updates on FEMMESTIVAL, including booking tickets to their next showcase in March, follow them on Instagram or head over to their website.


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