Dive into the enchanting world of Dutch singer-songwriter Lilith Merlot and explore the captivating depths of her highly anticipated sophomore EP, ‘Shades of Blue‘, in our exclusive interview!
In her latest EP, released on May 26th via Lilith Merlot Records, Lilith Merlot dives deep into the profound symbolism and emotional weight of the colour blue in her life. With her exceptional abilities, she has distilled the pain and essence of heartbreak into five emotionally evocative tracks through the depths and nuances of the colour blue, showcasing her breathtaking ease and awe-inspiring vocal agility, which weaves a tale of catharsis throughout this musical gem.
Drawing inspiration from her own painful breakup, Lilith shares, “I started writing the songs on this EP after a very unexpected and painful breakup. I found myself not being able to talk about it, so I sat down behind the piano and wrote my way through it.” With “Shades of Blue,” Lilith Merlot invites listeners to embark on a sonic journey through a rich palette of emotions, masterfully navigating the complexities of heartache and healing.
During this exclusive in-depth interview with CelebMix, Lilith opened up about various aspects of her album; from exploring the inspiration to the significance of the colour blue to sharing unique insights into her songwriting process and delving into the emotions and experiences that fueled her creativity.
With great passion, she described her creative process behind composing mesmerizing soundscapes which transported listeners to ethereal realms and also discussed the cathartic nature of her music, expressing how it served as a therapeutic outlet for her during challenging times. Through this interview, readers will gain an exclusive glimpse into the artistic depth and personal journey of the enigmatic musician behind the enthralling album, “Shades of Blue.”
Prepare to be swept away as you read our full conversation below, and stream ‘Shades of Blue’!
Hey Lilith! Huge congrats on the release of “Shades of Blue”. It’s such a heartfelt record, and we’d love to dive into the personal journey that led to this masterpiece. Do you remember when the album first started to take shape in your mind and what sparked its creation? Does it reflect where you are in your life now?
Thank you so much! When I first had plans to record my second EP, I had no idea it would turn out the way it did. I actually had a bunch of songs ready to record that I had written in the year or two before. The first song I recorded that made it to the EP is ‘Easier to Fight’. We recorded it in April last year. I wrote it the morning after I’d had a big fight with my partner at that time. It is about being scared that you might have gone too far in a fight, and have broken things that can’t be fixed. Not much later, I went through a pretty ugly breakup with that same person, and I knew that all the songs I had written before weren’t relevant anymore. I had so much pain and confusion inside of me, [and] I had to write about that instead. So, I wrote my way through the heartache and these five tracks display my stages of healing.
The last song ‘Happier Alone’ definitely reflects where I am in life right now. It is the last song I wrote and recorded, and it is me saying that I have no shame and no regrets and that I realize I am happier alone.
Your single ‘White Lies’ was released coinciding with the EP. Walk us through your creative process behind the song and its significance within the overall theme of the album.
I started writing this song when I felt like it was time to move on and let go. The most important line to me is “I refuse to remember you in this dark shade of blue, you can take it all from me, but I’m keeping the memories”. That line inspired me to call the album ‘Shades of Blue’, and that’s why it is so significant. The lyrics are pretty blue, but I wanted to write a song that wouldn’t feel as heavy as some of the other songs. I wanted it to be soft and uplifting in a way.
My producer Serge Dusault did a great job at that production-wise, and I love how he played the piano in such a soulful way on this song. He also added the synth bass and other synthesizers, and we asked drummer Leon Schmitz to add live drums. I re-recorded the vocals for this track a bunch of times, but we kept coming back to one of the first vocals takes that we did during the first studio day for this song, which we ended up using in the final version. To me, the vocals on ‘White Lies’ are not perfect, but I was in the moment and my heart was in it and that’s the most important thing.
Your music showcases remarkable songwriting prowess and an ability to capture intimate emotions. How do you manage to infuse your songs with such profound depth and vulnerability?
In daily life, I actually really struggle to show my emotions. So I guess that is why I pour it into my songs. It’s not something I have to think about or work on, it just happens. Songwriting has always been like writing a diary to me.
How has music served as a cathartic outlet for you? What are some perks or challenges artists usually face when baring their souls in their songs to the world? How do you navigate the fine line between divulging certain aspects to the public and protecting your privacy?
I started writing songs when I was just six years old. My mother was a classical violinist, so she was away for work abroad quite often, and my father was not around. I didn’t have a usual childhood, and growing up I was quite lonely at times. Writing songs helped me voice my feelings. Music was the ground beneath my feet when everything else around me felt chaotic, so it was a really, really important outlet for me and helped me express myself.
How to navigate the fine line between divulging certain aspects to the public and protecting my privacy, is a really good question. I have never had to ask myself that prior to making ‘Shades of Blue’. I didn’t think of protecting my own privacy while writing this album, I really felt the urge to bare my soul. But I did leave some things out to protect other people’s privacy. ‘Shades of Blue’ happens to be a really personal album based on real-life experiences. But overall, I would say that it is important to keep in mind that there is such a thing as artistic freedom. Songs are usually very dramatized versions of one person’s truth. Also, in the words of Feist: “Woe be to the man who loves a songwriter – She’s always searching for the song, in everything that you’ve done wrong – Woe be to the man who loves a songwriter.” ;)
What was your approach to the production process for your album to effectively convey its emotional value while ensuring each song harbours its own unique essence? Can you tell us more about the musical influences that helped you conceptualize the soundscapes?
Lizz Wright’s music and Sia’s album ‘Some People Have REAL Problems’ were an inspiration for songs like ‘White Lies’ and ‘Happier Alone’. I really like how those albums are super organic, using real instruments. In other songs, we used more synths and samples. The thread that runs through all the tracks is the acoustic piano. Some songs are more stripped down than others, like ‘Easier to Fight’ and ‘Burn Your Bridges’. The lyrics to those songs are really fragile, so we wanted to keep those productions quite open and spacy. ‘Compromised’ has a lot going on: piano, synths, drum samples, and live guitar. It really suits the song, because it’s about feeling confused, angry and all over the place.
Share the significance of the colour blue as the central theme of your album. Can you explain in detail how it reflects the shift in mood and emotions on your tracklist?
I always knew it had to be something with the word blue. Blue represents how I felt when I started writing the album: heartbroken and sad. But as a colour, blue symbolizes depth, sincerity and freedom. I feel like I have never gone this deep and been this sincere in my songs before, which ultimately gave me a sense of freedom and strength. When you listen to the album from top to bottom, you hear the various “shades” of blue and you clearly hear the gradual shift from dark to light in the songs.
And while we’re on this subject, how’d you assign specific hues of blue to represent each song?
I would say that the beginning of the album (‘Easier to Fight‘) is like the sky at dusk: a mixture of violets and blues, it symbolizes mystery and it marks the end of something. ‘Easier to Fight’ is about the final days of a relationship. Then ‘Compromised’ is really dark, like a midnight sky on a pitch black night. ‘Burn Your Bridges’ is obviously a really sad song, but it is also very soothing in a way — because of the soothing piano playing and the vocal humming at the end of the song. It feels like something slowly awakens, so to me, it’s best represented by the colour of the sky during dawn. ‘White Lies’ and ‘Happier Alone’ are songs about being honest, open, forgiving and choosing light over darkness. It’s best represented by the colour blue of a clear sky.
I know it’s always difficult to choose, but which track from the EP resonates with you the most personally, and why?
Ah, that is really difficult indeed! Musically I really love ‘Compromised’. It is such a fun song to sing live as well. But right now ‘Happier Alone’ resonates with me the most, simply because it is the last track I wrote, so it is closest to my current state of mind: I am better off without you, I am happier alone.
Lilith, your musical journey seems to have been deeply influenced by your upbringing in a family of classically trained musicians. What are some of your earliest fond memories of music? Can you tell us more about how that background and education shaped your love for music?
One of my earliest memories is from when I was about 4 or 5 years old. My mother had taken me and my brother with her on tour through Europe, and when she played a concert at the Royal Albert Hall in Londen, she was running late. She didn’t have time to guide me and my brother to our seats in the audience, so the conductor thought it would be fun to take us by the hand and let us walk with him on stage, while the audience applauded. I just remember the excitement I felt and I loved it!
Also listening to my mother play with the orchestra was always very impressive. Growing up I was surrounded by music and professional musicians. This is why, as soon as I found my passion for singing, it was obvious to me that I would go and study music and pursue a career in that. Although some family members might have been a bit shocked when it turned out to be pop music instead of classical music, haha.
Since you have been experimenting with various genres lately, how’d you define your current sound? How do you strike a balance between incorporating traditional elements and exploring your own unique sound?
I find it really hard to define my own sound, but I’d say soulful pop. Haha, I don’t know! I have been influenced by so many genres: classical music from my childhood, then I studied jazz vocals and later on pop vocals, so I feel like my sound is really a mix of all of those. When I studied jazz, I was told that I sounded too much like a pop singer, and when studying pop, my teachers would say that I sounded too “jazzy”. So now I just do my own thing!
And you’re doing great at it. Your debut EP gained wide attention with national radio airplay and performances at renowned festivals and clubs. Can you share some memorable experiences or milestones from that period of your career?
Playing at the North Sea Jazz Festival was a really special experience. I played on a super small stage, but to be performing at the same festival as some of my heroes (like Erykah Badu and Jill Scott) was an absolute dream come true!
With over 5 million streams on various music platforms, how does it feel to witness such a positive reception of your music from your audience? As a rising artist, what are your thoughts on having a strong social media presence in today’s streaming culture, and how do you keep up with the demands of the ever-evolving digital landscape?
Wow, that obviously feels great! I am very grateful for that. To be honest, I am not great at having a strong social media presence. I probably should get better at that, haha. But to me, making music is the most important thing, so that’s why social media gets left behind sometimes. But when I do spend time on social media, I really enjoy sharing what I’ve been working on and hearing people’s thoughts and feedback and basically just connecting with each other.
Looking beyond the release of ‘Shades of Blue,’ what can we expect from Lilith Merlot in the future? Are there any upcoming projects or collaborations you are excited about?
I am already writing new songs because that never stops. So there will be another EP or album coming next year. But before that, I’ll be releasing a little live version of one of the songs from the EP. More about that soon! :)
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