Lily-Mae

Meet UK-born UK Open Mic performer Lily-Mae:

Lily-Mae

Hi Lily-Mae, thanks for joining us! Let’s get into it:

Do you play solo only, or also in a group?

Solo

How old are you?

Where were you born?

Where did you grow up?

Stevenage

How did that place influence your music? (if at all!)

Whilst growing up in Stevenage I performed in two West End shows so spent a lot of my time in London.

Where are you based now, and why?

Aylesbury. I am a performing arts student.

What got you into making music in the first place?

I’ve been performing since the age of 6 since going to a regular weekly drama club. By the age of 8 I was chosen to play Eponine in Les Mis. After this 9 month run I went on to star as Olive in Little Miss Sunshine and toured the UK. Acting and singing are more of a passion than theatre and I spend much of my spare time composing songs for coming of age teens and young adults.

What instrument/s do you play?

Singing
Piano
Piano

Who would be in your top 10 musical influences, and why?

Taylor Swift
Olivia Rodrigo
Weezer
Billie Eillish
Elton John

Do you write your own songs?

Yes

How many years have you been writing songs for?

What process, or processes, do you often find yourself using when you write songs?

I find when going through struggles the best stuff comes out. But I can also write happy feel good music too.

How long have you been playing open mic nights?

Why did you get into playing them in the first place?

Is was introduced through a fellow drama student friend.

What advice would you give new performers who are just starting out playing their first open mics?

I am at the early stages of my career so I’m more likely to listen to advice 🙂

What’s the hardest thing, for you, about playing open mics?

I just love performing. I can’t think of anything bad about it. As a performing arts student I get to perform on a regular basis but love to perform in front of strangers.

What’s the most bizarre, or fun, open mic, or gig, you’ve ever played, and why?

I mentioned my time in the West End, it was the best times of my life.

If it’s not already, are you hoping to make music your full-time career?

Yes

What do you currently find the hardest and biggest obstacles to moving your music career forward?

Exposure and cost. My family are as supportive as possible but with so many people out there trying to get themselves noticed it’s currently hard to stand out in a crowd. However I’ll never give up and have a few ideas I’m working on.