Lily Jay: The Uncompromising Mindset That Drives Independent Success in the Modern Music Industry

As a part of our series about rising music stars, we had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Lily Jay.

Lily Jay is a world-renowned singer-songwriter and producer from Gold Coast, Australia. Lily Jay began her illustrious career onstage. She starred in live shows such as the hit musical, “Chicago,” and the Tony Award-winning show, “Hairspray.” Apart from the musical realm, Lily Jay has been on television and was a finalist in the popular television show, “So You Think You Can Dance Australia.” Her debut single in 2017, “Renovate,” which was written and produced by The Voice Australia winner Xy Latu, earned her tons of recognition. The song narrowly missed the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the dynamic music video won an award from the Gold Coast Bulletin in 2017. Lily Jay has since racked up a sizable social media following with over 1 million followers on her TikTok. She has also been featured in several publications such as Buzzfeed, Inc., and Daily Mail. Lily Jay’s international stardom has brought her to the USA where she is currently on tour and filming various projects — most recent being a commercial with boxing legend Mike Tyson.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

Music has always been a big part of my life. Even though I was raised in very strict catholic home, church every Sunday and catholic school, I always went to dance lessons since the age of 5. I always dreamt of being a performer from a young age. I was always singing at Sunday mass as well.

During my teens, I started taking my career a little more seriously. I received a scholarship to the country’s top performing arts school where I completed my diploma of musical theatre. I always loved music and rhythm.I loved to dance! At the age of 17, I received my first professional contract in America where I performed in the hit musical, “Hairspray.”

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

Ever since I went to my first dance class at the age of 5, I knew this is what I wanted to do. However, I mainly focused on my dance career up until the age of 23. This is when I started taking my solo music career seriously. There’s a big difference between being a chorus singer/dancer and being a lead singer. It’s a very big adjustment in the way that you sing also. I had to get more singing lessons just to learn how to change my voice to stand out!! It’s like learning to sing all over again, it’s crazy.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

I find it very interesting in the social media space with the evolution of TikTok. I’ ve worked so hard on my social media (IG and FB), and it takes a lot to reach a new audience. From creating perfect posts, captions, paying for extra reach, the list goes on and on, and it gets very draining for an indie artists. Then, when TikTok came around in 2019, I started posting silly videos, and I’d get 1 million views. It’s ridiculous. I’ve learnt that posting to your fans doesn’t have to take too much effort and learnt to love social media again.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

My funniest mistake was probably only having one copy of my music clip, “Renovate” on a hard drive which I accidentally lost. We then had to go and film the wholeeee thing again because of this! Lesson learnt. Never only have one copy of anything, and never delete raw material until it’s posted/published! Worst mistake ever!

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

I just released my latest single, ‘Turn Off The Lights.’ This is my first release since my debut five years ago. I chose to take a break from the entertainment industry to focus on myself and my family. I am now working on a whole album which will be releasing this year! My album will include a mix of Pop, Rnb, Soul, and a couple of inspiring Ballads. This album will be a reflection of my life over the last five years. It will have a little hint of 90s vibes, as this was my era growing up, and I just love the vibes of this time.

We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in music, film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?

I think its super important to have diversity; however, I believe everyone needs to be true to themselves. You can’t let this industry change you. I love the quote from ‘A Star Is Born’:

“If you don’t dig deep into your f*cking soul, you won’t have legs. … All you got is you, and what you want to say to people, and they are listening right now and they’re not going to be listening forever, trust me. So, you gotta grab it, and you don’t apologize, you don’t worry about why they’re listening or how long they’re going to be listening for — you just tell them what you want to say. ’Cause how you say it is the stuff of angels.” — Jackson Maine

People these days love to put labels on everything. However, I think you gotta put yourself first and what you believe in first, despite what society may think. You gotta break boundaries and think outside the norm.

I also really love seeing the current change in the music world where people are choosing to not sign with major labels. This is a huge shift for the industry. Thanks to social media and new aged streaming platforms, indie artists now have the power to be heard. I believe this is the future of the music industry which will also play a big part in achieving diversity and equality in the industry.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.

• Stay true to yourself.
• Reach for the stars, but also set achievable goals.
• It’s about who you know, not what you know.
• Do not pay for playlist placement. You’re left with a whole lot of botted streams. I learnt this the hard way, haha.
• Always be kind, never burn bridges. You never know what will come out of something in the future.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

The most important thing is to stay true to yourself. My first time round in 2017, it wasn’t me, I was doing what everyone else wanted, not what I wanted. You end up losing in the end, no matter how good the results are. Make content you’ll be proud to show your kids & grandkids one day

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

This may seem strange, but going back to my roots as a child growing up, I would definitely be an advocate for unity with God. Too many people are fighting and segregating due to the politics involved in religion. If everyone could just understand that it’s a political agenda to divide and conquer and that we are all humans and created by the same maker, I think the world would be a lot better place.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

Definitely my partner. He is my rock. Without him, I would be lost. Unfortunately, the music industry is a very lonely world. Even though there are a lot of people around you, they are only there for the fame or for their own benefit. So, if you can find a soulmate who loves you no matter what, I think that’s pretty special.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life

Never Give Up

I know super clique, but so true.

The music industry is one of the hardest to be successful in. So, you really gotta want it. If you don’t, keep it as a hobby :)

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

This would have to be Lady Gaga. She is just amazing. Her story. Her music. Her career. An inspiration.

How can our readers follow you online?

https://www.instagram.com/lilyjaymusicc/

https://www.tiktok.com/@real.lilyjay

https://twitter.com/lilyjayofficial

https://www.facebook.com/real.lilyjay

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzhsmJb7Okq_N3C9eADO0HA

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0yCcgOpAnPRO4FchyqKc5u

https://soundcloud.com/lily-jay-736535243

https://music.apple.com/au/artist/lily-jay/1298855093

This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!