Chatting with Lilly Yanes About Being An Artist

Lilly Yanes

By: Maria Kornacki

Lilly Yanes is a singer/songwriter based in Atlanta, GA who is definitely going to make her way into your playlist. Having just released her first single, “Daydreamin”, she doesn’t have that much finished material out into the world yet. but we all know that 2019 in going to be her year!

Maria got to catch up with lilly and talk about the meaning behind, “Daydreamin’”, producing music with ivan ruiz, and artists she’s inspired by. Check it out below!

HEM: Congratulations on your first single ‘Daydreamin’! What made you want to write a song about daydreaming and what do you hope your fans take away from the song?

Lilly Yanes: Thank you! I wrote this song trying to focus on the entire sensation you feel when you’re in the daydreaming state. The first line of the song says, “Infinite, is how I feel when it’s this vivid” or in other words when you’re daydreaming, that captivating trance (however long it may be) makes you feel completely limitless and unbounded. What I want people to take away from the song is that when you snap out of your daydream, yes it ends, but it doesn’t have to. You can make your daydream a reality if you truly desire by being persistent and consistent and if it’s actually something that’s humanly possible to accomplish. Don’t let fear or negativity control you.

HEM: I saw a clip of you on Instagram recording ‘Daydreamin’ with your producer, Ivan Ruiz. It seemed like you two have good chemistry. What is your connection to him and what was the recording process like? Where exactly did you record?

LY: Yes! Ivan is the homie! I actually got connected with him through one of our mutual friends. He was interested in working with me, so we linked up and it’s been amazing ever since, he’s super talented. With the recording process originally, I sent him an idea I recorded in GarageBand that was straight trash lol. I did a lot of rewriting and restructuring and sent him new melody ideas with my acoustic via voice memo and vice versa. A few days later he sent over an idea for the hook which was absolute fire. Then we worked on the structure of the song, how we wanted the drums, pads/synths, guitars etc. to sound and about a couple weeks later we tracked the vocals. We recorded everything in his home studio in Marietta, GA. Super fun process.

HEM: What artists are you inspired by?

LY: I’m inspired by so many artists but to name a few, Ann Marr, Ralph, The 1975, Billie Eilish, Whitesnake, Def Leppard, Michael Jackson, Coldplay, Backstreet Boys, and lots of 70s and 80s music. Honestly, I let the music speak for itself, I don’t really care for genres, I like what I like and take that inspiration into my musical adventure. Like someone once told me “If it’s good, people will listen to it.” So, I’m altogether trying to focus on making some vibey, feel-good music.

HEM: How would you describe your sound to people just discovering your music?

LY: This is tough but honestly, I’m still trying to find my “sound”. I’ve always been open to experimenting and trying out new ideas simply because I don’t want to be one dimensional when it comes to my music but I am obsessed with all types of synths. If we were to base it off ‘daydreamin’ I’d say that my sound has juicy pop vibes mixed with lush synths, sexy guitars and a groovy bass that takes you on a sweet 3 ½ minute journey.

HEM: What have you been currently working on as far as an EP or album go?

LY: As of right now Ivan and I are in the process of working on my next single which I’m planning to have released early next year. I’m beyond excited for the fans to hear this one! In 2019 I plan to drop a few more singles after that song. I’d love to get the chance to work on an EP later on as well, I have so much I want to share with the world!

HEM: What are your hopes for the future of your musical career?

LY: My hope God willing is to definitely continue to push myself, work immensely in 2019 and not worry about any haters. I’d love to gain a bigger audience and connect with them through what I love. My dream has always been to tour, even if it’s a mini 5-day tour, I don’t care! I’m dying to start playing live and interact with people who support me and genuinely appreciate what I’m creating. This is only the beginning of the beauty that’s to come.