tiLLie
tiLLie’s new single is different from what I usually feature on my blog but I am just blown away by tiLLie’s unique creativity - both in her music and her visuals. Her new single “flip a switch” is one of a kind. Co-written with Skyler Stonestreet and Nick Bailey - and co-produced with Robopop, the new song explores tiLLie’s different personalities. The music video perfectly reflects the song and it is honestly one of the coolest videos I’ve seen lately. It is brilliant, edgy and poignant. tiLLIe is a true Artist. It feels good to get to feature artists who are not afraid to take risks in their artistry. Congrats tiLLie on this new song and thank you so much for this conversation !!
“flip a switch” is now available worldwide :)
Photo credit: Gloria Megan Cole
Introduce yourself - what's the story of tiLLie?
A semi-feral cat that uses music as a vehicle to be myself unapologetically. I’m an alt-pop producer, writer, and multi-instrumentalist from Atlanta living in Los Angeles now. My music will make you wanna kick someone in the balls and then go get an ice cream.
"flip a switch" is your new single - what's the main inspiration behind it?
Channeling what others may perceive as a flaw into your super power. My personality is a dichotomy of two opposing traits. Most days, I’m a chill nice person, but if you’re gonna fuck with me, prepare for an entirely different experience.
When did you start working on "flip a switch"? Could you describe the songwriting/production process? Who helped you create it?
I started working on Flip a Switch about two years ago. I wrote it with some really talented songwriter friends of mine including some of my frequent collaborators, Skyler Stonestreet and Nick Bailey. I remember singing the idea “do you wanna see this crazy bitch?” thinking that everyone would think it was too nuts, but they all looked at me like “hell yeah” which is always a good sign that you’re working with your people. I went on to produce the song with Robopop. I really enjoyed producing this one with him because I got to track the bass myself.
What can you tell us about the creative direction of the music video?
As a reflection of how vivid the lyrics are, it was the director’s, Brad Peyton idea to have a different look for every line - which originally was like 20 or 21 looks. At first i wanted to slap him in the face hahahah because i knew how much work that was going to take. In a normal world I probably wouldn’t have had the time to pull it off, but we filmed it during the pandemic. It took me about two months to design and pull together the resources to pull off the 16 looks. The chorus looks were especially a lot of fun because I got to creative design them from scratch pulling from different visual inspirations. For instance, the striped black and white creature was inspired by this artist I love on instagram called @blkarmstrong. The red suit character was something I imagined being a dead-inside corporate worker that was in a Dave LaChapelle photoshoot. Stylist Jen Wheeler and hair and make up artist Terezka were clutch in bringing it all to life - I truly couldn’t have pulled it off without them and the rest of the amazing team behind this video. It was my biggest set to date - it really took a village.
What made you want to release "Flip a Switch" as a single?
Aside from the fact that it rips, I think its a really good introduction to my new sound that I’ll be unveiling soon.
What are your thoughts on today's music industry? If you could change one thing, what would it be?
Creatively I think there’s a lot of cool artists right now. There’s a lot more diversity across genres and performers which is really inspiring. With apps like Tik Tok, it feels like independent artists are starting to regain some power again. I would still love to see artists and writers be paid fair rates for our creations though - it’s actually bogus how streaming, sales, and even a lot of record deals are structured. It’s kinda nuts to think about people like - the drummer of Metallica - and how he’s worth like $130 million dollars when artists today get paid like $700 on the publishing side per 1,000,000 streams. It really is unfair labor standards and it needs to change.
What is the proudest moment of your career so far?
Hayley williams telling me she likes my music. That was really full circle for me.
What advice would you give to new artists?
Technology has made it really easy for anyone to make music - which is a double edged sword. I think it’s amazing that people can express themselves for easily, but being an artist takes so much more than just that. If you really want to be an artist - you gotta absolutely live for what you do. It can take years for things to develop and build to a point where you are self-sustaining. It certainly isn’t a career oath for the faint of heart - so just make sure you’re in it for the right reasons so that when the challenges inevitable come up, you have something to connect to that helps you push past it.
What biggest life lessons have you learned so far?
Be precious with your energy and who you share it with. If you don’t leave spending time with someone feeling charged and loved, move on. Life is too short to spend it with people who dont elevate your energy.
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