Conversations with Lily DeTaeye

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lily DeTaeye.

Hi Lily, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’m a Des Moines (IA) native Americana singer/songwriter. I’ve been writing, recording, and playing shows for over ten years now! I first got started by busking at the Des Moines Farmer’s market. I started infiltrating the scene and signed a deal with Station 1 Records, a nonprofit record label based in Des Moines when I was 19. Since then, I’ve released an EP, a full-length album that we recorded at Public Hi-Fi in Austin, Texas, and several singles. I started touring the Midwest on the weekends and between semesters with my band in college. I loved traveling so much that I graduated from the University of Iowa in three years to get out on the road faster. When I graduated in 2019, I had about 10 months of the life I had been excited to live until the pandemic hit.
This year, I am hitting the road hard! I’ve already been in Memphis, Nashville, Austin, and a few places in Iowa with plans to return as soon as possible. In Nashville last month, I played my first show with Tae and Claire Kelly at the Listening Room. I’m self-booking for the most part but plan on hitting both coasts touring this year.

Let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Yes and no: music’s always been fun, and in that sense, it’s never been hard to prioritize it. BUT I am also a person that appreciates a healthy life balance. The pandemic taught me that. I love being on the road, but I also love being home with my dog. I love playing shows late into the night, but I also love getting up early to go on a run and have coffee on my patio. So I’ve realized through the pandemic, many days/weekends/months where I’ve burned myself out on music alone, that I need those other things in my life to balance me out as a person. I feel lucky to have learned that and blessed to be able to implement that into my life pretty regularly.

On a separate side, as just a woman and a person in the world, I had to learn how to be a person people looked at. I’ve been performing since I was 13. I grew up and matured in this space where I always presented myself and my body in public. That can be stressful. I’ve struggled with many body image issues (literally, who hasn’t?) and alopecia. This year, because I was done dealing with it, I finally shaved my head to be DONE with the shame I feel every time my hair falls out.

The through the link to these things. I think musicians feel pressured to brand themselves a lot of time, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. But I’ve discovered that since my music is so personal, I need to be as transparent about who I am at any moment as I can. I find that my listeners like it, and it keeps me the healthiest version of me there is. So cheers to acknowledging the good, bad, ugly, undesirable, and strange within ourselves. That’s where art comes from. I’m no longer in the business of covering that up.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Lyrics are the essential part of songwriting to me plus, because of that, performing at listening room-type shows is always the most rewarding experience. I play guitar, piano, plus harmonica to accompany my songs. Even before I started writing lyrics, I always paid attention to them in music. One day, it clicked that I could write songs too. So I started writing before I could play any instruments when I was a little kid. As far as what sets me apart? No idea. I’m a proud Midwesterner but also a nomad. I love to travel and write songs about people and places. I also love dogs and wine, and I’m incredibly transparent about that.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
It plays a HUGE role in my life (as I feel it does in most).
I was lucky to be born into a family that always supported what I do, into a city that had opportunities to hone my craft and the funds to tour and record. Luck certainly doesn’t downplay how hard an artist works, but it’s important to acknowledge nonetheless.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.lilydetaeye.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lilydetaeye/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lilydetaeye
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwuOrrjb-BQ

Image Credits
Black and white images by Savannah Lane Two images with blue background by Jeff Hackbarth