Today we’d like to introduce you to Lilly Hart
Hi Lilly, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Chasing a college basketball scholarship, I never had time to pursue being an artist until the pandemic. With my new free time, I started writing, producing, and releasing songs independently. When I played basketball at Birmingham-Southern College the following year, I started connecting with people in the Birmingham music scene like Birmingham Mountain Radios Host, Scott Register. However, I was only able to do a couple shows, interviews, and writes because I was a full-time student-athlete. Therefore, after two years of building my career in Birmingham, I decided it was time to move on from basketball and pursue music full-time in Nashville as it is my true passion. I’ve been attending Middle Tennessee State University for the past year, pursuing a major in Commercial Songwriting while also hustling in Nashville. I have performed, written, and met with many industry professionals to further develop my career. I am an artist dedicated to writing and working hard in order for people to hear my message. I want listeners of all different backgrounds to connect to my unique lyrics and melodies, ultimately bringing them together.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
In the beginning, it was difficult to navigate how to record and release music. After 6 months I finally figured out how to do those things. However, my songs weren’t getting any streams so I needed to figure out how to market them in the best way. I worked with a small independent marketing group who were a group of guys my age. They helped me get the attention of a couple small record labels. I signed a deal in 2019, however it didn’t turn out to be what I thought. I re-released my EP and it got a good amount of attention but I wasn’t able to release any of my new music. I got out of that deal in April and have been independent since. While being Independent is freeing, there is also a lot of struggles that come along with it. The biggest challenge I face as an Independent artist is trying to separate myself from other artists. These days it’s easy for anyone to create music and upload it onto streaming platforms. I have been on Social Media since 2020 and have built around 27k followers across all platforms. However, utilizing social media in the right way is hard for any artist. I know I have the work ethic and talent to set me apart. Now, I just need to work on marketing myself in a way that separates me from other artists.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
For the last five years, I have been an artist and a songwriter. I released my first few singles during senior year of high school. After learning how to release, I needed to learn how to market. I decided to release my first EP with a small, local marketing company which helped me get to over 75k streams. I was very proud of this achievement as an independent artist in my first year, but I needed to continue to grow. What I loved most about my first EP is that I wrote and produced the whole thing. I made the instrumentals in my bedroom and then recorded the vocals at a local house studio. My single titled “Drive Slow,” on the EP performed the best. My next steps were to move to Birmingham for basketball and network with industry people. While I was there, “Drive Slow” caught the attention of Birmingham Moutain Radio’s host, Scott Register. He ended up landing me my first record deal which I was very excited about at the time. During the time at this label, I re-released “Drive Slow” and it blew up! I posted a video on tiktok of me playing basketball on ESPN while “Drive Slow” was playing and it led to me recieving over 350k streams. At the time, it was my most proud moment. The following year, I moved to Nashville to further my career. What has set me apart this last year, is my ability to hustle. I have a different angle than most artists which is the perspective of a college athelete. I understand what hard work is and what it means to utilize talent and passion. In my first year in Nashville I met with countless professionals, co-wrote almost three times a week and furthered my artist project. My proudest moment since being here was when I was named a finalist in the Grammy U songwriting competition. As I continue to grow, I hope to keep topping my proudest moments.
Any big plans?
In the next few months my goal is to release or plan to release an EP. I am ready to showcase my next phase of music. My single released in July called “At Our Favorite Restaurant” was my first step towards this new phase. I would also like to further my working relationship with the publishing companies that I’m working with. Additionally, I am open to exploring possible deals for my EP release next year if it makes sense promotionally. In year or two, I would like to either be signed or have solidified a plan to sign with a publisher. For my artist project, I would like to have enough traction to start being considered by labels in order to take the next step in my career. Down the road, I would like to write for other artists (and synch) as well as tour full time. I will have released a couple of albums and solidfied a strong, loyal fan base. I want to attract a reliable group of people who follow my journey because they genuinely enjoy my music and message. I also want to connect with them as people and show them I am grateful through active communication and performances.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lillyhartmusic.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_lillyhart_/profilecard/?igsh=c2U0ems4M3YzMWZt
- Twitter: lilly_hart4
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@lillyhart?si=p9PwvDqUJoYf-hgT
- Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/XiVz53vxzg6rGjpe8
- Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2Vm9OsgWjGKAvH6Iu5gj5M?si=V5Qbk34SS7moVXn2MdVxfA
