……………..Interview Conducted September 2005............

Q. So Lily, what are your musical influences?

A. Lots of things, Lamb, Nine Inch Nails, Tool, The Beatles, David Bowie, Tori Amos, PJ Harvey, Bjork, Radiohead, Jimi Hendrix. I listen to different things all the time so this is difficult. Some things influence me right now but then other stuff I’ve listened to my whole life keep influencing me, oh and put Beethoven in there too.

Q. That seems like a fairly varied bunch, what ties them all together?

A. I just think they are all really interesting musicians, and what they do with sound in each case is unique and I respect what they do as artists.

Q. And what are your non-musical influences and inspirations?

A. I guess you can probably tell by my lyrics which are kind of dark and depressing which I think are a reflecion of the state of the world at the moment. Life is my inspiration…yeh everything really.

Q. So your songs obviously get quite complex, describe your song writing process, how do your songs come about?

A. Most often the Piano comes first...so I’ll just be mucking around and something comes out I like, then I start to develop it, then the music will start to define what words will come out. Sometimes I will have written words and if they fit the music then I’ll put them together but usually the words will come out just by themselves. Often, I don’t even realize the meaning of the words till later. But then there are some songs where I’ve wanted to talk about a certain issue so obviously those words come out first.

Q. Example?

A. White Skin or Homecoming…. But the process is totally different for each song because some songs will come out in a day, while other songs take months before I’m happy with their development.

Q. Which songs took a long time to come out?

A. Of all my songs White Skin has taken the longest.

Q. How long?

A. Hmm… I started last summer... maybe four months before I got to a stage when I could play it to people, but even then it wasn’t quite right. Now after seven or eight months it’s finally there although like all songs it is perpetually changing

Q. That song features some quite long piano sections that are very rhythmical is that mostly written or improvised?

A. It is always improvised but the underlying structure is there.

Q. So for the tech geeks out there what gear do you use?

A. I do my programming in Cubase and I have a Yamaha Digital Piano. Not as good as a real one but it’ll do for now. Actually its quite good sometimes having a digital piano because it has different sounds on it like a harpsichord and vibraphone and then I don’t need to cart all that stuff around with me.

Q. But I’m sure you wouldn’t turn down a Steinway?

A. No! Actually Yamaha do nice grands too.

Q. Are you trying to hint to somebody?

A. laughs.

Q. One day huh?

A. Yes… one day soon.

Q So will we see Lily Green and Band soon?

A. Definitely.

………….