“Put yourself out there!” Lucy Daley On Growing A Fanbase Through TikTok – Q&A
This is an interview done with Lucy Daley, read her story below! If you, or anyone you know, would like to be highlighted in The Zillennial Zine, shoot us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com or DM us on Instagram!
Q: Tell us your story! Where did you begin and how did you reach the caliber you’re currently at?
A: I began writing songs when I was 13 years old and it immediately became my favorite thing to do. After school, I would sit for hours in my room writing songs (the majority of them being awful, but you gotta start somewhere) and teaching myself how to play guitar. I started performing in my hometown of Cary, NC when I was 14. I played in bars, pubs, at festivals, and basically anywhere I could play. My biggest inspiration at the time for songwriting was Taylor Swift (she still is almost ten years later!) because she was one of the only artists I knew who wrote her own music. When I was 18 I attended Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee and majored in songwriting! I just graduated in December of 2021 and am currently living in Los Angeles. Going to a university for songwriting definitely helped me hone my songwriting skills because it taught me all about song structure, other genres and encouraged me to collaborate with other songwriters (which I had never done before). My writing process definitely changed over the 3.5 years I spent at school. All of these things helped me get to where I am now. Essentially, it’s a lot of practice, practice, practice followed by lots of studying.
Q: What makes you love what you do? How long have you been making music? Would you call it your passion?
A: I love songwriting because it’s a creative outlet, an emotional outlet, a way for me to get my thoughts down and a way for me to express myself. I have been writing since I was 13, but I have been producing my own music since I was 19. I would definitely call music my passion because if I wasn’t doing it I honestly wouldn’t know what to do with myself. I would be so lost without it.
Q: What are some accomplishments or milestones you’ve reached lately?
A: I currently have 74k followers on TikTok, I graduated from college and I am currently producing an album (that will hopefully be released soon). While the album isn’t out yet, I still count it as an accomplishment because 2 years ago I would’ve never thought that I would be producing at all.
Q: Tell us about “Greece”!!
A: “Greece” was inspired by Mamma Mia 1 and 2! When the pandemic hit I was supposed to study abroad in Germany and, of course, that didn’t happen. I then tried to study abroad again in Scotland at St. Andrews University in 2021 and that was also canceled. I wanted to travel so badly, but obviously couldn’t, so instead, I watched a bunch of movies based in other countries. I ended up watching a TON of movies and 2 of those were Mamma Mia (others included Under the Tuscan Sun, Eat Pray Love, Princess Diaries 2, Monte Carlo, Before Sunrise, etc.) I got the idea for the song while I was watching Mamma Mia 2 and the song was actually fairly easy to write. It may have taken an hour or so. While writing the song, I was also kind of inspired by the idea of escapism, running away, and starting fresh. So that’s why the verses are about wanting to quit your job and being tired of life. It feeds into the chorus which is all about running away to Greece.
Do you have any advice for someone who is starting out in the music industry?
A: For anyone starting out in the music industry, I would say to never give up. It is cheesy, but it’s so true. The music industry is daunting and it is incredibly easy to become discouraged. I get discouraged all the time. But it’s the people that stick it out that make it in the music industry. Also, put yourself out there! It can be so scary to, but in this industry, it’s so important. Release music, write songs, post on social media, collaborate with other people, perform live and do anything else you can think of. It will only help you in the long run.
Q: What do you want our readers to know about you and your music?
A: I am a new artist! I write or co-write all of my songs and produce all of them myself. The style of music I write is pop/singer-songwriter. I write a lot from my own personal experiences and I hope that at least one person who listens to my music is able to relate or feels heard. I really am just starting out, so I am extremely grateful to everyone who takes the time out of their day to listen to my music. It truly means the world to me.
Go Check Out Lucy Daley!
Instagram: @lucydaleyy
TikTok: @lucydaleyy
Spotify: Lucy Daley
Apple Music: Lucy Daley
YouTube: Lucy Daley