Canadian indie pop songstress Lily Frost released her latest album Do What You Love last month on Aporia Records. She is by no means a new artist but I’m sure many UK music lovers may be unaware of her.
Her musical approach which draws parallels to Regina Spektor and Feist was borne from a love of both indie and jazz music. John Davis of The Gruesomes first picked up on her vocal talents and asked her to join his other band The Sheiks where she was put through her paces covering the likes of Bessie Smith, Cab Calloway and Big Mama Thorton. Over time she moved from one band to another including the late Ray Condo’s ‘The Swinging Dukes’ who encouraged her to seek out her own destiny which led to busking upbeat swing and rockabilly numbers which before too long resulted in her touring the West Coast to L.A. and back. She later joined The Colorifics, three albums later she quit. Her first album as a duo was released in 1999 (Cosmicomic Country).
To cut a long story short, Lily began to miss Toronto, headed home, married José Miguel Contreras. Together they co-wrote and produce four albums between 2006-10. Her latest release Do What You Love was conceived as a mother’s letter to her daughter, full of femininity, strength and lessons Lilly has learned along the way. “I wanted to make a fun, upbeat record for my daughter that included lessons I had learned the hard way,” says Lily. “I wanted to leave people feeling inspired with smiles on their faces.”
Free Track:
“Background Radio” (from the new album ‘Do What You Love’)
Video
A recent session recorded by the good folks at Southern Souls (www.southernsouls.ca), ‘I’m on Fire’ is also from her new album Do What You Love