My very first single, “Guard Down,“ will always have a special place in my heart. It was the first time I was seriously writing something together with someone else, it was the first time I was recording my own music in a studio, and it was the first time I was taking steps into the direction I knew I always wanted to go.
Tobi and I met at university, and the first few sessions were mostly only talking and getting to know each other, personally and musically. In my opinion, it’s super important to create an atmosphere where everyone involved feels comfortable and free, because that’s when creativity and ideas flow.
After some conversations, we started thinking about what we wanted to work and write on. I love writing songs that move me, and most of the songs I write are inspired by my everyday life or experiences I’ve had. So I started talking about a period of time in my life when I had feelings for someone (for quite some time) but never had the courage to actually communicate them. I talked about specific situations, conversations, and memories, and Tobi was taking notes. He started asking questions like, “What made you feel this way?”, “Why were you afraid?”, “What was on your mind when you stayed quiet?”. He always wanted to dig deeper, and that led me to reflecting on everything on a deeper level, it was almost like therapy to me. He wanted to understand what was really going on inside of me so he could transfer those feelings into the production. We started from zero, and after a few months, “Guard Down” was done writing. All in all, it still took us more than a year to finish and release it.
For the artwork, I wanted to create something personal, and since I love writing things down on paper, I decided to write the lyrics down in a notebook.
I also love journaling and writing a diary, and since “Guard Down” is a very personal song, it just felt right to make it look like one of my diary entries.
Thank you for all your love and support on “Guard Down”! I will always be grateful and honored to be given the opportunity to share my music with you.
-Lilly