Jillian Lake
1) Tell us something about yourself that your fans may not know.
A: I used to be a gymnast and then a dancer and always thought I would dance for the rest of my life - I wanted to go to Julliard and dance in a New York Company. Somewhere along the way I transitioned to music and haven't danced in years - but always have a secret dream of going back... I still sometimes see choreography in my head when I hear music.
2) When did you first get into making music?
A: My family was always super musical - and I was forced into piano lessons, then played the saxophone, then drums - but didn't find my love of singing until I was in my high school musical.... I was still always too shy and would do some open mics, or campfire harmonies, but it wasn't until 2017 that I started songwriting. Without a piano in my apartment I taught myself the guitar chord by chord just so I could write songs and then we self recorded my first EP and I learned I loved it too much to ever not do it.
3) Who are some artists who influenced your music style?
A: Feist, Bon Iver, Emily Haines, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs were some of my earliest influences and muses.
4) How has being from Vancouver had an impact on your music style, if at all?
A: I'm originally from a small town in Alberta, and when I moved out to Vancouver when I was 20 I finally felt like I was free to discover myself. I learned so much and felt so much in that time - when I first began songwriting. It was all about discovering myself, letting go, losing myself, being stupid etc etc.
5) What was the inspiration like behind your latest single 'Steady Hands?'
A: This song was written after a long and tired attempt to win back the person I finally understood I wanted. I was always laying everything on the line, pouring my heart out, and fighting for them, while getting barely anything back. This song was a mumbling of all my self discoveries about my own shortcomings and how together we were better - even if it was too late.
6) What's your process like when going into the studio to write a new song?
A: I usually have a tonne of song ideas already compiled (I'm the gal who runs into the bathroom stall at a bar to hum a melody line or lick of poetry that floated into my mind into my voice recordings) - so we listen through until something sparks excitement again and then we jump into working on it. I usually finish the song in the studio - and sometimes the story ends up being different than the story that the first bit was written about so it feels like a moving song that grows as I do.
7) Are you more of a fan of writing your emotions in a track or writing something else?
A: I'm a biiiiig emotions gal. I just love them. Big, small, happy, sad - I just find value in feeling them all - so I found a lot of my earliest and most natural writing just stems from those emotions. Lately I've been playing with writing from different perspectives to try and pull something different out.
Follow Jillian Lake:
Instagram - @jillianlake
Facebook - @jillianlakemusic
Twitter - @jillianlakeband
