About Lily Oakes
Lily Oakes grew up in West London, in an eclectic household. Her father, a pharmacist, played Jerry Lee Lewis' Great Balls of Fire on their dusty piano and her Mother showcased Beenie Man alongside Marvin Gaye and Nora Dean on the school run.
Lily started writing poems secretly at 13. Poems became words that didn't have to rhyme anymore and those words became a form of expression.
Music came a bit later when she spent every morning teaching herself how to mix 12” records including old school garage and d’n’b amongst the classic collectables, to ensure she’d have ‘a good day’. Thus starting a love affair with old vinyl, assuring and nostalgic like ‘the smell of a book’.
Jack Savoretti overheard Lily singing the gospel classic, ‘Joyful Joyful’ and immediately asked to meet her. Consequently, he introduced her to Kensaltown Studios, a hub of writers, producers and creativity, where she went on to meet Mike Dixon (Soda Rock). Mike managed Duffy at the time as well as a producer called Ian Barter who he introduced to Lily. They went on to produce the five track EP, entitled ’MAMA’.
Lily has an absolute passion for choirs and orchestrated music, film & cartoon scores and this is reflected in her music, which is sparse, dark and deeply affecting. Think Massive Attack meets London Grammar and you are still only half way there.
