HUGH's ROOM LIVE presents LILY FROST

Lily Frost Live from The Paradise Theatre

October 6 $25

Decompression Tour

With nine original solo albums and three EPs to her credit, Toronto-based singer/songwriter Lily Frost is a beloved figure within the Canadian music scene. Over the course of those records, she has explored topics of introspection, connection to nature, spirituality and psychology draped in poetic metaphor in genres including indie folk, pop, swing, western all with a touch of sass. This along with her sweet but dynamic voice and stage presence has led to her loyal following, critical acclaim and songs being featured in high profile television shows, such as Gray’s Anatomy, Workin’ Moms, Disney’s movie Crazy Beautiful and co-writing the theme for CBC’s Being Erica for which she earned a Gemini Award nomination.

Having spent her early years studying jazz and classical music, as well as various forms of dance, Lily followed her artistic passions around the globe. A decade spell in Vancouver—during which Lily formed and fronted the well-known swing-a-billy lounge band The Colorifics that spearheaded the west coast lounge revival in the ‘90s—led her to sign with Nettwerk Records. The resulting 2001 album Lunamarium contained the single “Who Am I,” which appeared in the film Crazy/Beautiful. Lily went on to perform in various configurations at the Montreal Jazz Festival and at Toronto’s Massey Hall while sharing further stages with Coldplay, The Dandy Warhols, Blue Rodeo, Neko Case, and Cowboy Junkies.

But, like many of us, the fallout from the pandemic left Lily seriously questioning her future as a creative entity. Was there any point in carrying on if there were no opportunities to play shows? Was this the time to throw in the towel and move in a different direction?

Lily posed these concerns to herself when producer/musician Aaron Goldstein (Daniel Romano, Le Ren, Lee Harvey Osmond)  convinced her she was a “lifer” and that there was so much music she still needed to share.  

“Aaron had a vision for my next record,” Lily explains. “Something real with a focus on the songwriting, live and not overproduced, like Carole King.  That spoke to me. Overall, it’s quite melancholic and honest. The songs deal with change, self-love, desire, loss, and more. I’m on a path of healing and awareness and music has always been my way to process and transmute difficult times into something of strength.”

Aarons's drive and the awardance of 3 grants (CCA, FACTOR and Toronto Council For The Arts) convinced Lily to gather the best songs from her backlogged arsenal and get back to work bringing together her raw and real piano-based material. The results are contained on Decompression, a Lily Frost album unlike anything else in her catalog.

Most strikingly, the songs take Lily fully into the Americana realm for the first time, encompassing folk, soul, blues, and country. With her piano and Goldstein’s renowned pedal steel and guitar skills providing the musical foundation, Decompression displays Lily’s songwriting in its most direct and purest form, as clearly heard on the rough-edged and lush harmonized first single, “Changes In The Air.” Recorded at Goldstein’s East Toronto studio, the band was filled out by some of the country’s most respected session players, including drummers Dani Nash and Nick McKinley, along with bassists Anna Ruddick and Darcy Yates. Mixing was handled by Marty Kinack (Sarah Harmer, Broken Social Scene), and artwork was done by Carleigh Aikins, also a respected singer and co-founder of Bahamas. Lily didn’t hesitate to include a  painting by her, knowing her metaphysical visual work would perfectly fit the topics on the album.

Motherhood and other priorities shifting her creative focus, Lily is ready to open a new chapter of her career with Decompression. “I am at the point where I want to share the songs I keep to myself, the ones that literally help me through life,” she says. “I’m not trying to be cool or get on the radio. I just want to share these real expressions that reveal the deeper truths. They are raw and vulnerable songs I normally play when no one's looking, the songs I use to decompress.  I hope they may speak to others on that deep-hearted level and maybe help them through as well.”

There are indeed changes in the air, and with Decompression, Lily Frost urges us to reconsider the things taken for granted.  Leading by example, she is working closely with two charitable organizations, the Beeton Food Bank and High Notes Avante, which uses artistic expression to connect and support people dealing with mental illness.

It’s a time to reboot, focus on what’s real and meaningful, get back to nature, relax and let your gray haired roots grow in.  For all of us, including Lily, left feeling changed in some way for better or worse after these past 2 years, music is one of the best ways to decompress.