Lily Moore, a British singer-songwriter we’re sure to hear, well – more of – has already achieved so much at just 21 years old. Headliner grabs 10 minutes with the singer to talk about her latest release – and why it's sometimes awkward to perform in front of her mum.
"I’m very fucking happy right now!” exclaims the neo-soul sensation. Moore’s enthusiasm for life is tangible as she arrives at the hotel on a dreary day to speak with us; even chants from a crowd of merry men on a stag do and train delays can’t dampen her spirits.
At the tender age of just 21, while others in her peer group are preparing for final exams, working full-time, or maybe backpacking through Thailand, she has released two EPs: Not That Special, and I Will Never Be, has supported George Ezra, James Bay, Tom Walker, and most recently, James Arthur on tour, was the sold out headliner for the iconic 100 Club in London, and has most recently released an 11 track mix tape, appropriately named the More Moore Mixtape.
Born in West London where she now resides again after moving to Brighton as a child, Moore released her first single, Not That Special in February 2018, followed by an EP of the same name. Although she tells Headliner that success didn’t quite happen overnight:
“I worked in pubs in Brighton when I was 15. I went to music college and then I met my managers. I eventually got signed and moved back to London, and I’ve been doing what I love ever since, so I’m very happy.”
Moore attributes her fearless confidence when performing live to her experience of busking, which is something she feels every musician should try their hand at:
“Yeah, I think it’s something everyone should do if they want to gig,” she says. “It’s a rite of passage in a way and it gets you used to performing in front of people. I learnt a lot from busking.”
Moore was no stranger to music from a young age, growing up in a musical household where her mum introduced her to artists such as Madonna, while her dad inspired her interest in soulful legends like Sam Cooke, Etta James and Aretha Franklin.
These influences are notable in her style of writing and singing: the one song Moore wishes she had written is Sam Cooke’s A Change is Gonna Come (a song which she recently covered to lift spirits during the coronavirus pandemic).
With a musical knowledge of an era many her age wouldn’t have any awareness of, Moore recognises how artists like Franklin – her all-time favourite – have significantly influenced her approach to her sound:
“That’s probably a big reason why I sound the way I do,” she shrugs.