Musician Lily Forte grew up in the sunny coastal city of West Palm Beach, Florida. In her early days of discovering music, she recalled driving with her mother along the palm tree-adorned streets, listening to Carole King and belting out the lyrics.
As her passion for 70s and classic rock grew, she realized music was her calling. Now she lives in Los Angeles and is making a name for herself in the city’s busy music scene.
“No one knows how it’s gonna play out really when they’re an artist… month to month, it’s so different…[but] one day like it’s gonna pay off,” said Forte, an aspiring singer-songwriter and USC alum.
Forte isn’t new to the music scene; she joined the jazz band at the age of 11 and played the saxophone until middle school. Her parents supported her love for music by putting her in singing and guitar lessons. Eventually, she began writing songs — initially loving writing short stories which then transferred into her music. She wrote her first song “small town” at the age of 12.
Following her first song release in 2020, “I Was Wearing Green,” Forte recalled, “I had so many people DMing me — well not so many but enough for my first song — [saying], ‘I really liked this. I love your sound. I love your lyrics.’ I was like, ‘Wow,’ people are listening,” she said.
She always knew that Los Angeles was where she wanted to be for her career, but the timing was never right. After a push from a fellow Trojan, she applied and then transferred to USC, finishing her last two years in the music industry program. She gained insight into the workings of the industry and met a supportive community that uplifted her throughout this journey.
“I feel like, anywhere you go, it’s gonna be hard to make your way, but I like how L.A. is filled with everyone trying to follow their dreams,” Forte explained.
Forte’s music has strong rock and roll influences complimented by her rich voice. Some of her musical inspirations include Lana Del Rey, Amy Winehouse and Jeff Buckley. These influences are evident in her new single “Lifeline,” which is set to be released this summer.
“My earlier stuff is a little more bright…I see [it] more as pastel colors. This new era is more dark a little more grungy, but still with those pastel tones,” said Forte when describing her upcoming single. This new era in her career stems from finding her style and leaning back into the music she grew up listening to like Janis Joplin, The Beatles and Led Zeppelin.
“I’m more than proud,” said Forte’s mom, Heidi Forte, in a TikTok video. “She’s a singer-songwriter and she’s doing amazing out here.”
Her commitment to her passion doesn’t come without hard work. Outside of music, she waitresses on the side to support herself. Three times a week, she’s in the atmosphere of a busy restaurant, escorting customers to their tables, taking orders and bringing out food. Her desire to succeed keeps that drive and passion alive, and it’s a bonus that she likes the music they play.
“I’m gonna be exhausted, and I just gotta push through and it will happen,” said Forte. “I’ve been trying to figure out the balance, but ultimately, music is the most important thing right now.”
With graduation approaching, many soon-to-be graduates are scared about the uncertainty that comes along with this milestone. If being a USC graduate isn’t enough to tell you how far you will go, take it from a recent graduate like Forte, who is showing up every day and writing her future into fruition.
“I feel like the time I’ve taken to work on the project has allowed me to try new things lyrically and sonically and honestly have more fun with my sound,” said Forte. “I feel like I’m using my voice and I’m more expressive than ever before in these new songs.”
This article was originally published by a www.uscannenbergmedia.com . Read the Original article here. .