You need to know Lily Ryder (audio interview)

The Santa Barbara singer-songwriter discusses sheep riding, pig biting, and her transcendent new album, "Songfish"

How long have I been wanting to start a series where I could talk with my students, former students, and colleagues about their work? Well:

That little DM convo is from 2021, and although I said I’d been talking about it “for about two years” which puts it at 2019, I was probably lying—it was longer.

But here we are.

June 20th marks the release of Lily Ryder’s new album, Songfish, and it was when I heard “87,” the third and final single before the release that I knew it was time to DM her and finally make this happen.

“If you walk around Santa Barbara for a day, you’ll know everything about my music.”

Lily’s songs unfold like dreamscapes run through with nostalgia, longing, and the dramatic landscape of Northern California. There’s a strong but strangely mournful quality to her voice, and her unhurried arrangements feature long sections that invite the listener to simply vibe. In a time of endless distraction and attention hacking, these welcome moments of inhalation feel almost radical.

Thinking back, my personal Lily Ryder gateway drug was “Summer,” from 2020’s Movement Four EP—a restless pop ballad that would grace any film featuring a nighttime beach, a dying bonfire, and a complicated relationship on the edge of something profoundly irrevocable. If “Summer” was the promise of Lily’s artistic vision, Songfish is that promise fulfilled.

So, six (at least) years later, Lily and I got together to talk about her hometown, “mutton busting,” the angst of navigating social media with slow-burn music, and the deeper story she hopes to tell.

Enjoy.

Lily Ryder: Official Site Instagram

Listen: Spotify Apple Music Bandcamp

Music, Lyrics, and Life, available in print and audiobook.

Signed copies are available at 25% off on Bandcamp with the promo code: substack2025

Or you could just buy me a coffee.