Y&P Interviews Lily Claire from Lily & The Parlour Tricks

Conducted by Todd Matthy

If you love retro you’ll love Lily and the Parlour Tricks. With a sound that combines 40’s jazz with 60’s psychedelia and a swinging live show Lily and the Parlour Tricks is an act that demands your attention.

Fresh off a show in NYC, lead singer Lily Claire sat down with us to discuss the bands development, the ingredients of a good show, and who she dreams about touring with. How did your December 14^th show at Bowery Electric go?  

Very well, thanks.
How is a New York crowd different from others?  

Depends on the crowd. Depends on the venue. Often we get people who stand and stare, and then it becomes our mission to make them move.  Out of town they tend to move more from the get-go. But it really does depend.

What makes a good live band?

Rehearsals, enthusiasm, and tuned instruments.  Being nice to look at doesn’t hurt, either.

How did the band form?

Angelo, Brian, Terry and I had started playing shows together but the more I wrote the more I realized we needed two more female voices.  Darah and Morgane joined us, and the Tricks were born.

What does a lead singer need to do to win over a live crowd? What is your responsibility to the band? How does a lead singer avoid overshadowing their band mates?

This band is made up of six pieces; take one out and the whole thing falls down. In that respect, we are all equally responsible for winning over the crowd. And the easiest way to do that is for us to genuinely enjoy ourselves onstage.  I’d like to think that when we have a good time, it’s hard for the audience not to have a good time.  As for avoiding overshadowing, it’s hard to overshadow five people who are so attractive and so damn good at what they do. I may be the lead singer but we function as a unit.

Your sound is very jazz and swing influenced. What inspired it? Do you think a retro sound can survive in today’s music industry where things can be somewhat packaged?

I grew up listening to early jazz along with a whole lot of other genres, not least of which was rock n’ roll. My taste in music has always been very widespread, and the music I write is heavily influenced by that variety. I write things I would want to listen to.  As for surviving today, who knows? So far, so good.
What do you think a band needs to do to become and remain relevant?

Not take themselves too seriously, be dedicated and on top of their game, and put on a sick live show.
Finally, what band do you dream of touring with?

Rufus Wainwright.

A big thank you to Lily Claire for taking the time to speak with us. To hear Lily and the Parlourtricks new single “Poison Song” (along with a cover of Tom Waits’ “Clap Hands”) click here.