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The Daily Declaration spoke with the pioneer artist for a new Australian independent music label about her upcoming single “Nostalgia” and how her faith infuses her creative pursuits.

The emerging independent Christian music space in Australia is about to get a lot more interesting, with a brand new independent Christian music label, Australian Christian Records, signing their very first artist, LILLI.

LILLI says the decision to sign to ACR has felt “in a word, surreal”:

“It feels crazy to say that I’m a signed artist, and while I certainly have dreamt of it for years, if you’d asked me two years ago, I don’t think I would’ve considered it a possibility.”

But for LILLI, things are about to become even more surreal, with the release of her debut single, Nostalgia, slated for 14 June—with an EP set for release in August. Nostalgia can be pre-saved via Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music and other music streaming platforms.

Nostalgia: An Ode to the ’80s

Nostalgia is what LILLI calls her “ode to the 80s” — a time she sees as a “golden era”, albeit one that she, as a Zoomer, confesses she never personally experienced.

She sees her music in Nostalgia as having three lyrical layers. Firstly, the simple nature of her lyrics “gives a nod” in the direction of the music of the 80s, which she says was often characterised by fairly simple, feel-good lyrics.

The second lyrical layer is the perspective of someone nostalgically reflecting on a period (in her case, the ’80s) that they love, but have never actually lived through. She quotes the following lyrics from Nostalgia as an example: “Like the clothes I never wore, like driving someone else’s car.”

However, LILLI says the nostalgic vibe to her lyrics has another, deeper meaning: as a metaphor for Heaven. “I have these great ideas about what Heaven will be like,” she explains. “I’m excited about it. I yearn for it, and I feel like I miss it. And yet. I’ve never been there. How can I miss something I’ve never had?”

God is a Storyteller

Asked about her Christian faith, LILLI explains that all of her music is built on her faith. As a Christian, she believes that art (and “the arts”) belong to God.

“Look at the sunrise. Look at a snowflake. Look at colours. Listen to the song of a bird, with all its incredibly complex rhythms and microtonal patterns. God is such an artist.”

She also sees God as a storyteller — “the best of storytellers” — and believes that “music is such an incredible medium to use in telling stories”.

“I love how music picks up the telling of a story where the words left off.”

In this regard, she cites movie soundtracks, which she listened to as a child, as having a formative impact on her — demonstrating how powerful emotions can be conveyed without the use of any lyrics.

“I still love listening to film scores to this day. I find it incredible, how so many complex emotions and moments can be captured and conveyed by instruments, more often than not, without a voice speaking lyrics that offer potentially unnecessary explanations.”

An Encouragement to Other Creatives

LILLI told The Daily Declaration that her hope for the upcoming single is that it blesses, encourages, challenges and encourages people:

“I hope [people] enjoy listening to a sound that feels different to a lot of the other CCM [contemporary Christian music] that’s out there.

“I believe that what Aaron and I are doing is something different. My humble prayer is that God uses it however He wants it to be used.”

She also hopes that Nostaliga’s release sparks interest in other young creatives, encouraging further collaboration between emerging artists and musicians.

It is a vision shared by Aaron Duff, the founder of Australian Christian Records, who encourages aspiring young Christian artists and producers to get in touch with the label via their website.

Nostalgia can be pre-saved via all major music streaming platforms in advance of its 14 June release.

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Update (7/6/2024): An earlier version of this story stated incorrectly that Australian Christian Records was Australia’s “first independent music label”. The piece has been updated to reflect that ACR is a “new Australian independent music label”.

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Images courtesy of Amanda Lengyel and Australian Christian Records.