Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lillian Frances. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Lillian , thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

When I think of a project that changed it all I think of a music video I created for my song Bathtub Madonna. The idea for this music video came to me one evening when I was hanging out with friends and listening to music at a party. I was a bit stoned and I suddenly had this idea: what if I did a stop motion video that made it look like I was riding around town in a claw-foot bathtub? I was totally stoked out by this idea and I started to get really amped about it. However the next morning, I started thinking about how much work it would actually take and got a bit overwhelmed.

Well, long story short, it took me almost eight months before I took this idea out of head and started to actually put the plan to motion. Yes, it would be a lot of work (locate bath tub, buy bath tub, pick up 200lb bath tub, put bath tub on wheels, roll bath tub around town…) but through the process of carrying out this music video I realized that each individual step isn’t actually that hard. When it was all said and done, it was way easier than I thought.

It was through this process that I learned that thinking about doing something is way harder than actually doing it. When we think about doing things they can become bigger in our head, and they become scary. They have power over us. When we just take action and don’t think about it too much we realize that each individual action isn’t that hard, and that we can do whatever we set our minds to.

If you’d like to see the music video in question you can check out out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_nfiCor1rc

Lillian , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Lillian Frances and I’m a music producer from Davis, CA currently based out of Sacramento. Ever since I can remember I’ve been singing (I can hear a melody in any ‘ol gust of wind). When I was twelve, my grandmother gifted me my first guitar and I got to work right away trying to become Taylor Swift. Eventually, I started writing my own music in college, and started recording my acoustic songs at the student-run recording studio on campus. The very first time I heard my music played back over the speakers I was hooked; I couldn’t believe how fun it was to capture sounds.

While I loved being in the studio I was also dismayed with the fact that I wasn’t allowed to be in the studio by myself; I had to be with an engineer. However, all the engineers were men and I was weary about having to create in such a male-dominated environment. I craved being in control of my own sound, and decided to learn everything possible about music production so that I could work on my own and always be self-sufficient.

Around this time I also fell in love with electronic music and wanted to learn how to bring to life the complex soundscapes that flowed through my imagination at all hours of the day. In 2015 I attended The Beat Lab Academy, an electronic music school in Los Angeles, where I cut my teeth in all things music production. Since then, I have spent the past eight years developing my skills as a producer, building my artist brand, and figuring out how to make it as a professional musician.

One of my absolute favorite things about my job is that every day is different, and there are endless opportunities for growth. One day I could be directing a music video, the next I’m performing at a music festival, and the next I’m mixing and album.

About three years ago I also started teaching music production. This has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. Music production can seem intimidating to many, but I firmly believe that it should be easy and that anyone can do it. Through my classes, workshops, and educational YouTube videos, I break down the real and imagined barriers to music production so that anyone who wants to learn how to produce music has the opportunity to do so. Because I know the empowering and life-changing role that music has played in my own life, I want as many people as possible to experience that as well.

I know that creativity inspires creativity, so I hope that as I continue to live a creative life and pursue my dreams, that will inspire others to do the same.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

There are so many ways to support artists, both for free and monetarily. One of the biggest “free” ways you can help is to engage with the artist’s creations. For music, this means streaming their music and sharing it with friends, liking and commenting on their instagram posts so they get better engagement with the algorithm, and expressing to the artist what their music means to you.

Monetarily, you can purchase merchandise, go out to their shows, buy their album, and so on. Even if you can’t make it to their show, tell a friend about it! Every new fan counts.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

Your community is your greatest resource. For the longest time I wanted to learn to do everything by myself. Produce, record, songwriter, mix, perform, etc. I wanted to be in full control and I was worried that someone else would try to take credit for what I’d produced. As a women in the industry, I was afraid that if someone saw that I produced. it with someone else (a male) that they would just assume “oh, he produced it and she sang on it.” However I’m realizing this my ego to blame, and it’s only kept me from growing as an artist. Art is so much greater when created with multiple voices; the sum is more than the parts. Now a days I’m trying to figure out how I can collaborate with my local music scene and draw more people into my music-making process.

Contact Info:

• Website: lillianfrancesmusic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lillianfrancess/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/lillianfrances

Image Credits
Cam Evans.