Lilly Bedard, a rising star in the music scene, recently opened up about her creative process, inspirations, and the journey behind her song “Not Everything Ends” in an exclusive interview with Urbanista Magazine. Describing the track in three words—Hope, Soulmate, and Peace—Lilly reflects on her approach to songwriting and her personal growth. She shares a glimpse into her pre-show rituals, the artists she admires (including Amy Allen), and the unexpected places where her creativity thrives. Lilly also opens up about her deep connection to Fleetwood Mac’s “Silver Springs” and her dream of performing at Boston Calling. With a candid look at the challenges she faces and her aspirations, Lilly’s passion for music and self-expression shines through in every word.
If “Not Everything Ends” had to be described in three words, what would they be?
Hope, Soulmate, Peace
Do you have any pre-show or pre-recording rituals that help you get in the right mindset?
Something I learned at acting camp when I was a kid is the shake out. Shaking out your hands and your feet one by one to get the nervous energy out has always helped me. My vocals are always strong when my body is relaxed!
If you could collaborate with any artist, living or past, who would it be and why?
Amy Allen! I look up to her so much. Not only do I love her music, but I absolutely adore her songwriting. I would just want to be in a room with her and learn about her process.
What’s the most unexpected place or situation where you’ve found songwriting inspiration?
I have written in crazy places- my team bus to Middlebury Vermont, airplanes, cars, showers, walking to class, the bathroom etc. I think the weirdest place recently was that I wrote an entire song start to finish in the middle of the airport while I was waiting to get on my plane. I saw two people looking at each other, and had the thought “your eyes linger longer on me.” That sparked pretty much an entire song about wanting to be seen and appreciated. A great time killer!
What song (by another artist) do you wish you had written?
Silver Springs by Fleetwood Mac. It actually pains me that this isn’t my song. I perform it at every one of my shows, and every time I sing it I imagine it is mine. There is just so much honesty and emotion in that song without trying too hard, and it inspires me so much.
If you weren’t making music, what do you think you’d be doing creatively?
I think poetry! I am terrible at all other art pretty much, but I love words. I love seeing how much meaning you can fit into a very small amount of words.
What’s your dream venue or festival to perform at?
Boston Calling. That is a huge bucket list festival of mine because I have gone two years in a row with my college best friends, and so it would just be a full-circle experience to perform there (also probably much more pleasant than attending and standing skin to skin with strangers for 5 hours). I don’t think I am going to allow myself to stop trying until I play Boston Calling.
What’s a lyric from “Not Everything Ends” that holds the most meaning for you?
“Never had much of a green thumb but I’ll tend to gardens if they’re full of flowers you bought” – I love these lyrics because they sound super pretty, but it also perfectly depicts everything I am trying to say in this song. Love is something I have never been good at or fully trusted (just like I can’t keep a plant alive to save my life), but I am willing to give it a try for you. It feels easy and natural with you!
What’s one thing fans might not know about you that would surprise them?
That I am super depressed!
If you could send a message to your younger self when you first started songwriting, what would it be?
Learn how to play the guitar better! Just kidding- in all seriousness, it would really be to just write more and write about anything. I spent so much time waiting for inspiration to hit or for something interesting to happen to me, and some of my best songs lately have been from just sitting down to write religiously!
