Lilly Marshall will teleport you to the seaside with debut single "Ocean Song"

Lilly Marshall

At just nineteen years old, indie-folk artist Lilly Marshall has curated a life of wanderlust and adventure seeking, finding solace in open spaces. Like therapeutic highways, her songs are an invitation to join her and stay a while - maybe even catch a sunrise. A combination of driven grooves, hook-laden melodies, and sweet folk-tinged vocals, provide a sense of familiar comfort, that fits just right. With influences ranging from Grace Potter and Caamp to Sublime and Jack Johnson, her songs stitch together a sonic surfternative patchwork, held together with love, paving the way for one yearning heart at a time. 

Marshall was born and raised on the New Jersey shoreline to her Nicaraguan mother and Dutch/ Irish father. Her early years were heavily shaped by her parent’s painful divorce which was finalized by the time she was seven. "They did the best they could at the time but were just so young", recalls Marshall. "I had to grow up a little faster than most. I was a very independent child. I had two older brothers but a lot of the responsibility fell on me. Because of it, I adopted qualities that have made me who I am today. It showed me that I can face hard things and that I will always be strong. I longed for a certain upbringing for so long, but now looking back I would not change a thing". As a child, Marshall frequented the legendary Stone Pony, with her mother, who was friendly with the club’s owners and accompanied her on road trips to her hometown of New Orleans. The trips kindled her thirst for travel while she soaked in the sounds, seeped in history. "Music and wonder were infused in my blood". By the time Marshall was 17, she had already traveled across the country on her own, the backseat of her Jeep armed with a bed and curtains - the proper accouterments for a gypsy soul.

Lilly’s debut single "Ocean Song" is about accepting that people can love you, only as much as they can. It was recorded with the help of Grammy-winning songwriter/producer, Marc Swersky and co-written by Marshall, Swersky, and Brielle Brown. When I heard it for the first time I wasn't prepared to be immediately teleported to the seaside, but that's actually how I felt. The very first beats of the song remind the rhythmic flow of the waves and during the whole song you can clearly feel this sea movement among the melody. The natural talent of Lilly, the evocative lyrics and a masterful production make this song an esotic jewel: let's put your ear to the shell and listen to it!

Lilly shares: "My goal is to never regret. Any opportunity I get, I want to seize. Any place I can go, I want to go. I want to feel everything, from falling in love to gut-wrenching heartbreak. I don’t want to miss out on a thing because one day, I won’t be here. I just want my time here to be worthwhile". For now, she’s riding the waves of life and making her days count - witnessed by the sand and the sea. The new season marks new horizons for the traveling songstress, who has two more releases on deck and we can't wait to hear them!

"Ocean Song"

The waves rising above my head

Take a deep breath, and sink right in

And the sun, leaving my skin bright red

Hurts to touch, let the healing begin

Faded memories flood my mind

Like a hurricane, drowned inside

And the calm leaks from my heart

Moment of numb I dim to dark

And your current cuts me apart

Your wave of love was supposed to be my ocean

Riptides, keeping me trapped in

Exhaustion, leaves me powerless

And the tide you’re bringing me out again

I'm done with your ripples of heaviness

Lilly Marshall

Instagram: @imlillymarshall

Listen: Lilly Marshall

Label: Monocentric Music