Author: Kate Crudgington

American sister duo Lily & Madeleine are set to release their new album Canterbury Girls on 22nd February via New West. It was recorded in Nashville and produced by the team behind Kacey Musgraves’ Golden Hour, Daniel Tashian and Ian Fitchuk. Their record takes its name from Canterbury Park, located in the sisters hometown of Indianapolis, Indiana. Despite the album’s poppy veneer, the record boasts some of Lily & Madeline’s most intense lyrics to date – all written or co-written by the sisters – exploring relationships, power imbalances, and the weight of expectation.

We asked Lily & Madeleine to name their “Five Favourites” – five artists or albums that have influenced their songwriting techniques. Check out their choices below, and make sure you watch their new video for ‘Analog Love’ at the end of this post!

1. Charlotte Day Wilson – Stone Woman 
Madeleine: I started listening to Charlotte Day Wilson this past summer at the suggestion of a boy I had a crush on. Feeling swept up in the giddy anticipation of a summer fling, I immediately fell in love with her music and listened all summer long. Her voice is like velvet and her songs are so mellow and warm, perfect on a summer evening. She could really sing over any backing beat and I’d love it, but I always go back to my favorite song on the record ‘Funeral’ because it’s so cathartic to sing along to.

2. Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour
Madeleine: This is my #1 album of 2018 and will forever be a favorite because the songs are so fun yet poignant. Produced by the amazing Daniel Tashian and Ian Fitchuk, who we worked with on Canterbury Girls, this record just makes you wanna sing along and cry at the same time. I wasn’t familiar with Kacey until this record and I think Golden Hour changed how I see country music to be more of a spectrum of influences. My favorite song is the first track ‘Slow Burn’. The imagery in that song makes me feel like I’m driving through the country without a real destination, just a sense of freedom and serenity.

3. Solange – A Seat at the Table
Madeleine: This record by Solange is honestly pure artistry. It has catchy hooks and emotional interludes, all wrapped into a soulful pop package. Every song tells a story about being a woman, being black in America, being an artist. I feel like I can see into Solange’s mind with this record and I relate as a young female artist. As Beyonce’s sister, you’d think that Solange might have a difficult time finding her own voice, yet this record is so unique from anything else. I hope she continues to make music this powerful. It inspires me to have a voice in this industry and sing about things that matter to me, like owning your power as a woman.

4. The Killers – Hot Fuss
Lily: Hot Fuss was the first record put out by the Killers in 2004, and although I was only 7 years old when it debuted, it became one of the defining records of my adolescence. The production of the songs is in-your-face with loud bass lines, fast drums, and interesting synths. But to me, the songwriting is the best part of this album. Songs like ‘All These Things That I’ve Done’ and ‘Andy You’re A Star’ unfold themselves in such an unexpected and theatrical way, it reminds me of Queen and Muse mixed together. The Killers have released a ton of awesome and popular songs since 2007, but I think Hot Fuss will always remain my favorite record of theirs: it’s got everything an angsty midwestern teenager needs!

5. JoJo – The High Road
Lily: I had some of my best car sing-along moments driving around in my sister’s rickety 1986 Mercedes and listening to this album by JoJo. The High Road was her sophomore album, and in my opinion it’s one of the best pop/R&B crossover albums there is. JoJo has absolutely amazing vocal performances all over this album and I think the production of it, with steady beats and subtle synths, is surprisingly timeless! Madge and I used to yell along to the title track and her hit ‘Too Little Too Late’ while we drove around running errands, never hitting the notes but having a great time trying! The only unfortunate thing about this album is that it’s not on Spotify!! JoJo released a remake of the album pretty recently but us die hard fans need to hear the original. Help me out, Spotify!

Thanks to Lily & Madeleine for sharing their favourites! Pre-order their new album Canterbury Girls here. Follow the girls on Facebook for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut