Liily Discusses Newly Released Self-titled EP

Album artwork by @charliealexanderkorman, Photos by @bradleyjcalder

This week, Ballad Magazine had the opportunity to talk with rock/post-punk band Liily. Ballad Magazine Editor-in-Chief April, and contributors Lucas and Adam sat down with the band to discuss their upcoming self-titled EP that drops today. This EP marks the band’s first full release of music since 2021’s TV or Not TV.

The band, who took a hiatus to recalibrate (after their release of 2022s single “Applause”), is emerging from this time off refreshed and ready to release a new set of material that shows off a new energy and focus for the band. Liily is available on all streaming platforms beginning today, and includes both previously released singles: “More,” and “Swallow.”

Below are excerpts from our discussion with Dylan Nash (vocals), Charlie Anastasis (bass), Sam de la Torre (guitar), and Maxx Morando (drums).

We started things off with an ice breaker…

If you had a talk show, who would you invite to be your first guest on the show and why?

Maxx: I would pick DB Cooper [unidentified passenger who hijacked an airplane in November of 1971 with hundreds of thousands of dollars, never to be seen again].

Charlie: I think Flea, Anthony and John (of Red Hot Chili Peppers) would be good, maybe Jamie Kennedy (Actor, Son of the Mask, Malibu’s Most Wanted) or Drew Brees.

Sam: Other bandmates

Dylan: Hulk Hogan for me, he makes great stories.

What’s the story behind the band’s name/spelling?

Maxx: It’s a friend of ours, her name is Liily. When the band started there were only two of us in it so we put two “i’s”.

Tell us about your new EP!

Charlie: This EP was actually finished a year ago. However, some of the songs we’ve played since 2022. It’s a microcosm of mercilessly trying different techniques with different types of collaborations. After 2021 all of us had so many opinions, and we were writing for all the wrong reasons. Bringing the four of us into a room, we just sat on autopilot together and clicked well.

How has your style or playing evolved in the eight years you have been playing together?

Dylan: I’ve always listened to punk/hardcore, but never really tried it myself. I prefer to sing, but I also like to strike a balance of screaming too.

Charlie: There’s been kind of a natural tide going in and out for me, but it’s getting more refined. I’ve heard it said, ‘You’re an amalgamation of your influences.’ So I think of a pie chart…it may be only two colors to begin with, but as you grow and get older the pie chart starts filling in exponentially, and it eventually becomes unrecognizable.

The song I’m Glad When They Arrive and I’m Glad When They Leave is a fairly unique song in your catalog as far as the sound goes. How did this song come about?

Desi (Scaglione), a guy that used to play with us, that song was a product of his. We got comfortable playing with him and added all our own parts onto it.

Tell us about your upcoming tour. Any big dates you’re looking forward to?

Dylan: Yeah. Boston is always fun. NYC is always fun. Atl is fun.

Charie: We’re super pumped to go back on tour again. It’s been a minute since we’ve done a big run. We’re going to Seattle.

Sam: I like Dick’s Burgers.

Dylan: There’s a burger spot Seattle burger spot, Dick’s and it’s like a super simple like onion, meat, and cheese burger (the band also shouted out some of their other favorite places on the road including Burgerville in Oregon, Swenson’s in Ohio, and the VA Diner’s - super nice, super quiet and cheap).

What is your pre-show routine?

Shows are hectic and chaotic…sometimes you have seven shows in a week…lots of video games. We go out maybe three days from the whole tour.

Liily’s EP is out June 14th, and their tour begins July 17th in Phoenix, AZ and lasts through the end of August, concluding in San Francisco, CA. Check out the music video for “Swallow” from the Liily EP below.