Lyla DiPaul Falls In Love Amidst The Chaos
New Orleans singer-songwriter Lyla DiPaul returns with their sophomore EP "Something to Lose" out now on all streaming platforms.
Mustard had the pleasure of speaking with Lyla DiPaul in March. Before diving into our latest conversation check out our previous conversation here:
A change in environment can be difficult. Humans, understandably, are attached to their environment. It is where a conglomeration of things happen; happy memories, anxiety, sadness, and situations that challenge them. Mustard has observed that humans, for the most part, have trouble leaving where they are. Which makes sense. Why leave someplace where you feel comfortable? Unfortunately, humans do not always get a say. The planet, also known as Mother Nature, has plans of their own.
For Lyla DiPaul, of New Orleans, Louisiana, change came suddenly. The lead single off DiPaul’s sophomore EP Something to Lose “Endlessly” tells a story about falling in love amidst this chaos. Chaos created by Mother Nature through Hurricane Ida. Lyla shares a vulnerable story about her and her boyfriend escaping from Hurricane Ida. Together they proceeded on a journey through Tennessee, the mountains of North Carolina and unforgiving rain. This accidental first trip brought them closer. Endlessly, in DiPaul’s own words, is a declaration of love. Love can be heard throughout DiPaul’s sophomore EP Something to Lose which shows her growth as a singer-songwriter.
Each song from the EP was recorded in the bedroom and living room of her producer Riley English. DiPaul had never recorded music like this before, it was new but exciting. She also collaborated with Frankie White, an artist we’ve had the pleasure of speaking with earlier this year. In our interview you will learn more about how the EP came about, its structure, and so much more.
Listen to Something to Lose here.
1. Mustard is grateful and appreciative to have you join them again at Music Shelf. How are you doing today?
I am doing great!
2. You make music that can be there for someone on a sunny or rainy day. What is Lyla DiPaul's ideal weather day? What type of weather inspires you most creatively?
My ideal weather is a nice sunny day probably about 72 degrees Fahrenheit with a breeze. However, it is the rainy days that inspire me the most. I love the sounds of the rain and cozying up with my guitar.
3. Taylor Swift was the reason you began playing guitar. If you could collaborate with Taylor on any song from RED, which would it be and why?
OOF! Tough question. I was thinking about going for a deep cut, but I think I'd love to sing All Too Well with her. That has just been my comfort song since the album first came out when I was in Middle School. I just think it's such perfect songwriting and storytelling. One of my favorite songs of all time for sure.
4. When it comes to songwriting you like a traditional pen and paper. Do you have a favorite kind of pen? Would you consider yourself more of a college ruled or wide ruled?
For writing something special, like a song, I usually want to write with a fountain pen. I just like to be able to write very smoothly and quickly. These days I am a college ruled girly. I write in a lot of smaller sized journals.
5. You get by with a little help with your friends through collaboration. Could you share more about your collaboration process?
Collaboration looks different with each person I write or produce with. On my new EP, Something To Lose, I did most of the collaborating alongside my friend Riley English. I wrote all the songs myself over the past few years, but producing/recording them is where it starts to get tricky for me and around the time I like to enlist a friend. Riley and I started getting together a couple times a week about a year ago. We started recording with what we had; my voice and my guitar and then built them up from there. We bounced off ideas about what instruments to add, how to develop each song dynamically, and what genre they might fit into. I think collaboration is so important because it takes you outside of the box of the sounds and ideas you already know which helps you to create something unique.
6. Mustard wonders if you are still going for Garlic Bagels since we last spoke?
Absolutely!
7. Additionally, when we spoke last, you mentioned working on your sophomore EP. To kickstart the project you released "Endlessly" which tells a powerful story. Could you share more about what inspired this release?
This release is very special to me, but also a pretty vulnerable and public declaration of love. I started writing it a couple years ago reflecting on my experience escaping Hurricane Ida which hit New Orleans in 2021. This ended up being the accidental first trip that my boyfriend and I ever took together. We headed towards Tennessee first and then through the mountains in North Carolina and the rain from the storm seemed to follow us wherever we went. Not until arriving at my parents house outside of DC did we finally find any relief. The song is about the journey we took and the uncertainty of returning home, but also about finding that sense of comfort and "home" in each other's company. The whole experience brought us much closer together and I felt so lucky to be loved and understood.
8. On "Endlessly" you state: "I don't know how we got here, but I know I'm staying." What inspired you to stay? Did you ever figure out how you got to that location?
This line has a double meaning because it is about the fleeing of the storm, moving from place to place quickly, and not even being sure why you chose that place. It is also about all of a sudden realizing that you're in a new place in your relationship. A place where you feel like you can be yourself and like you couldn't drive the other person away. The "staying" is not actually about any place in particular that we ended up, but staying together and being there for that other person.
9. Mustard would like to wish you congratulations on the release of your sophomore EP Something To Lose which was recorded in bedrooms and living rooms with your producer Riley English. How did you approach recording for this EP? What was it like to put this project together?
I think Riley and I both just had a lot of fun putting this together, and we are so proud as well. It started as an idea I had to make a super simple, stripped back, low budget EP just to keep my songs from sitting on the shelf too long while my band and I were gonna talk about making an album or something. Pretty quickly, we got carried away actually producing the songs and I could tell it was gonna get a little more involved than I thought. We like to call the EP "a full term baby" because it took us about 9 months to finish up all the recording and get it sent off for mixing. We got together every Thursday morning and just took it one song at a time, one harmony at a time, one instrument at time. For a while things were theoretical like "this will hit so hard when we get drums" and "I can't wait to hear it with strings!" My favorite part of the process was actually inviting my band and other local musicians in to lend their talents to the songs. That is when we started celebrating because the ideas we had for months were finally bringing new life to the tracks.
10. Mustard is a big fan of structure. The EP opens with More Than Me and closes out with the title track - Something to Lose. Could you share how you decided to structure this EP?
The answer to how I decided to structure these 4 songs is actually very simple. They appear in the order we recorded them. We started with More Than Me because it was the first song I knew I wanted to be on this project. I wrote it way back in 2020 and I have always been so proud of that one. Since it is a bit slow and was still in development my band and I had stopped playing it live and it went to the back burner. That's why I wanted to make this EP so I could make sure forgotten songs had a chance to shine and reach people. Something To Lose was the last song I decided I wanted to record for this project and it is also the song I wrote the most recently. I didn't finish writing it until just after this past New Years. So it starts with something old that still means a lot to me and ends with the words of an older and more experienced songwriter.
11. You collaborated with Frankie White on "Heart in A Box (Sad Girl Version.)" Could you tell us more about your relationship with Franke White? How did this collaboration come about? Can all human hearts be found inside a box?
Frankie and I met in 2020 through mutual friends at college. We quickly became pretty obsessed with each other's songwriting and playing and started singing together pretty quick. I asked her to join my band and for a couple years she was my lovely pianist and sang all the harmonies. I got to play guitar and sing in her band and we loved it! Nothing better than harmonizing with a friend and bringing that joy to the stage.
Frankie played on the original version of my song Heart In A Box and after a while she started singing it on her own and adding her own twist and chord changes that brought an entirely new feel to the song and the lyrics. The first time I heard it I was really blown away and I knew one of us had to record it. I told her I was working on a new EP and that I would love for her to lay down her version of the song. She played this beautiful piano part and Riley and I took it and ran. The new version is twice the length of the original and has much more drama!
If you give your heart away to someone who won't cherish it, then it very well may end up inside a box.
12. Mustard wonders: what are your plans post EP release? Is there anything else on the horizon in 2024?
I plan to do a little bit of touring when I can both as a solo artist and with my band to help spread the word on these new tunes! You can look out for shows in the North East and South East this Fall and Winter! I might also be starting work on a full length album. The fun never stops!
13. Can readers still find your music anywhere and everywhere?
That's right! Everywhere from Spotify to Bandcamp you can find my music!
Music Shelf with Mustard is a publication that interviews independent musicians from all across the globe. It is read in 32 states and 19 countries. Check out previous interviews here.
Music Shelf with Mustard originally began in early 2021. Inspired by independent musicians on social media application TikTok Mustard knew they had to do something to help share their music. Shortly after Music Shelf with Mustard was born. Its goal is to highlight independent artists from all across the globe. Mustard appreciates you taking the time out to read this interview.
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