Meeting L.ily, The Rising Prospect From Komani
New talents are emerging from all corners of the country, and we at VERVE are all about discovering new creatives. It’s what makes us truly enjoy what we do as a platform.
I was fortunate enough to come across L.ily, a gifted musician all the way from Queenstown (Eastern Cape) and listened to her discography, immediately realising a chat was needed.
In this interview, we got to uncover her music background, her journey as an upcoming talent, her experience of trying to make a name for herself in her small town, and more.
Firstly, could you tell us a bit more about who L.ily is?
“My name is Liliso Ntloko and I go by the name L.ily. I’m an eighteen-year-old vocalist based in a small town called Queenstown/Komani which is located in the Eastern Cape.”
“I’d describe myself as an introvert/extrovert, which means I don’t really talk to that many people until I get to know you, and I’m someone who enjoys doing hobbies related to art. Which means I enjoy drawing, sketching, and practicing painting.”
“I also do photography as a serious hobby as well, I play the guitar, and I used to learn how to play the piano and then stopped. I do plan on going back.”
“And I know this isn’t really related to music, but I also enjoy crocheting, knitting, and making myself like a scrunchie or a dress. I just love being creative, you know. I also even enjoy writing songs because all of my songs are written by me.”
How were you drawn into the world of music?
“I’m a person who enjoys listening to various artists. I love discovering new artists and genres. So, from a young age, I did want to do music. I really did.”
“But then my parents were saying it wasn't a good idea because I might end up on the wrong path and end up doing drugs. So, I stopped that dream, and it was a dream I had when I was still young. And then up until this year, I had the idea to just do music as a hobby, you know? Not relying on it entirely, just do it for the fun of it.”
“So, I would search for beats online and then just practice, you know? I listened to a lot of artists, but one of my favourite artists is a band called Sade. She sings about everything. She sings about love, hate, poverty, or whatever is going on in the world.”
“Their music tells a story, and I hope that one day I can do music that also tells a story, you know?”
From listening to your discography, it seems you’ve chosen the path of the Amapiano genre. Can you tell us why you chose this sound?
“Amapiano is a popular genre, especially here in South Africa. I chose this path because I enjoy listening to Amapiano-Soul, and my goal was to make music that’s enjoyable but also touches the heart.”
“Music that people can listen to with their ears and hearts. With Amapiano-Soul you can do just that because you have the vibrant beats and the touching lyrics.”
“In the future, I do want to explore different genres such as R&B-Soul, and Alternative R&B. I don’t want to stick to just Amapiano. I want to expand my musical path.”
We love your newest single, “Ndikhetha Wena”. Can you tell us more about your creative process?
“Because I’m still new to this musical journey, I make use of my phone and earphones to record my vocals.”
“So, with “Thando” and “Ndikhetha Wena”, I recorded those on my phone and mixed and mastered the vocals on my phone. I did everything on my phone. With “Cherish Forever” I recorded on my phone and sent the vocals back to the producer, and he mixed and mastered them.”
“I enjoy working with him, even though we’re not in the same place. We communicate online and it’s still nice because you get to discover more talent, you know? And just working with people is fun, even though we’ve had our challenges we always find a way to make it work.”
“I might release more new music in the near future, either before the year ends or early next year.”
Cover Art For “Ndikhetha Wena”
How would you describe the music environment in the Eastern Cape?
“So, iKomani, like I mentioned before, is a small town located in the Eastern Cape. It’s a town that has limited resources, especially in terms of being in relation to the music industry.”
“However, there are many people who are very creative. We have people doing Amapiano, we have people doing R&B, we have people doing Hip-Hop and rap, but I would say that it’s not as easy blowing up when you’re here as it is when you’re in Joburg or Cape Town.”
“And I think a lot of people have this assumption that if you are in the music industry, you either stay in Cape Town or Joburg, which is understandable. There are some people who are from the Eastern Cape and from Queenstown who do music but are currently living in Joburg.”
“So, I felt that blowing up while being in Komani and making it big is more difficult than when you’re already in Joburg. In Joburg, you have access to more resources, access to people who have higher positions, and you have access to people who can help you make it big.”
“Whereas, when you’re here in Queenstown, you have to rely on social media or just hope to blow up by chance.”
What’s your favourite part about being creative, and how would you describe what a creator truly is?
“What I like about being creative is that you don’t have to limit yourself. You’re free to do whatever you want however you want to do it.”
“An example of this is when I write a new song, I’ll write my own lyrics and record my own lyrics. That’s a form of being creative, which is something I genuinely enjoy.”
“I also do photography, which allows me to be creative in many ways, doing photoshoots or being free and working my way around a camera. I enjoy that as well, and I hope in the near future I can discover other ways or many ways of being creative. Maybe even finding a way of playing another instrument.”
“My definition of being a creative is finding ideas and formulating ideas and not relying on something or someone to do something. If you do something, there is no right or wrong way of doing it. That’s being creative and that’s how we learn.”
To close things off, at what point in the future would you feel like you’ve made it as a musician?
“I feel like the day I hold a concert, and my tickets have been sold out or I have a concert in a different country, that’s when I’ll feel like I’ve made it.”
“For now, I’ll keep on working hard and keep releasing music, keep on writing, and no matter what happens I will not feel discouraged.”
At such a young age, it’s wonderful to see someone with such a passion and drive for pushing to bring their creative ideas to life. L.ily has a bright path ahead of her and we look forward to seeing her progress in the music world.
At VERVE our focus is bigger than just the Cape Town creative scene. We’re always keen to hear from creatives all over the nation. For now, check out L.ily’s music, available on streaming platforms.
