We’re looking forward to introducing you to Lillian Krovoza. Check out our conversation below.
Good morning Lillian, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
I’m really big on my morning routine! I’ll typically wake up around 8 AM, then it’s straight to the kitchen to make coffee (decaf because I’m a freak!). Next I’ll head out back — I’ve got a lovely yard and I love listening to the birds as I write my morning pages (three train-of-thought pages, as prescribed by Julia Cameron in The Artist’s Way). After that, I’ll light incense and practice guitar for 30 minutes to an hour; practice is some combination of songwriting, scales, improvisation, and playing whatever I want. Then I’ll head to the computer and start working on my own music production projects.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi! My name is Lillian Frances and I am a pop star and music producer living in Los Angeles. I’ve been producing music for over a decade now, and have been teaching music production for about five years. I produce music of my own, as well as collaborate with others, perform live at shows and festivals across California, and also work as a content creator and mixing engineer.
I’m a creator of all kinds, and I never limit myself to just one lane. I love textiles and sewing, collaging, construction, dance… creation of any kind I’m into it! I recently just finished my first book on finger banging — a how-to guide on how to pleasure women. I have too many hobbies… it’s hard to keep track of all of them!
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who taught you the most about work?
While I don’t have a specific person in. mind, there are a LOT of hustlers in my field of work. People who wake up every day and plan, create and activate. I really take note of people who come up with a good idea and then ACTUALLY do it. I’m obsessed with what I call the idea-to-action pipeline… where as soon as you get an idea to do something you immediately break it down into actionable baby steps and get started. If you approach each “challenge” with “here is the list of all thew ways to make this a reality” instead of “here is a list of all the roadblocks i’ll stumble across” then you’ll get a LOT more done. It’s a muscle you have to flex every day… but damn does it get strong!!
So, the people who inspire my work ethic are the ones who do just that. Create, share, repeat.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
What’s the difference between giving up and redefining success? When I was younger I thought for SURE I was going to play Coachella. Coachella 2018 I remember thinking. And then 2018 came around and I thought well maybe Coachella 2020. And then 2022. And then… am I ever going to play Coachella?
A few years back, when my music hadn’t blown up the way I’d hoped it would, I realized that maybe I’d never play Coachella, This revelation stunned me, honestly. Both the revelation that I (probably) wasn’t going to play Coachella, and the realization that… I… was… giving up?
That doesn’t sound like me. I’m not one to give up. I’m one to pursue my dreams delusionally. That’s kind of my thing.
Grit is God.
But I had to ask myself… do I even want to play Coachella? Am I giving up, or am I moving gracefully in the direction of genuine fulfillment? Would singing from that stage solve all of my problems, sign off on my success? Or would I walk off that stage with a gaping hole in my psyche… now that the holy grail has been won, what now?
What is success? Streams and accolades and and pay days come and go, but what really brings me joy and satisfaction as a musician is getting to befriend other incredible artists and be a part of an amazing and supportive community of creators. And that’s what I want. I’ll take more of that please.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
That you have to be young in order to make it. In every other industry, people don’t hit their professional peak decades (two, three, four!!) in! At 16 I thought it was a young person’s game. It still is in some ways — often times we love to support people just starting out (woohoo, get it girl!), but stagnate when it comes to folks that have been in the game for longer and reached a plateau (man, is she still trying to make it as a pop star bless her soul). But now that I have 15 years of experience under my belt, I’m better at what I do than ever before. I’m the best I’ve ever been (slightly more jaded, but working on it).
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What will you regret not doing?
Oof, there’s a piece of me that regrets not fully sending it in the music game when I was in my 20’s. You know… moving to LA, going to every open mic, banging down the doors of every record label in town demanding to be heard…
I think I would have “made it” (*ahem, played Coachella) by now if I had…
But at the same time, was I not doing everything I could do with what I had? I was living at home with my parents to save on rent so I could study music. I studied music. I wrote songs. I released an albums. I played shows.
But also, I rock climbed. I swam in alpine lakes. I walked across Spain. I stayed out with my friends until sunrise. I went on ridiculous dates. I got my heart broken. I really did whatever I wanted to do each and every day.
And here’s the thing — music is not my life. I adore it, and I will dedicate my life to it. But there is SO much more that I want to do. I care deeply about my friends and relationships and having fun and being out in nature. Because I wasn’t focused SOLELY on music, I got (and still get) to experience an incredible variety of life experiences. I’m a lucky mother f*cker and I wouldn’t trade all those moments for any amount of fame or accolades.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lillianfrancesmusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lillianfrancess
- Twitter: https://x.com/lillianfrancess/status/1504176876138360833
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/lillianfrances
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/lillianfrances
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@thesoundplayground
Image Credits
Alex DiBerardino, Kory Thibeault, Grace Frances, Zero Luck
