Lila Forde Builds it Brick by Brick

There's just one thing I dislike about being sent unreleased music and it's having to keep a lid on it until I'm allowed to share. My job isn't really a job at all. It's just doing what I've done for almost half a century (listening to great music) and then writing about it in a way that tries to force you to like it as much as I do. Because it's not my job I only write about stuff that I totally love. Life is too short for "sort of nice" and in Nashville alone there are enough new artists to keep you busy for a millenium. Luckily Lila Forde's incredible album Vessel is already out.

Lila Forde isn't one of your Tennessee girls but she certainly has a Tennessee vibe. She describes her music as Americana mixed with soul and if that's not enough of a hook I don't know what is. UK fans might be thinking of M People or even jazzy girls like Emma Smith or Lisabel. Goodness me, even Sade, which for American Gen Z listeners is pronounced Shar-day. Perhaps even Mick Hucknall. [You've lost your mind now. Ed.]

Whoever you are thinking of, you need to start thinking about Lila Forde. Just watch this. We'll wait, as always.

Lila is another graduate of America's The Voice which immediately means she has been filtered and processed alongside all of their thousands of applicants. Some of my 2025 favourites like Meghan Linsey and Savannah Brister all survived that process. I should imagine it's a strange and confusing experience, singing to people who have their backs turned. You would need nerves of steel to do that. Whatever you think of the format, it really does uncover top quality.

A quality British singer Jessie J had her best/biggest year in 2012 when she appeared at the Queen's Diamond Jubilee concert and kicked off The Voice as the very first female coach, a show that became a global phenomenon and is still going strong. What all of us loved about the show is that it detaches an artist's voice from their body. And knowing a fair bit about Jessie J as a very early fan of hers, this would have been a very powerful act.

Right what music shall we play first? Let's start with Blind Faith. Lilly W just released another of their tracks. I had heard of Blind Faith but I had no idea that Steve Winwood was their guiding light. Lila Forde covered their Can't Find My way Home flawlessly in her blind audition for The Voice. All four judges turned in a minute or less. It's quite something. Her range and feel are top level.

So that connects Lila Forde up for British fans. What next? She's going around telling people she just released her "debut" album which although technically true does not figure in the enormous effort put in to get to this point. The album was crowd funded, which gives an artist double validation. Not only do we love you, not only are we prepared to buy an album that does not exist, but you then get to distribute and market it yourself, and own all the publishing rights and masters, and have full control over your catalogue from day one. Win win!

Lila's Spotify timeline goes back to 2021. But Vessel demonstrates an important milestone on the journey. She credits her Voice appearance with opening her eyes to Americana which has led to this Americana / soul / jazz blend. I really don't like categories in music for this reason. Americana is sort of useful but too broad. I can say that this is not "big C" Country music. This is a new direction for Lila and I firmly believe she is set on this path now: this really is her. She's happy on this road, she understands what she wants to do, and she's going to keep going. Vessel has elements of Country of course; those shimmering, haunting acoustic steel guitars. But it doesn't have the silliness or the jokey stories. There are no tears in her beers. It's fully enjoyable but there is a depth here, a seriousness. She's not messing about.

If I had to pick a track to really dig into it would be Brick by Brick. The note on the album implies this was recorded straight through or "live" but you cannot tell. It sounds incredible but it doesn't sound like a live track. It's that good. To imagine that the band sat there and just laid this down in one take is quite something.

One of the reasons I love Brick by Brick is that I think it is a story about Lila's music career. She is moving inch by inch, taking things step by step and that is the only way to do it. This is not as obvious a point as people think. When things are working you just want to run and run and not sleep or rest. This is a terrible error. So many of these artists talk about the importance of solitude, rest and reflection. Well that's easy when you're settling in for the long haul. But in those early years you feel the urgency. Bills to pay. A large voice and a big personality and yet nobody is listening. Time is of the essence. The music industry machine teaches you to get a deal by 20 or give up. This is madness. Lila either always knew this, or has just found out, but she knows now that one brick at a time is the right way. Another band sang about bricks. Pink Floyd!

The video of Brick by Brick shows that it was indeed recorded live. To run this through and record it in one go takes enormous preparation. That it looks easy and effortless is testament to how hard it is. Nothing is as easy as it looks. One of my heroes not only as a writer but also as a TV presenter and thinker, oh and poet too actually, is Clive James. He claimed that there was nothing on this earth harder than walking naturally in a straight line with an enormous camera pointing at you. So it is with music. As soon as you know a performance is being recorded, the giggles creep in. Once that mask slips it is difficult to get it back. Just have a watch and a listen below. It's truly mesmerising.

Lila Forde has the vinyl version of Vessel on Bandcamp for an August release. She is active on Instagram where you can see more of her live performances, and has a website where you can read even more about her.