In an industry dominated by attitude and notions of cool (and a lot of males), this girl’s not worried about what anyone thinks. Tigerlily’s building a strong reputation with her unique happy-clappy sound. She is about to perform at Stereophonic Festival, a globe-spanning celebration of electronic music. She says this musical environment suits what she does.
“Stereosonic is the main festival for dance music in Australia. I used to play at Future and Creamfields but they’ve both gone under now. The only other festival is Splendour in the Grass and that’s a different audience to my type of music. Stereosonic is the only one left.”
Tigerlily wasn’t always planning to become a DJ. “Being a DJ wasn’t on the cards,” she says. “But I saw Deadmau5 in 2010. I loved the size, scale and beauty of his dance music and told myself, ‘I need to be a DJ’. It took a while but here I am. It’s my passion and hobby. I love performing and writing music and I’ve always played instruments and songs. If you’re passionate it shows. I’m so blessed to do it as my job now.”
Tigerlily’s certainly in an enviable position, so what does she attribute her success to? “It might sound funny, but it’s the positivity I try to put out,” she says. “It’s such a competitive industry, full of cool dudes and cool chicks. I don’t play the cool card. I just have fun and go crazy. The message in my music is to just be yourself.
“It feels good to be part of something. I call my followers Team Unicorn and that’s an indication of who I am. I’m just having fun, not being too serious. That’s what people respond to the most. We’re not saving lives here; that’s what I say to people who are getting stressed or worried. It’s a creative industry so you should have fun developing yourself and developing your talent.”
Tigerlily is known for her aqua-coloured long hair and general peachiness. Would she be as successful if she weren’t so damn cute? “Image is extremely important,” she admits. “It’s all part of the package. It’s not enough to have talent, to just be able to write a good song. You have to present a package. My hair has become part of me as a brand. It’s very recognisable. It’s about how you perform, you’ve got to look good, be engaging, and you’ve got to talk to people. You make people feel like they’re special.
“I’ve definitely got a game plan,” she continues. “I’d be silly not to. I do have goals but am happy with where I’m at right now. I’m lucky, I’ve got great support. I don’t think I’ll be a DJ when I’m older. It’s quite difficult, all the travelling. Being on the road can be lonely. There are those elements. But right now I’m having a blast – I can’t complain. I am just about to go to Asia and I’ve got a new single [Feel the Love]. It’s awesome.”
Tigerlily is pretty pleased with her new single. “Feel the Love’s vocals are by Nat Dunn – we’ve got a beautiful musical connection. It’s pop music with a lot of vocal elements. It’s got good positive vibes for everyone. It’s about spreading love and happiness. My work’s about that, and nature – themes like that. It’s not about girls getting drunk together; it’s about things that resonate with a wide variety of people.”
BY LIZA DEZFOULI
