SHE WROTE HER DEBUT ALBUM WHILE STRANDED IN INDONESIA
Who would have thought that being stranded in a tropical island amid a global pandemic would turn out to be a blessing in disguise? Well, that is exactly what happened to indie singer-songwriter Lili, who was the keyboardist of indie-folk band The Ransom Collective.
In March 2020, she set off for Indonesia to learn about bamboo and sustainability. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, she got stranded on Rote Island. It is there where she lived abroad for the first time, picked up surfing as a sport, while learning to be independent. Her unique experience living on an island and being part of the community inspired her to write the songs. This was how her debut album “Sunchild” came to be.
“I got stuck there and went through some negative, but mostly positive experiences, and it got me to write the songs that are now in my album. My album is a reflection of my most natural state at this moment in time. I made no intention to sound like anything but myself and it means a lot that I was able to express myself in that way, as I’ve been wanting to do so for so long,” she said.
Through this album, Lili was able to add a personal touch to her already refined indie-folk roots. Collaborating with the likes of Howard Lustrio and Pat Sarabia of the band Oh! Flamingo, Mikey Amistoso, Enzo Zulueta and Eco Del Rio resulted in an album full of fresh, tropical surf rock tunes that are sure to make us miss the beach even more.
“It was really fun because they brought something fresh and exciting to my music, sounds that I couldn’t do myself,” Lili said.
Her favorite track? “Sail Away.”
She said, “I wrote it years ago with just my imagination but somehow it resonated with me when I got stuck in Indonesia. I think I manifested what I subconsciously desired, and that was a really cool realization.”
“Sunchild” features 12 songs including the already released “Summer,” “Till Then,” “Sail Away” and “You Took My Heart.”
The title track of the album is “Places,” the perfect wrap-up of her journey of self-discovery away from home in the midst of a crisis.