The Purging Of Lydia May - An Interview

I’ve been a casual fan of Lydia’s from the release of ‘Star Girl.’ Ever since then, she has evolved and changed as an artist and watching the build up to her headline show at The Grace in London was really exciting. With an arrangement to talk after her soundcheck experience, I met Lydia in the bar of The Grace. Surrounded by her crew and family, spread out across the tables, the atmosphere was electric as I watched her flip through a folder, ticking a checklist off. Everything Lydia does feels perfected and streamlined, this makes me realise how. We sat down in the corner of the room, after a brief introduction. 

I opened my notebook, and we laughed as I flipped past poetry and diary entries to get to my questions.

F: You have a demographic of mainly young girls. With the pressuring of beauty standards in young women online, does this affect how you feel about your art/and or the content you put out?

L: Yeah, it does. I think it affects how I am personally, and that definitely trickles into how I’m aware of what I share impacting other people. Because I know how much I’m affected by what other people share with me. I definitely want to push an agenda of inclusivity and self acceptance, but I know that’s not always easy. I think that’s what I’ll always ride for. I will always say ‘everyone’s welcome at a Lydia May concert exactly as you are.’ And I’m really so proud because I think that’s what the fans stand for as well.

pictures courtesy of @lxdiamay on Instagram

F: You released a single called Star Girl last year. Who are your current Star Girls in the industry?

L: Great question! Olivia Rodrigo, Eileen Allister and Erin Lecount.

F: What is your writing process? Does something come to you fully formed, or is it more of a process?

Never fully formed in the slightest. I wish things came fully formed! Sometimes they don’t take too long, but it’s usually a lot of notes app ideas, or voice recordings, and then I think the real work as an artist is trying to piece together all the fragments you’ve been given. To make sense with something. And that could take 20 minutes, or that could take three years. 

F: This is kind of a similar question, but do you think your music is more of an extension of yourself, or something that’s always been there and you just needed to let it out?

Oh my goodness. I don’t think it’s a single thing. I think of my music as a sort of energy source that is always coming from and to me. I think that’s why I feel quite spiritual. There’s the idea of the field of oneness, that David Lynch talked about a lot. I definitely feel I like that. 

F: Yes! I love David Lynch so much. We live in a world where a big focus is put on mental health. Do you think suffering is worth it in the name of good art?

L: No! No no no. I think honesty is always worth it, but I think there’s a lot of responsibility in artists to take care of themselves. So they can keep making art! And that’s easier said than done in this industry, but absolutely I think there should be more and more artists talking honestly about how they’re feeling. 

pictures courtesy of @lxdiamay on Instagram

F: Live music has always been a form of escapism, and is an incredibly popular medium of expression in young women and girls. How does it feel to create spaces for women to escape reality in a world that’s so overrun with negativity?

L: The best thing. It’s magic. This whole thing feels like it’s magic. Doing this and being able to talk about it feels like magic, I mean…To be understood like that, to be able to create a place I so wish that I’d have when I was younger is… I wish I could share the feeling with you. But it’s absolutely what I wanna do for as long as I live. I want to do it everywhere that I can, in the biggest possible ways.

F: This is a funnier question to end, but if your music was in a movie, what would the movie be like and what would the context of the scene be?

L: I think about this so much, someone get me a movie deal. I think… The Perks Of Being A Wallflower when she’s up in the rooftop of the car. I think a lot of coming of age scenes, and when there’s a big anthem playing in the back. When everything feels so…not necessarily all right, but hopeful, that is absolutely what I love.

To end, we gifted Lydia a pink Fuggler keychain, something I’d picked up for fun on the way to the venue. Lydia names her Fiona, showing everyone in the room and thanking me a few times before I left. The show she put on was immaculate, everything I’d expected and more from Lydia. I danced with friends, purged my thoughts, bought merch and left tears on the dancefloor. If you ever get the chance to see Lydia’s artistry on stage, I highly recommend you do it.

Lydia’s new single, Purger, is out April 21st. Pre-save with the link in her Instagram bio, and stream it to your heart's content when it’s out, she played it live and made the whole room cry. Thank you Lydia for this opportunity!