Meet Liverpool-based Indie singer songwriter Fiona Lennon.
Q. Could you explain the lyrical ideas behind your new single ‘Please Don’t Say My Name’?
A. “It's basically a kind of break up song. I write a lot of love songs. I feel quite inspired by love stories and I've always liked reading them and watching romantic films. I just think it's something that everyone goes through in their life at some point so literally everyone can relate to it. The song is about how a relationship can affect you and when you're still holding on to someone it kind of stops you from doing the things you want to do. It’s from the perspective of wanting to go back and wishing you could change things and then that time when they contact you again and you're like ‘oh, you're ruining it again’.
Q. You mention reading love stories and watching romantic films - do you enjoy finding lyrical inspiration from other art forms?
A. “Yeah, absolutely. There's this show called One Day that everyone's talking about. I watched it and I've seen the film as well so I wrote a song about it the other day and then I wrote one inspired by a book where a couple are friends for years and then they just keep going back to each other throughout their life. I love finding inspiration in things like that, it's a really good writing exercise".
Q. Although your project is listed under your own name, do you see it as a band rather than a solo project?
A. “Definitely! I think a lot of the time my songs completely transform with the band. I'll sit and write a little acoustic song that’s quite soft on a guitar but then when I take it to my band it completely changes. Everyone in the band brings the songs to life in their own way. Everyone has their own styles and I think it's good to have that eclectic taste to combine to make an original sound”.
Q. How do you feel your songwriting has developed over the years?
A. “I feel like I definitely have progressed. I think the more songs you write you just generally get better because you get to know your style and you naturally learn what sounds better. The band has helped me develop too because they will always have their input. They'll say ‘maybe change this bit’ or ‘add a bridge here’ which I wouldn't think of, so it's good to have those different opinions and ideas around you. Sometimes the band give me more confidence as well. If I'm doubting myself on a song but then the band like it, it makes me more confident in it”.
Q. What are your favourite memories of live music in Liverpool?
A. “I've come to shows in Liverpool so much, it's just always full of live music and I love it. When I was younger I used to go and see DJ events and now I love coming to a bar and just listening to the music, I just think it's the best thing. I’ve been lucky enough to play some amazing shows in Liverpool too - playing on Pier Head with Jamie Webster was incredible, the sound was just so much better on a big stage like that and the audiences gave so much”.
Watch Fiona Lennon play Liverpool Sound City festival this May. Tickets here.
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