"The role of a musician, speaking for myself personally, is to create content that makes the world a better place. We all saw how important music was during the pandemic. We take it for granted, but it’s a powerful healing force for many people. I want my songs to connect with others - for my melodies and lyrics to resonate. That’s the best part of what I’m doing, and the most satisfying."

Lily Sazz: Real Music, Real Artist!

Lily Sazz’s path to her current activities as a singer-songwriter was not a straight line. After a completely different start in life, growing up in a farming community in the Niagara Peninsula, she made a change and studied classical music, majoring in piano and harpsichord, before being swept up by the serendipitous discovery of blues and roots music that she’d never before witnessed. This was a game changer that led to a completely different musical trajectory as a keyboard player in rock, blues, and country bands, eventually leading to projects that led to adventures and opportunities she hadn’t considered. These days, Lily is finally taking the time to focus on songwriting and singing lead vocals. Her songwriting has typically been tailored for the voices of others to sing, and now is her time to write for her own voice. With the debut of her live performance video, “Goodnight, Sweetheart” (2024), we get a sneak peek of what is to come. Watch for more as Lily prepares to create studio versions of her latest compositions, containing heartfelt lyrics, often incorporating topics that aren’t written about every day.                                                   (Lily Sazz / Photo © by Michael Nash)

“Goodnight, Sweetheart” were the last words Lily Sazz’s dying mother Eva spoke soon before she slipped away. It took more than a year before Lily could utter these words without choking up, let alone write the song she knew had to cathartically emerge. The conversational lyrics pose eternal and universal questions asked by both the dying and those who remain behind, along with the profound pain of letting go and saying goodbye. The rawness of emotion in this live performance is palpable. The beauty in the simplicity of the arrangement that builds to a dramatic climax near the end, until finally coming to rest, echoes what the final hours sometimes look like. Prepare to be moved, and take a moment to think of your loved ones, past and present. “Goodnight, Sweetheart” was filmed live off the floor at Hamilton’s Mule Spinner at The Cotton Factory, with help from friend Don Oakie on acoustic guitar, and an intimate audience of family and friends. Recorded by Glen Marshall and filmed by Nathan McCrory. With an impressive career as a side-woman, Sazz was a long time member of the Women’s Blues Revue Band; toured with Canada’s Queen of the Blues, Rita Chiarelli; co-founded and led critically acclaimed bands Trailblazers; Groove Corporation; and Maple Blues Award nominated Cootes Paradise.

Interview by Michael Limnios                   Special Thanks: Sarah French Publicity

How has the music influenced your views of the world? How do you describe your music philosophy and songbook?

Music has always been the one common thread in my life. During the rare times I took a pause from playing or performing for whatever reason, I felt my emotional well being was affected and eventually, I learned to make time for music no matter what obstacles tried to obstruct me. Music is one of the most powerful art forms in terms of emotional connection with the both the listener and the performer. Film, of course is powerful, too, but we all know that a film without a soundtrack does not have the same impact. Music can retrieve memories of life experiences, and songs we haven’t heard in decades or even thought about, pop up in our orbit and we’re surprised that we still know the lyrics or can sing the chorus without effort. It’s no wonder that music therapy is a growing field in healthcare.

My taste in music boils down to one basic element. Quality. Genre matters not, as music is a universal language, and I can appreciate music from anywhere in the world, or my own backyard. For me, it’s all about “real” music made by real artists.

Where does your creative drive come from? What are you doing to keep your music relevant today, to develop it and present it to the new generation?

I wish I knew where my creative drive comes from. It’s like being hungry or tired. I need to create music to fulfill a need. Inspiration comes from many sources. Whether it’s a conversation I overhear at a train station (true story), an item on the news (lots of fodder for songwriting these days), ideas come out the air, or dreams, or things people say. I work hard to write lyrics that will stay relevant, and that resonate with anyone, including the new generation. We all have stories and we all experience love, loss, grief, joy, humour… I just want to say things that either haven’t been said, or say it differently from another perspective.

"The musicians must first develop a following on social media to garner the attention of the labels. Being able to release music independently has been advantageous for musicians, but gone are the days that the words “recording act” meant something. It’s a double edged sword." (Photo: Lily Sazz)

What moment changed your music life the most? What´s been the highlights in your life and career so far?

I was a piano and harpsichord major, studying classical music at McMaster University when I was out with a few friends seeing a movie at an independent movie theatre. After the show, we happened upon a public performance of Crowbar with Richard Newell (aka King Biscuit Boy) in Gore Park (Hamilton, Ontario, Canada). I’d never heard their style of music before. I didn’t come from a musical family, and my exposure to non-mainstream music other than baroque or classical styles, was rare. Something resonated for me that day, and the powerful piano style of Kelly Jay was pretty mesmerizing. Turns out I had mutual friends with a couple of the band members, and some lifelong friendships were forged, as well as future musical collaborations. I would never have imagined such a development when remembering that first day, but the mentorship, friendship, and fun times that came from that serendipitous day continues in the present.

What do you miss most nowadays from the music of the past? What are your hopes and fears for the future of?

If we’re talking about the music business, there’s a lot to be missed, and I’m sure I’m not alone in saying that I miss the opportunity to have a physical product to sell. I don’t particularly want to be in the t-shirt business, and constant touring can take its toll. I miss the days when you could be a full time musician, without the struggle to generate income that is hard to find. I don’t think some young musicians starting out now realize that the pay today at the grass roots level is less than we made in the 80s. The days of a label signing a band and then developing an audience - are over. The musicians must first develop a following on social media to garner the attention of the labels. Being able to release music independently has been advantageous for musicians, but gone are the days that the words “recording act” meant something. It’s a double edged sword.

I think aside from what’s already happened with regard to the deterioration of the music industry’s revenue streams, we now have the newest threat to our livelihood - and that is AI. The temptation to use this tool to produce content in minutes that sounds like anything you want, will need to be closely monitored and probably regulated. Otherwise, the world will be littered with music that is based only on what already exists. We need to keep evolving and changing and we need real humans to make that happen legitimately. Legislation needs to catch up. If AI has the same impact on our industry as streaming did, we’re in for a rough ride.

Why is it important to we preserve and spread the blues? What is the role of musicin today’s society?                                         (Lily Sazz / Photo © by Michael Nash)

Blues music is an important genre. A vast amount of contemporary music has its roots in blues. I think it’s important to know where it all began. I have never composed music that would be considered standard blues. I don’t feel it’s my place and I prefer to stretch the boundaries. My style generally does, however, fall under the umbrella of roots and/or blues music. It’s just what comes out of me. Really, it’s none of my business what genre people think it is, but categories and genre identification are just a fact of life.

The role of a musician, speaking for myself personally, is to create content that makes the world a better place. We all saw how important music was during the pandemic. We take it for granted, but it’s a powerful healing force for many people. I want my songs to connect with others - for my melodies and lyrics to resonate. That’s the best part of what I’m doing, and the most satisfying.

What are some of the most important lessons you have learned from your experience in the music paths?

It would be difficult to narrow down the most important lessons I learned as a musician. I learned a lot about human nature. You get exposed to a lot of different parts of society if you come up through the bar scene in music, all the way up to big concert halls. You witness crazy things late at night as you’re loading your gear in a sketchy alley, and you witness even crazier things at events where tuxedoed men become violent. Those were not the things I signed up for when I began to play professionally, and I paid a few dues, to be sure. On the other hand, I’ve met some of the most wonderful, accomplished, kind and generous people, both fellow artists and audience members, and it’s the people who make music happen - both as producers of it, and consumers of it. Most importantly, I learned how powerful music can be. Every single person in the audience went to the time and trouble to come to your show, and that is something I truly appreciate and honour. When you learn that a particular performance, recording, or song touch someone, it is humbling and makes all of the paid dues worthwhile.

What does to be a female artist in a Man’s World as James Brown says? What is the status of women in music?

There’s no question that women are badly outnumbered in the male dominated field that is the music industry. I can count the number of female audio engineers that I know on one hand. Record producers? Same. You can look at the lineup of any festival, and often you notice the males outnumber the females unless it’s a specialty showcase. It’s not easy to be a woman in the industry, especially if you have a family. I am used to working in male dominated fields, and for the most part, ignored any negativity I encountered, but for sure, there are fewer opportunities, and you have to prove yourself as a player who can keep up with “the boys”.

Let’s hope that more empowered female artists like Taylor Swift, Bonnie Raitt, and myriad others, inspire young women to play instruments and write songs, with their successful navigation of the music industry.

"Music has always been the one common thread in my life. During the rare times I took a pause from playing or performing for whatever reason, I felt my emotional well being was affected and eventually, I learned to make time for music no matter what obstacles tried to obstruct me. Music is one of the most powerful art forms in terms of emotional connection with the both the listener and the performer."

(Lily Sazz / Photo © by Michael Nash)

Why do you think that Canadian Blues Scene continues to generate such a devoted following?

I think that the Canadian Blues Scene continues to generate a devoted following because we seem to be punching above our weight when it comes to great musicians in this country. Same goes for actors, comedians, and so on. Could be the climate. Could be the distances we have to travel just to connect with each other. Who knows? My main concern at this stage, is whether or not the aging audience and organizers of blues societies and festivals, will be able to sustain the genre. It’s encouraging to see younger musicians embrace this music. It’ll be up to them to keep the flame burning in the future.

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