A rising sensation in the alt-pop world, singer-songwriter JILL (aka Jill Paton) has shared her new single ‘But You Lied’, out everywhere now. A glistening sad-girl pop banger, lyrically the track reflects on being in a relationship with someone who, through charm and manipulation, manages to convince you to ignore all of their red flags, coupled with the inevitable melancholy of navigating your 20s.
To celebrate the release of her new single 'But You Lied', rising pop sensation JILL spoke with us about her sound, style, and how it all began.
It's so amazing to be able to speak with you today. Let's dive right into your new single. Can you tell us a bit more about it?
"'But You Lied' tells the story of reflecting on being in a relationship with someone who, through charm and manipulation, managed to convince you to ignore all of their red flags. In retrospect, you realise that the person hurting wasn’t all that surprising because they had already showed you their true character; you just weren’t ready to see it."
"This is coupled with trying to grapple with where you fit and who you are as you move through chapters of your life. In some respects you feel too old and in others you feel too young which is all part of what feels like the inevitable melancholy of your 20s."
How would you describe your sound on the single for those who haven't heard it?
"Glistening sad-girl pop."
How did you first start making music? Where did it all begin?
"As a child, I was a shy, introspective, daydreamer who loved to read books, which very quickly grew into a love of writing my own stories. I always loved to sing, and soon realised I could use my love of writing to create stories through lyrics. I started writing songs around age 13, but it wasn’t until 2020 during lockdown when I really had the time to focus on music that I began to write material for my first album. This is when I really started to hone my craft and figure out the kind of music I wanted to create."
What influences most define your music?
"'Midnights' is a huge influence for me - Taylor’s ability to craft highly addictive, upbeat pop melodies with earth-shatteringly heartbreaking lyrics is something I’ve taken huge inspiration from for my second album."
What would your dream collaboration be?
"Taylor Swift would be the dream of all dreams. Other dream collars would be Phoebe Bridgers, SELF ESTEEM, Bon Iver, and Griff."
What is your songwriting process for a single like 'But You Lied', is there a routine or process you work to?
"The inspiration for a song can come from anywhere; a feeling, an experience, a memory, a fleeting thought, or a conversation. I start with a basic melody and the lyrics often come flowing out; almost like I’m writing in a diary. Although, the process isn’t always that smooth and sometimes the lyrics can take longer to craft. Once I have the melody and lyrics, I’ll share with my producer, George Fitzgibbon, and he’ll start working on ideas for the production, then we’ll get in the studio and start recording."
What’s the most important thing for you when you’re writing a song?
"Lyrics, without a doubt. The most important aspect of songwriting to me is the storytelling. Lyrics are everything in that respect, and the reason I fell in love with music."
What advice would you give to band’s who are looking to make it?
"Honestly, I’m still figuring it out myself! But I would say that there’s an element of pressure to achieve at the very highest level in order to be considered successful in the industry, but in reality, success comes in many different forms. So I guess my advice is, don’t feel you have to meet other people’s definition of success. Success is whatever makes you happy, and only you can define that."
What has been your best moment as a musician so far?
"Releasing my debut album was a huge moment for me and something I’d been dreaming about my whole life. Definitely a 'pinch me' moment."
What’s next for you as an artist?
"I have plans to release another single before the end of the year and am working towards releasing my second album in 2024. Plans for the future are to keep creating new music and to play shows around the country, maybe one day internationally!"
JILL draws on her combined influences to create her distinctive sound. A naturally gifted storyteller and songwriter, Jill thrives off the ability to experiment with the emotions and concepts she’s able to convey through her music.
With her previous album ‘Aftermath’ being more folk/Americana leaning, Jill fully embraces the pop genre on this new music, which is her most authentic work to date, setting the tone for more pop-infused music to come later this year and into 2024.
