Musicians frequently say they had an entire lifetime to pen their first album. Lilly Winwood feels the same and she couldn’t wait for “Time Well Spent” to hit the market on January 29.
“I’ve been waiting such a long time,” says Winwood, the daughter of the legendary Steve Winwood.
“I wanted to be really careful with my release strategy. I didn’t know if I wanted to shop the record to different labels. There was a lot of sitting and thinking want may or may not be the right thing to do.”
Instead, Winwood chose to release the Alex Munoz- and Allen Thompson-produced album independently. The songs on “Time Well Spent” span her teenage years until now.
“This record is very coming of age and it’s got that feel of an adventure story where a character crosses the threshold,” she says. “The character goes on an adventure and meets people along the way. It goes back to the beginning of the circle with more knowledge of things due to obstacles or hurdles they’ve endured, if you will. A lot of this inspiration is from past journeys that I’ve had.”
Winwood is looking forward to the world reopening so she can play her songs live.
“I took a bartending gig here in Nashville that’s been keeping me grounded and paying the bills,” she says. “I really enjoy it. I don’t see myself leaving anytime soon — not that the pandemic’s going to be over anytime soon.
“One of my more difficult things is missing my family so much. They’re all based in England. I haven’t been able to see them because of travel restrictions.”
She moved to Nashville from the countryside of her native Gloucestershire, England, because it was “so big, so expensive, and reeked of havoc and loss and all that good stuff.” As for her family, her father has been supportive.
“I sent the album to him and I know he listened,” she says. “All I got from him was a positive, supportive response.”
Lilly Winwood
lillywinwood.org
