WORDS MAISIE JANE DANIELS
Introducing Lilita, the singer-songwriter to catch F Word's eye with a voice that cuts through with raw emotion, soul, and an undeniable sense of self. Her journey—from a small town to the energy of East London, from the sacred spaces of India to the intimate depths of her own artistry—has shaped a sound that is as healing as it is powerful. Today, she unveils Redemption, a track born from instinct, feeling, and an unfiltered outpouring of emotion.
Lilita's artistic evolution is steeped in the lessons of trust, risk-taking, and self-acceptance. With Eastern influences woven into her sound and a deep understanding of music’s ability to heal, Redemption marks the beginning of a new chapter—one that is fearless, unapologetic, and deeply resonant. As we step into 2025, Lilita is only just getting started. More music, more shows, more evolution. And if Redemption is any indication, this is an artist reclaiming her power—and inviting us all to do the same.
Maisie Daniels: Lilita, welcome to F Word mag! How are you finding ways to deal with the January blues?
Lilita: Honestly, last year was an emotional roller coaster and I’m happy to leave it in ‘24. January has been an exciting for month for me, it was my birthday, my new music is about to be released, and I’m moving house so honestly the change and the energetic renewal has been surprisingly refreshing! So I’ve dealt with my blues by honouring new beginnings I guess.
Maisie: Let’s go back to the beginning. What first sparked your desire to become a musician? Was there a moment, or was it always just… part of you?
Lilita: There was definitely a moment… I remember auditioning for a part in Alice In Wonderland in primary school and I had to learn lyrics. Everyone auditioning was given a CD with the audition song on, I was in the back of my dad’s car listening to the CD and singing the song, it felt SO GOOD. I remember taking one of my earphones out to hear what I sounded like and I remember thinking like wow this sounds nice, more than anything I fell in love with how it felt to sing, for me it is really the best feeling ever — it gets me out of my lowest moods. From that moment I don’t think I ever stopped singing, I just knew this was something that I wanted to do for my whole life.
Maisie: You left a small town to explore the world and ended up in London. That’s a huge step. How did that leap into the unknown help shape your journey of self-discovery?
Lilita: I knew in school that as soon as I was old enough, I was going to leave the town I was from, I could never quite get my head around why people would want to stay there. Now I guess it’s because it’s idyllic and quiet but growing up for me it was the last place I wanted to be. My way out of the town was going to Uni, even though I didn’t have a desire to study, it enabled me to move to Manchester. During summers I would live in Ibiza and then in 2018 I went to live in India for 6 months. These leaps of faith showed me that when you take a risk and trust that things will work out, they always do in even more unexpected way than you can imagine. This understanding translated into my musical journey because I learnt to take risks, I learnt to trust myself and my artistry. I knew that no matter what happens, taking a risk will always be beneficial. You will grow, expand and experience life in a way you’ve never felt before.
Maisie: For anyone at the start of their own self-discovery journey, what’s the best piece of advice you’d want to share?
Lilita: To love yourself through all phases — we are constantly changing and evolving, we have so many parts of ourselves. Some days I am super energetic, other days I am down and sad, other days I love life and other days I hate it. When I was younger I used to desire to be ‘perfect’. I loved only some parts of myself. As I’ve gotten older I’ve learnt to accept and love it all. You can’t just love yourself when you feel great and are achieving big things, you have to love the days when you don't feel enough, when you feel far from ‘perfect.’ In doing this you learn to accept you in your entirety and honour who you are in the present moment, whilst knowing where you are heading and who you are becoming.
Maisie: From Cheshire to East London! What’s your favourite thing about living in the city now?
Lilita: I love the energy which London holds, when I’m here I feel like I can do and achieve anything. It feels like everyone here is on a mission, you know. Being around people who are also reaching for big dreams makes me feel like my dreams are attainable and well within my reach. I grew up around people who didn’t understand me and my ambitions, they wanted a ‘normal’ and ‘sustainable’ job for me, so being around people who don’t think I’m crazy for chasing my goals in life is so important to me and that is why I’m here. I feel seen and accepted.
MD: Are there any special East London spots that we should know about?
Lilita: There is an alkaline food restaurant I love called ‘All Nations’. My favourite place to hang out in summer is Hackney Wick and when I’m craving nature I go to Wanstead Park or Leyton Ponds to reconnect and centre.
Maisie: Lilita is such a striking name - can you share what led you to that choice?
Lilita: I was in a Temple with some friends and I was renamed Lilita by a spiritual leader called Umi Didi, it means “Protector of the Goddess”. She gave me and my group of friends our Spiritual names, I altered mine slightly out of respect for the religion in which Lalita derived from. This is where Lilita was born but I still feel that the name holds the same weight as when it was given to me, I feel I have a duty here to help protect women, you know.
Maisie: Your time in India seems to have deeply influenced your artistry, especially in how you blend music and healing. Can you share how those experiences reshaped your approach to your music?
Lilita: Being in India opened my eyes to how deeply music has a profound impact on cultures. I was witnessing Kirtan ceremonies where traditional Indian instruments were played and a group of people would sing devotional mantras, upon witnessing this I saw and felt people experience deep emotions and connection to something higher than themselves. I met some of the most talented musicians I have ever came across. They would play on the streets for free, people out there LOVE music and any opportunity to jam. People with ranging levels of talent – we’d come together and create the most magical improvised jam sessions. I was in awe of the sounds of Eastern Percussion, the scales, the melodies, the depth and tone to all their sounds, my mission upon arrival back to the UK was to incorporate this magic into the music I make here, which is why in a lot of my music you hear influences from the east.
Maisie: We’ve got to talk about “Redemption.” It’s such a powerful track, and it’s out today! Can you talk us through the ethos behind it? What’s the heartbeat of this song for you?
Lilita: Redemption was created without any restraint, Aaron (Earth Tone) and I had just finished up a successful session and then he began to play this synth and we were like ‘yooo’, I then took the mic and for around 30 mins we were just freestlying and without knowing what we were doing or creating, it’s one of my most loved tracks that I’ve ever made. It happened very organically, I was going through the pinnacle point in my relationship — where I had been incredibly hurt and I was undecided whether to have forgiveness and go back to it, or not. So I had so many emotions and feelings inside me that all seemed to pour out during this session. Redemption is basically a freestyle that, with a little editing, became the song it is today. The song is about turning pain into power and honouring where you’re at.
Maisie: The track feels both deeply personal and universally resonant. Was there a specific moment or experience that made you realise this song needed to be written? What was that like?
Lilita: Their was no was no specific moment, like I said it just came out. I guess I channelled Redemption, there was no plan, it was around 11pm and within 3 hours we had the finished track. I always find that my best songs are written like this, when the emotion pours out and the song writes itself. I work in a way where we free flow and I will just point out what I love and I what I don’t like so much. Aaron (Earthtone) really knows what sounds I like as we’ve been making music together for a very long time now. I never knew the song needed to be written, I just knew emotion need to be released and pain needed transcend.
Maisie: You’ve described “Redemption” as reclaiming your story. That’s such a vulnerable process. How does it feel to turn something so intimate into art for others to experience?
Lilita: When I wrote Redemption, I felt like I was taking ownership of a situation, I felt empowered because a decision laid in my hands but it was also overwhelming. I think being raw and honest always makes the most relatable songs. I feel when you write about vulnerable truths that may be uncomfortable to even share, you access a place that needs to come out and in doing this it allows listeners to feel like they’re not alone. This World is full of false perfection so for me the more grit and imperfection, the better.
Maisie: Music and mental health seem so intertwined. Why do you think music can have such a profound impact on how we process and heal?
Lilita: I think music offers people a place to escape, it’s an immersive experience where you get to listen to other people’s stories and find a sense of belonging in what other have gone through. This all intertwined with frequencies and vibrations becomes a place of resonance and magic. Listening to music allows people to feel, which is often hard to do in this world. I believe music makes you feel less alone, more connected and understood.
Maisie: If you could perform “Redemption” anywhere in the world— a dream city or venue—where would it be, and why?
Lilita: Glastonbury, Pyramid stage. My absolute dream.
Maisie: Dream collaborator time! Who would you absolutely love to work with?
Lilita: Frank Ocean!!!
Maisie: From supporting Joy Crookes to releasing incredible projects like In-Between Worlds, your career has already been such a journey. How has your sound evolved as we head into the era of “Redemption”?
Lilita: I think I’ve just really began understanding what I like, I never wanted to make anything for the sake of it, or put something out because it was on trend, or because I felt a pressure to do so. I really took my time these past 2 years to listen to new music, to tune into what sets my soul own fire and pour that into every session I do. As I’ve begun to do more inner work and healing I’ve wanted to add this into my sound and my lyrics, which you’ll hear even more in later releases. I think my sound is always evolving but as we head into this era of redemption it’s just stepping into a more levelled up version of my life.
Maisie: Finally, what’s next? What can we look forward to from you in 2025?
Lilita: More releases. More music. More Shows. More creativity. I’ll be releasing singles up until we drop the whole album ‘Redemption’ and I’m so excited to share the whole journey with you.
Maisie: And of course, this is F Word magazine, so we have to ask—what’s your favourite “F” word?
Lilita: FRUIT, I love it haha.
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