By Isabel Corp
The meteoric rise of Los Angeles-based noise rock five-piece Liily kicked off when three songs from their 2019 debut EP I Can Fool Anybody in This Town surpassed a million streams. The band’s output packs a merciless punch with unbridled screams, schizophrenic horns, and headbang-inducing drum patterns.
Since the release of their explosive debut album, TV or Not TV, earlier this year, Liily has been on the road non-stop, supporting the likes of Sunflower Bean and Palehound.
Penny caught up with bassist Charlie Anastasis to get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at their recently-wrapped headlining U.S. tour with support from Milly, Model/Actriz, and Catcher.
What is your favorite site you’ve seen on tour so far?
Dallas painted a lovely picture for us, it was 110 degrees Fahrenheit and a young lady in roller skates (who l can only assume was a beginner) began using our van as a moving balancing beam. This came with a promise that neither she nor the van would be harmed, which was quickly broken.
What is the commute from city to city/town to town like?
It's pretty monotonous. We usually drive after our shows so it's a lot of night driving on barren interstates.
What is one song that always gets played in the van?
"Freebird", immediately followed by "Freebird II"
What are your essential pre-show rituals?
Incessant worrying, usually.
What is the most fun song on the setlist to play live, and why?
“The Suit that Sold Itself” because it's a damn fine song.
On the flipside, what is the most challenging song to play live?
None of our songs are that technically challenging as far as my parts are concerned as much as they are physically taxing. But for Maxx, we have one new unreleased song that breaks my heart every time we play it. The fastest song we have.
As the tour winds down, what will be your fondest memories of the trip?
Getting to see Model/Actriz and Catcher play every night. Milly, too.