Lily Meola

Artist Information

Lily Meola just can’t stop thinking about the odds. From the odds of where she was born tothe talent she’s been gifted, the singer-songwriter says she is very much Lucky to Be.

On her debut album of that name, Meolacelebrates all the universal dots that had to beconnected to make her the person that she is: a Hawaii native, a beloved daughter, a friendof Willie Nelson, and one of the most stunning vocalists you’ll ever hear in country musicand beyond.

“While writing the songs that becameLucky to Be, I came across this statistic that said thechances of you being born are one in 400 trillion. That stopped me in my tracks,” Meolasays. “It made me realize the chances of simply being alive are so slim. And despiteall thegood and bad things I’ve had thrown my way, I’m lucky to be experiencing it. We all are.”

The odds of encountering someone like Meola are themselves fantastical. She is a truebohemian artist, a woman shaped by the verdant, ancient nature in which she was raisedon Maui and the eclectic people, from her free-spirited mom to a country music legend,who surrounded her. She is both a hippie and a fashion plate; she has a pet deer named“Doenut.” All of those facets informLucky to Be, an album of smart indie-country with adiscernible Western flair.

“Hawaii is as west as it gets” Meola says. “Country music is extremely popular in Hawaiiand always has been. We have such a huge ranching scene here, and everyone knows thepaniolo, the Hawaiian cowboys.”

Listen to the dream-folk mood that she and primary producer Nick Lobel summon in thetitle track, “Lucky to Be.” Like many of the songs on the album—produced by Lobel, SteveSolomon, and Hunter Metts, and recorded in East Nashville—it was influenced by Meola’smother Nancy, her north star, who died after a battle with cancer in 2020. “I could havebeen born anywhere in the world/ but I got the mountains and I got the pearls,” she sings,ruminating on her existence. “How lucky, how lucky, are we.”

The song came from a moment of self-doubt for Meola, who has been releasing music sinceshe was in her teens. At first, it was her recordings of jazz standards, an easier path shethought for someone who struggled with dyslexia. But after she met music publisher LeslieDiPiero, who guided her toward writing her own material, Meola threw herself intodeveloping her own unique songwriting approach.

“I was so dyslexic I could barely string together an email,” Meola says. “I had taken a breakfrom writing, and on the plane to Nashville, I was wondering, ‘Do I still know how to dothis?’ And at that moment, I saw a shooting star out my window. It was a reassurance that Iwas on the right path, and I like to think it was from my mom.Lucky to Beis the story of mylife and how I’m finding the ‘lucky’ in all things. I may have lost my mom, and that was themost heart shattering thing to go through, but how lucky was I to get to have such awonderful mom and how grateful I am for the time we had.

In “Tumbleweeds and Chewing Gum,” Meola creates another ethereal reality with helpfrom her mentor Nelson. Meola grew up on the island with Nelson’s sons Lukas and Micah,and the families became close; Nelson would bring Meola on tour to open shows. Here, helends his distinct voice to a song about cherishing the innocent moments of life.

“Willie has taught me so much. He's so in love with what he does, and he's so genuine, andkind and caring. Watching him move through the music industry and through his showshas been a beautiful thing,” she says. “‘Tumbleweeds and Chewing Gum’ is all about lovingwhat you do, like Willie does, and living more carefree. The lyric goes, ‘Love me justbecause.’ And that’s the only reason you really need.”

On another track, the lilting “Never Want This to Change,” Meola sings with modern-dayoutlaw Jamey Johnson, his river-deep voice mixing with her yearning croon. “I met Jameyfor the first time at Farm Aid, and he has always been thesweetest, kindest, mostencouraging person to me,” she says, laughing at a colorful lyric she asked the gruff Johnsonto sing. “It goes, ‘cotton candy clouds of hope,’ and I told him he can change it if he wantedto, but he said, ‘No, it’s perfect the wayit is.’

Meola was raised on what she calls “old Seventies gems,” devouring albums by Carole Kingand Cat Stevens, and the songwriter she listens to most often, Joni Mitchell. But Meola isn’ta throwback artist. In theLucky to Betrack “Daisies,” she draws inspiration from themainstream country hit “Flower Shop” by Ernest. Over steel guitar and strummed acoustic,she puts her own spin on receiving flowers from a lover who sometimes misses his markbut is determined to improve. “He’s finally acting like he’s got something to lose,” she sings.“I guess those daisies will do.”

“I remember hearing ‘Flower Shop’ for the first time and thinking it was genius, and I reallyrelated to the lyrics. I wanted to write this song from the woman's perspective, becauseitfeels very similar to some things that I've been through,” she says.

Elsewhere, in “Should’ve Known Better,” Meolasings about those early heady days in aromance where the emotions can feel scary. And in “You and I,” she returns to the album’sthroughline of being lucky—“I got lucky enough to find, you and I,” she sings.

And now, after going through what she calls “different cycles” on her musical journey,Meola is lucky enough to have found her voice onLucky to Be. It’s a country one, with hintsof pop and even some dramatic spaghetti western vibes. When fans are finished listening,she hopes they’re left with anew appreciation for their own existence.

“It took years of searching for me to finally get to this point of makingLucky to Be. I wasfortunate to have the freedom to make an album without any pressure—only therealization that life is precious,”Meola says. “We hear so often how ‘life is short,’ but life isalso very rare. I’d love for people to celebrate that when they play these songs.”