I recently had the opportunity to exclusively interview Lindsey Farrow to learn five random facts about herself and the story behind her song Be Yourself (Just Not Like That). Check out my interview with Lindsey below:
Loryn: What would you change about the music industry?
Lindsay: I find the music industry is very divided between the artists and the producers and is something that we see brought to light when we see another artist talking about their experiences of being tied into contracts and either unable to release new music with a different producer or unable to release an album that they have worked really hard on.
We don’t just see this with popular artists such as Taylor Swift and JoJo but also in independent artists. I know stories from people who have signed with record labels to record their first album which has all of their history and work of many years put into it for them to be told it is shelved and will never be released. It leaves the artists feeling dejected and like they have wasted their time. Meanwhile, many producers are of the notion that it doesn’t matter as everyone is replaceable.
I’ve witnessed this myself when I’ve seen the same opportunity given to numerous people but never seen a single one make it through the metrics provided. Artists love doing it for the passion, producers love doing it for the money. I can’t blame producers too much though either, it’s a very lucrative, cut-throat business and when you find an artist that breaks through the charts, I bet the payoff is fantastic. When they go too far though, that’s when I have an issue with it.
I think contracts should be able to be more robust in the artist’s favour with clear (not complicated) language. The contract should be fair to both sides without the need of a lawyer which costs thousands and thousands of pounds to hire. Artists should get something out of the contract (more than an opportunity or tied down to that producer for x number of years even if they don’t plan on releasing any of your music) and also be able to sever the contract in a mutually beneficial way. The producers cannot exist without the artist and although artists can be independent of a producer and do well, the majority cannot get greater opportunities without a producer.
Loryn: Who is a musician you'd love to collaborate with in the future?
Lindsay: I have so many musicians that I would love to do a collaboration with but if put on the spot, I would have to say Amy Lee from Evanescence. She has such a gorgeous, haunting voice that I feel would give you goosebumps if you harmonised with live.
Evanescence did an acoustic album called Synthesis based on their previous releases that really showcases her voice with particular stand outs - for me - Hi-Lo, My Heart is Broken and Secret Door. Amy Lee sings them in ways that feed my soul.
The likelihood of this ever happening I reckon is very small so I’ll just keep singing along adding some harmonies when I listen to their music.
Loryn: What concert would you love to go to in the future?
Lindsay: I’ve seen many concerts come and go, and there are some I wish I had seen. When Christina Aguilera released her album Circus, I really wanted to go see it in concert, but the concert was way out of my price range at the time. I felt so gutted as it looked like it was promised to be not only an amazing performance vocally but also visually. Because of opportunities like this that I missed, I would love to go to concerts, which are also major performances in their own right – I’m thinking of shows that I’ve seen, such as Melanie Martinez, which was a full-story performance. For artists in particular I’d like to see in the future, I’m unsure at the moment. I know I would love to see My Chemical Romance live to scream my little emo heart out but there are also albums and songs you hear that take you by surprise from artists you may have never heard from before or have never really listened to before. I think I’ll keep my mind open as much as I can to see what is out there.
Loryn: What is the story behind your song, Be Yourself (Just Not Like That?
Lindsay: I’ve been in many environments and see it many times on TV that the main piece of advice and encouragement people have for others is ‘just be yourself’. Which although great in theory, isn’t always welcomed in practice. This feeling came to a head before Christmas 2023 when I was at a rehearsal and someone put their hand over my mouth when I was singing. From my perspective, I was singing as we had started together singing something ad-hoc and was carrying on as it was fun but everyone else had finished and to them the moment had passed. Which seems like a fair misunderstanding. It took me back to a time at university when people would call me annoying and wish I didn’t sing as much even if they had started singing. So, I decided to write down all of my feelings and put them in a song. I’ve been going back to how I composed songs when I was at university which is by playing some chords on the piano and allowing the lyrics to flow naturally from there. I’ve shared this practice with Hugh Webber whom I collaborate a lot on other projects, who said this has been the best approach for me as it really taps into the emotion and meaning of the song. Also helps as an expressive tool to help manage the big emotions that come with borderline personality disorder. I used the song as an opportunity to voice all of the times I have been shut down for one reason or another. Within the song, you will also hear a soprano line singing some but not all words that are sung in the main melodic lines. This voice is the voice I try to keep in my mind even when it is starting to be drowned out by society. It sings lines such as “be sad, be around,” “cry is for people,” and “sing loud, show off”. However, by the end of the song, you hear the soprano starting to change and be drowned out – here’s hoping it doesn’t happen in reality. In the final chorus, you will hear numbers being recited like a list on piece of paper attached to a board. A reminder of all of the different rules that come together and instructions given in every day life. The numbers crescendo until the number 29 and the instruction ‘not like that’ wins. The song was written in a day with just myself, my keyboard (and midi patches) and my computer. It was such a good way to get all of those feelings especially when living in a world which says to be yourself, but not like that. I kept the instrumentation light but full with vocal lines, a piano and a cello to give an earthy, open but dark tone. I have been using vocals a lot in a choral/musical theatre/dark type way and find my compositions work really well for it. I used an image which I had taken after a photoshoot last year when the makeup had all started to smudge as a visual representation of changing yourself to try and be as perfect as people want you to be but maybe not happy within yourself. I also did a full music video for the first time using stock footage as well as a regular sample lyric video – I wanted to see the impact and to see if there was a difference in the experience.
Loryn: What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?
Lindsay: For those who didn’t know, I was nominated for female artist of the year with Wigwam Radio at their 7th Wigwam Annual Awards 2024. I was nominated against some real powerhouses within the industry and I was so proud to be among such amazing, strong women – you can hear the songs that were nominated here for best female.
I was unable to attend the award ceremony as I was in Dick Whittington and his Cat pantomime with Morley Amateur Operatic Society but was able to check in between scenes. I felt really touched when I saw my face and heard Intoxicated by You played on the big screen for everyone to see.
I always thought when people said ‘it’s an honour to be nominated’ that it was a filler statement. I’m so glad that I’ve had the experience to know it genuinely is an honour. Thank you
Be sure to update Lindsey Farrow by checking out her website: https://lindseyfarrow.com/. Also, be sure to follow her on her social media platforms:
Twitter: @LindsSings
Instagram: @Lindsey_Farrow
Smule: Lindsey_Farrow
Facebook: @LindsSings
YouTube: Lindsey Farrow
TikTok: Real_LindseyFarrow