Music interview: Tilly Valentine

14 April 2025

A woman with short dark brown hair lies on a white surface, gazing directly at the camera. She wears a sheer, pastel pink top with puffed sleeves. The image features a dreamy blur effect, creating multiple overlapping reflections of her face.

Every Monday I will be bringing you an interview with an independent band, duo or music artist. This week, I caught up with London based artist Tilly Valentine to find out more…

Where are you from and how did you first get into music?
I grew up in a small town in Oxfordshire. I was always singing and fell into music quite naturally with my childhood (and current!) best friend. We would always sing together for fun, which evolved into writing songs, making YouTube videos and performing in our hometown.

Who were your musical influences when you were growing up and who are your influences now?
I grew up on a lot of pop music – Britney, Spice Girls, Destiny’s Child, Christina Aguilera. Looking back, it was a lot of iconic females. I got into soul and jazz when I was 16 and joined the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, where I fell in love with Ella Fitzgerald, Chet Baker, and The Andrews Sisters.

My influences now are a mix of it all! For the last few years, I’ve been really into RAYE, Olivia Dean, Lianne La Havas, and Cleo Sol.

How would you describe your sound?
I’ve released over 20 singles now, and they range from more mellow soul-jazz to R&B and playful pop – or what I describe my newer songs as “headphone dance music”. You’re probably not gonna hear it in the club, but it’s definitely some upbeat vibes for your commute. All the songs have a conversational element to them for sure.

What is your latest release called and what was the influence behind it?
Buzzkill. It’s about blocking out negative energy and enjoying time on your own.

What’s your local music scene like?
I’ve been based in London for the last 10 years, so you can’t get much better than that!

What do you have planned for the next 12 months?
I released a compilation album exclusive to Japan, so I’m hoping to get out there at some point this year for something exciting. I’ve also been writing a lot and collaborating with new people, all of which is coming together for my next EP!

Is there anyone you’d love to collaborate with?
I would love to write with Olivia Dean, I feel like we see things in a similar way. And to work on a track with Kaytranada!

Any funny stories surrounding your live performances?
If we’re going way back, I did an open mic gig with my childhood friend when we were about 13. There was literally nobody there. Even the sound engineer stepped out for a smoke.

What is the one thing that you want readers to know about you?
If they know my name and my music, that’s good enough for me 🙂

You can find out more about Tilly on her website or via Apple Music, Bandcamp, Facebook, Instagram, SoundCloud, Spotify, Threads, TikTok, X (Twitter) or YouTube.