Quarantunes: A playlist by Lily Kershaw

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Lily Kershaw (Photo by Lindsey Byrnes)

Singer-songwriter Lily Kershaw is doing her best to stay grounded during this challenging time — although she admits that a simple pleasure like going out for coffee would be a blessing. In today’s edition of Buzz Bands LA’s interview/artist playlist series QUARANTUNES, she shares a mix that’s “good for a cry, a cathartic bedroom dance-it-out or a brisk walk around your neighborhood.”

THE LATEST FROM LILY KERSHAW

Lily Kershaw’s sophomore album “Arcadia,” which came out in November, is an evocative study in dualities — the singer-songwriter both plays off the mythology of the idyllic region and the disquiet in her own mind. “This record was not born because I was happy and comfortable,” she says. “This record exists because I was in pain. [But] the most uncomfortable, dark things can actually have the promise of a lot of hope and growth.” At the center of the record are her simmering vocals and strong lyrics, given ample space by the production of Ben Cooper (aka Radical Face).

HOW ARE YOU HOLDING UP AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MANAGE THE ‘STAY AT HOME’ EDICT?

Lily Kershaw: I am trying to stay as present as possible and take it one day at a time. I try to do one thing every day that genuinely brings me joy. At the moment, making a large pot of coffee in the morning and spending an hour or two reading and writing is grounding and luxurious.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO WHEN THIS IS OVER?

Lily Kershaw: I’m looking forward to getting a coffee from my favorite coffee shop. Taking a walk with a friend. Collaborating and creating in the studio. Playing shows!

ANYTHING WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THIS PLAYLIST?

Lily Kershaw: I am feeling very nostalgic at the moment. I am nostalgic for different parts of my past, so some of these songs I’ve listened to since high school, while others take me back to more recent times in my life. I am also missing my friends dearly, so I decided to visit them sonically by including them on this playlist — Beaulahbelle, MILCK, Lissie and Mark Foster, who wrote and released the gorgeous “It’s Okay to be Human” a couple weeks back. This playlist is moody but still driving. Good for a cry, a cathartic bedroom dance-it-out or a brisk walk around your neighborhood.