We sat down for an exclusive interview with the emerging artist Athena Lim about her new single, “Lil’ Kindness,” to learn about the musical journey and creative process behind the track. With a debut EP coming out June 15th, often the inspirations of Athena are derived from the transformative power of kindness—one that Lao Tzu wrote. She says her music is of the Indie-Folk-Pop genre, and she explains to us how she threw optimism into this song with gospel-esque rhythms—how she turned a melancholic narrative into a happy anthem. Join us as Athena goes behind the making of her EP, sources of artistic inspiration, and the lessons she’s learned.
Would you like to start by telling us a little about yourself?
I’m an emerging artist and my debut EP will be fully out on June 15th.
How would you describe the overall vibe of your music?
I think it’s been rightly attributed as Indie-Folk-Pop.
You have recently released your single, ‘Lil’ Kindness’ what was the inspiration behind the creation of this track?
I wanted to write a better goodbye and convince someone to go along with that.
What does ‘Lil’ Kindness’ mean to you?
The power to transform anything through kindness. Not everything you offer is going to be accepted let alone reciprocated but there is something beautiful about the offering nonetheless. The wisdom of Lao Tzu: “Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.”
This is the third track from your upcoming debut EP.. What can we expect from the EP?
I waterfalled the release of the EP as is common practice nowadays. The final and titular track, HELLO FRANCES, will be out on June 15th. It is a folk-pop medley with flavours from Fleetwood Mac, Dolly Parton and 80’s pop.
What did the creative process look like for ‘Lil’ Kindness’?
I originally wrote it as a kind of melancholy folk song but decided to infuse it with optimism and a gospel inspired rhythm instead. I wanted to transform what I felt was a kind of sad narrative into positive energy. The first line of the song was inspired by Bob Dylan’s “Lay Lady Lady”.
What do you feel has been one of the biggest lessons for you along your musical journey?
It’s meaningful to open yourself and to feel so much even if people will think you strange for it. I think deciding to pursue music and follow this path I’m on is best captured by Phoebe Bridgers’ lines:
“I have emotional motion sickness
I try to stay clean and live without
And I want to know what would happen
If I surrender to the sound
Surrender to the sound”
I chose to surrender to the sound.
What would you like to see happen for you in your music from here?
I’d love to keep exploring different sounds and styles of music and making songs that speak to me. It would be great to get an indie label on board for my sophomore.
What is one message you would like to share with your fans?
Music feeds the soul. Feed it well and with a varied diet.
Where can people find your music?
Everywhere in the streaming world.
Karen Harding is a Melbourne, Australia based singer/songwriter, founder of Sounds On The Couch, and founder and operator of boutique music PR service for emerging and independent artists, Rise Indie.