How I create… with musician Tara Lily

Having grown up in a British-Bengali household in south London, musician Tara Lily has spent her entire life absorbing a vibrant mix of sounds from her multicultural surroundings.

Her own music represents and encapsulates this breadth of influences, hewn from elements of jazz, trip-hop, electronica, alt-R&B and South Asian instrumentation. And in July 2026 she brought this distinct musical blend to the Southbank Centre for the first time for a one-off Purcell Room gig as part of our South Asian Sounds series.

Ahead of this appearance we caught up with Lily to get a little more insight into her creative process, from finding motivation through collaboration to the value of an open mind.

When and where do you find yourself at your most creative?

When I’m travelling, seeing new places, going back to Asia and connecting with my roots, or playing with my band and vibing with each other. Also just creating in my room at night, in my own space. Yeah, I think these are all times I find myself at my most creative.

How do you know when an idea is worth developing into something more?

I think if you have an idea that you can loop, that you really enjoy listening to again and again, then you know it’s an idea that’s going to stick. Something you can develop into something more substantial, and that also keeps your momentum going.

Which tools are key to your creative process?

I think I’m someone that likes to have a lot of things to play with, tool-wise. I like having a few different kinds of instruments. I’ve got a piano, I’ve got a little old school 1990s tabla machine. I like having multiple things to play with as an artist, like having loads of different colours of paint and being able to pull from different places.

Who are you creating your work for, and how free are you to create the work you want to create?

I create every day. I have a setup in my room, a setup at a studio, a setup downstairs in my living space, and a little setup I take when I’m on tour. I create every day just to work towards something new, or to express myself and my thoughts and feelings in my daily life.

How do you stay disciplined, and dedicated to your work?

Discipline is something I definitely struggle with, as most artists probably do. There are things I don’t enjoy and find very difficult to complete, so it’s an ongoing challenge.

What do you do when you hit a wall; when you feel unmotivated or uninspired? How do you overcome this?

When I hit a wall and feel unmotivated, I sometimes like to reach out and collaborate with other people, because that can be a really nice way of creating a spark again and vibing with someone else.

Who do you look to for feedback?

I look for feedback from multiple people I work with; other musicians, producers and fans at live shows and recorded sessions. I kind of receive feedback every step of the way through different means. It might not always directly affect the way I create, but it’s definitely something I take on board.

How different is your creative process now to when you first began as an artist?

I think my creative process is still essentially the same, but when I was younger it was a lot more ragged [laughs]. I’d just have things sitting around on my bed and randomly record through pretty basic equipment. Now I’ve levelled up a bit more and understand how to be functional with recording and get a good sound quality.

What does success feel like?

Success to me feels like having people connect with the music we make, connect with the sound – even if that’s just a small number of people. Having a cult fan base is something that means a lot to me.

Is there a piece of advice you’ve received that you often find yourself returning to?

Never be afraid to walk away.

What’s the most recent thing you learned about yourself through your work?

That being experimental is key. The way you find new ideas and new sounds is by having an open mind and being explorative and experimental. Also, I’ve been developing Shakti Jazz, my vinyl curation for radio and live, which has allowed me to listen to and be inspired by stuff that I might not necessarily play or make myself. That’s something I’m finding really inspiring and useful right now.

How do you know when you’re done?

I don’t think you’re ever really done. I think there comes a cut-off point where it has to go out on a certain date, and you can’t keep picking at it. You just have to say, right, I’m going to set this track free. When you first make an idea, it’s easy to just love it and want to release it straight away. I’m still quite drawn to that mentality, those early Bandcamp days of making a demo and releasing it the same day. There’s something quite freeing and empowering about that, giving the song that freedom rather than going through these long development processes.

But you get to a point in your career where you’re making a substantial album at a certain level, and people expect to hear a refined record. And there are beautiful elements to refining a record too, chipping away at it. But I don’t think it ever necessarily feels finished. I think that’s something everyone struggles with.