Lylit

Lylit’s Bio

By Alexzenia Davis

Take one listen to Lylit and you will be amazed at all that is encapsulated within her spirit and song: gospel, jazz, classical and, of course, soul. Born in Austria, musically inclined and intrigued, Lylit set out to absorb as much of it as possible. And what resulted was astounding: raspy powerhouse vocals whose cords find melody, effortlessly. She is a pianist—who has also successfully tried her hand at the guitar, 5-octave mbira and violin. She is music mogul Kedar Massenburg’s signee—and as evidenced on her EP, Evasion—she plans on leaving a serious impression.

Gospel. Before she became Lylit, she was Eva Klampfer and her aptitude for music bordered on genius. Her first love was piano; she recalls playing her neighbor’s at age 4 until her parents finally bought her one. And at age 12, she got a taste of African-American gospel music—a form that was previously foreign to her. 

Whetting her appetite with “Oh Happy Day”—courtesy of the movie Sister Act—she meticulously transcribed each chord before teaching it to her classmates during a school trip. They went on to rehearse weekly, perform at churches and grace festival stages; a young Lylit at the helm. Essentially, she founded her hometown first gospel choir.

Jazz. Her passion and talent led her to the Bruckner Conservatory in Linz, Austria where she studied classical piano and jazz vocal; eventually receiving her masters with honors. Refining aspects of her craft, Lylit perfected techniques which are currently apparent in various aspects of her performance: from her phrasing and raw emotion to her riffs and runs. Her knowledge of piano has also influenced her vocal ability—offering a deeper musicality and allowing her to better communicate with the instrumentalists she works with. 

One of those instrumentalists is Andreas Lettner—musical partner, producer and drummer. Having worked and toured together since their teenage years, the pair developed a musical chemistry; one which has only intensified over time. Both Lylit and Lettner toured with several artists before returning to Austria. It was then that Lylit decided to focus on her sound. She decided it was time to truly be noticed.

Classic. Lylit recorded a 5-track demo in Austria with the sole purpose of getting recognized by a major label. She searched the credits of her favorite albums to determine who exactly she’d need to reach. And after shipping her demo to select industry executives, she reached him.

Kedar Massenburg—responsible for the careers of legendary artists Erykah Badu/D’Angelo/India Arie—requested a meeting with Lylit in New York City. The meeting sealed the deal for Lylit who quickly signed to Massenburg Media (formerly Kedar Entertainment). Through the entertainment company and new found home, Lylit has kept busy: she has been featured on several artists’ tracks; her song “Change” was included on the deluxe version of Joe’s album, Signature; and she recorded her EP, Evasion—released digitally in the U.S.

Soul. Lylit’s purpose is a bit more personal. She wants to affect her fans on a deeper level; giving more of herself and expecting less in return. She understands the transparency of a musician and that authenticity cannot be forged. It is a genuine goal that Lylit aims to uphold. She is inspired by a number of artists who maintained that sense of sincerity throughout their career: D’Angelo, Tori Amos, Nosfell, Lauryn Hill, The Bad Plus, Joni Mitchell, Eska Mtungwazi and, perhaps her greatest influence, Billie Holliday.

Of her own compositions, Lylit’s favorite song is “Again.” She describes the night that it was birthed—at the conclusion of a 4am studio session. 

“I sat down on our old Boesendorfer grand piano and started playing. After a long recording session, your mind is empty and your heart is filled with energy that only creativity can evoke. I was improvising on the piano and started singing along. The whole song—as it [appears] on the album—was written in that moment. I didn’t change a thing. Since then, I’ve been writing like this. It’s hard sometimes because you can’t really force it. But I am convinced that people can feel if the music emerges organically.”

Organic it is.