Charasmatically artistic singer-songwriter Lindsey Farrow has unveiled the brand new pop-rock-influenced single “Not You Story”.
Co-written alongside Hugh/ZephyrHillMusic, this latest release takes inspiration from the thought of feeling like a library book that people check out & return when they’ve taken all they want from it, ready for the next person to do the same.
Lindsey & Hugh have kindly taken the time to discuss the creative process behind this brand new single along with what it means to them on a personal level. You can find the full interview below.
Hey, thank you so much for this interview. Can you start by telling the readers a little bit about yourself?
Lindsey: Sure. My name is Lindsey Farrow and I have been performing since I was 2 when I recited ‘On the Ning Nang Nong’ by Spike Milligan in a local community centre. I was also bobbing along to TV theme music in time before I could even walk!
Disney has been a major influence on my life and I initially started to sing with an American accent. This love for music led me to always seek out opportunities to sing, to get better at performing and to share my love of music with others.
I’ve been in a few musical theatre groups and have had great opportunities to perform as lead characters as well as in an ensemble.
I started to ‘properly’ (I define this as when I sat down and wrote out my music and lyrics separate to any music examinations) write music when I was around 14…. and it was cheesy with dancing and a lot of repetition!!!! A lot of 90s influence in that and was a great way for me to explore structure and sounds. I started to write music as you know I’m releasing today when I was 16 but I didn’t release a track for streaming and downloads until I was 32. There was a lot personally that got in the way (from self-shaming and social expectations) and the recording studio opportunity that I had gave me a big kick and really started to help me come out of my shell.
When did you first discover your passion for music?
Lindsey: It’s something that I’ve always known to enjoy and is something that I’ve always turned to in times of trouble. It was something that allowed me to express myself and say things that other areas of my life didn’t allow. It was a place where I was free to be who I am.
I’m so grateful for Disney music being there as I was growing up as it taught me pitch, rhythm, performance styles, harmonies as well as a work ethic – with a new film I would sit and watch on constant repeat until I knew it all by heart and could differentiate by part. I’ve also been a musical theatre kid (I don’t believe you can ever grow out of it) for such a long time I’ve been able to use the performance techniques in my music today.
Have you always known that you wanted to pursue a career within the music industry?
Lindsey: It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do but there was always some form of barrier in the way. Be it social expectations, self-esteem, shame or just being told how I wasn’t ever good enough. Those feelings and comments from people never go away but you learn that what’s in your heart is more important than all of that. It’s such a core part of who I am and even in school when I was asked what I wanted to do when I grew up I would say ‘I want to sing to the world’.
How would you describe your musical style to someone unfamiliar with your music?
Lindsey: I describe myself online as someone who sings how she feels and this reflects in not only the videos I release on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter but also in the tracks I release for streaming and downloads. My primary recording genres are usually ballads or rocky items but I’m not afraid to add a few classical feels as well as strong leading vocal lines to communicate emotions.
So, Lindsey, you are about to release the new single “Not Your Story” on June 24th, which sounds awesome, by the way. How did the inspiration for this song come together?
Lindsey: As stated below, Hugh at ZephyrHillMusic was running an artist course and as part of identifying who I am as a singer, I wrote a lot of different ideas for songs – from just a word to full verses. From this, we started to see what style of songs would work.
During the time of this course, I was dealing with some personal issues whereby I was feeling like a number on a page or someone that people would happily use for their own ends and then push me away when they were through. This was a feeling that stuck with me for a great period of time and as such, ended up becoming the initiating idea for a song.
ZephyrHillMusic: This latest song with Lindsey is our third song together. Our collaboration is real proof that you can work on music and songs successfully without ever being in the same room, and communicating a lot by email as well as video calls. I had been discussing and talking through with Lindsey about her creative direction. The aim was to identify her unique signature strengths with a view to having a clear idea of the type of song that would show her vocal abilities and musical interests to the max.
It was from these discussions that the concept song called ‘Library Book’ was found. What a person was like as a library book, we asked ourselves! How would that play out; judged by appearance and just the cover, picked up and put down again, or looked over and ignored. We didn’t want it to just be a negative song, so we looked for the ways those situations could empower you, and quickly came up with the idea that things that hurt us, can sometimes make us stronger. The line “built from the things that broke me” summarises that whole concept. We also wanted the song to be focused on the person on the receiving end, almost to de-empower the person doing the overlooking and not seeing the qualities of the other. Taking the book idea again, we found the phrase “Not Your Story” and felt that powerfully represented the song, and was a great punchy title.
This song is a co-write alongside ZephyrHillMusic. How did this creative collaboration come about?
Lindsey: I remember when Hugh at ZephyrHillMusic approached me on Twitter after he had been listening to some of my tracks on YouTube and really wanted to help and support me as an artist. The bit that touched me the most was that he said out of a lot of artists that you listen to, you could really tell that I meant every word and the meaning of a song was not lost when I performed it. He got my style and delivery straight away and I knew it would be a great person to work with.
This is our third track that we’ve done together (we’ve also recorded and released 11 lies and Snowblind) and I really enjoy working with Hugh. We push each other really well creatively and we have really great problem-solving discussions.
ZephyrHillMusic: My recollection is that we were following each other on Twitter and I think you were talking about reworking an old song of yours. I think I cheekily suggested that if you wanted some advice on doing that I would be happy to help. Then of course I shared a few lyrics with you and you liked “11 Lies”. You also kindly helped my work through some of the creative direction stuff I was working on, leading to us discussing and choosing your idea which became “Not Your Story”.
How did you find working alongside ZephyrHillMusic on this single & do you think we could see more collaborations between you two in the future?
Lindsey: I really enjoy working with him as he is honest, truthful and fair. We bounce off each other really well. When we have creative differences we really talk it out until we come to an agreement with each other as to the best way to proceed. No blame, just talking it out. For me, definitely will be working again in the future and can’t wait to get the process starting again – I already have a few ideas bubbling away!
ZephyrHillMusic: YES, we do intend to write again together, as I feel we have a great creative working relationship, that we are comfortable with, even though we are remote from each other.
What would you say that listeners expect to hear in your upcoming release?
Lindsey: A strong powerful woman who has rebuilt herself back stronger after being broken and used – I’m built from the things that broke me. Plus an awesome rocky sound, a bridge that gives me chills each time I hear it (so much so that I’ve tried to set it as much as possible as the promotional bit) and really strong vocals.
What does this song personally mean to you?
Lindsey: For me, it’s about being more than feeling that you are at the bottom of the pile and regaining my self-respect even if others decide to continue to treat me in certain ways. It hasn’t been easy to rebuild from the different things that have broken me (and I still feel like I have a lot to work through) but I am worth more.
If listeners could take something from this song, what would you like it to be?
Lindsey: Your experiences do shape a fair bit of you but they do not define you. I hope listeners can find strength in the track and can use it to help them in their lives – you are more than a number on a page.
Finally, is there a message that you would like to share with the readers of Fierce & Fabulous Revolution?
Lindsey: A big, huge, massive thank you for reading this through and for all of your support. I genuinely am really touched by everyone who streams, likes, comments, and follows any of my content and on those days when I feel like giving up and I check in to the music community, I’m really touched. Keep shining your lights and being your awesome selves!
You can check out “Not Your Story” on Spotify below or on further platforms here.
Fierce & Fabulous Revolution 