Lila Forde is likely one of the entrants to NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest. She explains the story behind her tune, “Brick by Brick,” which took on extra significance after the LA wildfires this 12 months.
(SOUNDBITE OF LILA FORDE SONG, “BRICK BY BRICK”)
LILA FORDE: If you wish to construct one thing that stands the check of time, you bought to construct it brick by brick. You simply acquired to go step-by-step, you understand, a bit bit at a time.
AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:
That is the philosophy of singer-songwriter Lila Forde. Every year, we showcase a few of the finest entries to NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest. And after listening to Forde’s “Brick By Brick” and the story behind it, we knew we needed to share it with you.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “BRICK BY BRICK”)
FORDE: (Singing) I am cruising down the street.
RASCOE: Forde is a believer within the worth of working sluggish and regular.
FORDE: This tune, particularly at the present time when, you understand, you are imagined to go viral and that is the way you get publicity – however in truth, I feel I’ve at all times recognized that I do not need to be a flash within the pan. I need to be one thing that lasts. I need to be a timeless artist. And with timeless artists come, you understand, years and years of dedication, brick by brick, constructing it up, you understand, constructing the muse so to have a profession that’ll final.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “BRICK BY BRICK”)
FORDE: (Singing) I am eager on constructing one thing that’ll stick. I am making it brick by brick.
RASCOE: However it’s larger than constructing a profession that lasts. Lila Forde lives in Los Angeles. She was engaged on this tune when the wildfires broke out firstly of the 12 months. The fires tore by the Palisades and Altadena communities and affected the entire LA space. Her bandmate’s home and recording studio burned down.
FORDE: I keep in mind within the days after the fireplace, we went as much as Altadena and noticed what was once our buddy’s home and the studio the place we might write and report and rehearse and chortle and cry and all the pieces in between. And the one factor that remained of his home was the brick chimney place. And it simply hit me. I am like, oh, my God. What lasted by the fireplace, by the flame? It is the bricks. So I knew then that I needed to end this tune concerning the hearth and the way, you understand, not solely if you wish to construct one thing that lasts, you construct it brick by brick, however by climate and hearth and doubt and ache and all the pieces, it’s going to final for you.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “BRICK BY BRICK”)
FORDE: (Singing) I am making it brick by brick. Oh, yeah. Oh, we’re going step-by-step. We’re transferring inch by inch.
Me and my band – we spent so many nights there. It was actually small. It acquired actually sizzling in the summertime. However it had a whole lot of actually superb devices, and all of that is gone. All of that is misplaced within the hearth.
RASCOE: However regardless of the losses, Forde says she’s already seen these LA communities rebound in an enormous method.
FORDE: There’s resilience. Human beings are resilient. So inevitably, when one thing like this occurs, it is actually devastating. However truthfully, I’ve seen the neighborhood actually stand up and actually come collectively in a gorgeous, stunning method.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “BRICK BY BRICK”)
FORDE: (Singing) By way of smoke, by flame, we’ll construct it again once more. In time, we’ll know from ashes we will develop. And we’ll be using excessive, our troubles far beneath.
Ever since I wrote this tune, I shut each single present that I do with it. Individuals actually resonate with it, clearly, as a result of we’re nonetheless within the aftermath. We’re nonetheless within the trauma of the fireplace. And it is a actually stunning expertise as a result of it is highly effective to listen to a room stuffed with these folks singing my tune with me. It seems like we’re all highly effective. We might do something collectively.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “BRICK BY BRICK”)
FORDE: (Singing) We’re making it brick by brick. Oh, yeah.
RASCOE: That is Lila Forde on her tune, “Brick By Brick,” one in every of NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest entries. Her new album, “Vessel,” is out now.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “BRICK BY BRICK”)
FORDE: (Singing) Whoa. We’re going brick by brick.
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