- Nic F. Anderson
Bad Ass of the Month: Beach Bunny
Lili Trifilio, better known as Beach Bunny, has put her foot in the door of Chicago’s music scene in little under a year. The twenty-year-old singer-songwriter has already released two EPs titled, Animalism and POOL PARTY, totaling nine original songs, and has played at venues such as The Bottom Lounge, Beat Kitchen, The Wire and dozens of DIY shows.
Beach Bunny’s music is heavily inspired by both surf-pop and indie music explaining, “The slang term ‘Beach Bunny’ often means a female surfer so I thought the name tied to the music really well.” She already has big hopes for the future but tentative plans of touring the West Coast this upcoming summer. She shared some insight, “I have really big unrealistic plans for the future. I don’t like the idea of small “short-term” goals because I feel like they limit you as an artist and they aren’t as compelling… I hope to get studio recordings for future releases, tour the west coast, form a full band, and coordinate some shows with more influential people in the music scene.”
. The young Chicagoan has always had a passion for music and has been singing for as long as she can remember, but fell in love with music when she was twelve years old. “Growing up I was influenced heavily by 60s and 70s rock introduced to me by my dad for the majority of my young life. I also really loved Elvis in my earliest years. However, by high school I had tuned into the indie/alternative scene and became obsessed with Marina and the Diamonds and how empowering, poetic, and relatable were lyrics were” Beach Bunny said.
After producing music with her friend, Rachel Vorgrich, who appears in Fingers x Crossed, the twenty-year-old went from Lili to Beach Bunny almost overnight and decided to start focusing on her music career, thus the birth of her first EP, ANIMALISM. Beach Bunny’s inspiration for ANIMALISM was drawn from her then emotional state and used her music to soothe her soul. Beach Bunny said, “I always knew I wanted to write my own material however I never had the means or drive till I entered college. Being surrounded by talented people involved in the Chicago DIY scene my freshmen year at DePaul, helped me have the confidence to pursue a career in music and continue to write above all else.”
After releasing ANIMALISM, she performed at dozens of venues, but shared that her favorite place to perform (so far) is the Ashbary Coffee House in Willow Springs, “the venue is very quirky and laid back and the turnout is often amazing. Ashbury also brings out an audience I normally wouldn’t reach in the city which is really helpful for me. For bigger venues I really loved playing the beat kitchen because the sound system was hella nice.”
In August 2016, Beach Bunny released her second EP, POOL PARTY, which includes five songs. With over 700 likes on Facebook, merchandise available for purchase, and several upcoming shows, it might be safe to say that Beach Bunny’s future goals could happen sooner than she expects.
She explained that she definitely plans on touring the world, selling out stadiums, breaking charts, and making a positive influence on the world. “I truly believe that if you make your dream your life, there is no way you can fail with that kind of long-term consistently. I try to focus on goals ten, twenty, thirty years from now. Looking that far ahead into the unknown is what motivates me the most...Currently my dream place to perform would be at Lollapalooza because it represents such a pinnacle of success in Chicago. Lots of my favorite bands have inspired me through their Lolla shows and I hope I would be able to do the same for someone else.” Beach Bunny said.
Beach Bunny’s summed up the interview with, “For other girls, or really anyone who wants to sing, produce, write, whatever your dream may be, please pursue it without hesitation. We are constantly conditioned by society to settle but at the end of the day you only get this one life to experience and doing something you love is so much more valuable than making lots of money or having a consistent job. It doesn’t matter what your passion is, there is money in everything, so listen to your soul song and you will find success. The only person that is stopping you from living the life you want to lead is yourself. When you find your passion it’s important that you recognize the obstacles ahead. It may take many years before you achieve your goals but through practicing consistency and staying motivated it’s only a matter of time. Above all else, take criticism but do not let others tell you, you are unworthy of pursuing your aspirations. Stay true to yourself. Manifest your destiny. Spread peace and love wherever you go. If you can conceive it, you can do it.”
Beach Bunny's Links!
Booking/Interview Contact: mslilitrifilio@gmail.com or beachbunnymusic@gmail.com
All photos used with permission.