Lilly Winwood Readies Herself for ‘Brighter Days’ [EXCLUSIVE]

Americana standout Lilly Winwood is ready to soak up the moment. The talented Nashville-based singer-songwriter’s new track “Brighter Days,” which is exclusively premiering on The Boot today, is the hopeful first cut from Linwood’s upcoming album Talking Walls.

Cushioned by dreamy guitar from Laur Joamets and Philippe Bronchtein’s pedal steel, Winwood’s soaring vocals drive home the lyrics’ message of optimism about what’s ahead.

“Now the time has come / To change your ways,” she sings in the tune’s sweeping chorus. “And you really could use / A little more of those brighter days.”

“‘Brighter Days’ is possibly the oldest song I have in my catalogue,” Winwood tells The Boot of her new track. “I wrote some of these lyrics when I was probably 14 or 15 on the floor of my childhood bedroom — hence the lyric ‘Broke up with your boyfriend for a poster on your bedroom wall’ — because I was probably romanticizing some idealistic person to come and sweep me off my feet and take me towards a life that’s something a little bigger and better than my bedroom floor.

But as I’ve gotten older, this song has taken on a completely different meaning to me… That naturally, as humans, we are always wanting something more and are always looking forward to something better,” she continues. “When in reality, if you slow down and take a step back the weather might change right in front of your eyes and bring you those ‘Brighter Days’ you were looking for all along.”

Get a first listen to Lilly Winwood’s new track “Brighter Days” below:

Winwood, the daughter of influential, Grammy Award-winning English artist Steve Winwood, spent much of her early life being shuttled back and forth between the U.K. and Nashville with her parents. At the age of 18, she made the decision to put down down her own roots in Music City and quickly found a home in its creative community.

In 2017, she released a cover of “Islands in the Stream” with fellow Americana-leaning talent Boo Ray, as well as her debut EP Silver Stage. She kept pushing and creating, leading her to release her impressive debut album Time Well Spent in 2021. Although the stress of navigating the ongoing pandemic while trying to build a career as a musician weighed down on Winwood, a flood of creative output accompanied those stressful moments.

With these experiences behind her, along with a new clarity that followed her journey into sobriety, Winwood found herself reflecting and cultivating her own stories through lyrics in a much deeper sense than ever before. Recorded at Nashville’s Trace Horse Studio, the songs that make up Talking Walls quickly flowed out of Winwood.

The result is an engaging collection of thoughtful and honest lyrical snapshots of life, anchored by an eclectic mix of country, rock, pop, folk and soul elements. At its core, its a record about being open to the ever-changing world around you, and the process of accepting who you are as you make your own unpredictable journey through it.

“I want this to inspire people to keep going with their art,” Winwood explains. “Even though it may seem like they’re not in a good space now, don’t give up on it. Keep talking to the walls.”

Winwood will be out on the road throughout the summer and fall months, with concert dates scheduled across the U.S. through the end of October. You can find a full list of her upcoming tour stops and additional ticketing information at her official website.

Lilly Winwood, Talking Walls Track List:

1. “Sleep Issues”
2. “Good Old Days”
3. “Keep it Spinning”
4. “Long Haul”
5. “Airplane”
6. “A Paper Trail of Broken Hearts”
7. “Brighter Days”
8. “Idastoned”
9. “Laundry Day”