“I love that! It makes me extra excited!” says Lilly Hiatt when I tell her that her show here next week will actually be in a diner that was once featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Next Tuesday, March 11th, the Nashville singer/songwriter will be making her Silk City Diner debut. The majority of Hiatt’s appearances in the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection have taken place at Johnny Brenda’s (“I love Johnny Brenda’s!” she tells me.), but she’s also played Boot & Saddle, in addition to some more polished settings, like World Café Live and City Winery. During a phone chat earlier this week, Hiatt admits that she definitely prefers standing-room barroom settings like Fishtown’s “mini rock n’ roll ballroom,” the South Philly former honky-tonk, and the kinda room that would be featured on the show that made Guy Fieri a pop icon: “My favorite kind of room is like that, a good divey rock club! We can do our thing there with no nonsense.”
Just yesterday Lilly Hiatt kicked off more than a month of dates in support of her sixth full-length studio album, Forever, which dropped January 31st courtesy of longtime home New West Records (also home to PHILTHY phriends like Aaron Lee Tasjan, Caroline Rose, Emily Nenni, Esther Rose, Jaime Wyatt, and Susto). Forever was written and recorded with Hiatt’s husband, Coley Hinson (who produced and played most of the instruments), in their new home just outside of Nashville, which Lilly tells me definitely made for a different process than usual: “Comparatively, it was a more spaced-out project than other ones… I did it at my house, over like six months, little by little.”
“It’s definitely a more boisterous sound than the previous album [2021’s Lately],” Lilly tells me of the LP’s sound, but says that the people who’ve heard the music are really appreciating that: “People seem to be really getting it, like, ‘Ya know what, this rocks! We really like its vibe! It’s heavier!’ which is what we were going for… Although we haven’t played it a lot yet, so I’m kind of awaiting a reaction when we go out on tour very soon.” However, she has had a handful of 2025 live dates, including the 30a Songwriter’s Festival in Florida and the Outlaw Country Cruise 2025, which she says was, “super fun!” “We’ve got some good ocean experience,” she jokes.
While Lilly Hiatt’s earlier releases were largely in the realm of Americana country, rock, and folk, Forever is leaning more into alternative than previous LPs, so it makes sense that Hiatt and Hinson chose to reach out to Paul Kolderie (known for legendary work with the likes of Pixies, Throwing Muses, The Lemonheads, Radiohead, and Hole) to start mixing the songs as they finished them. “It was great to have Paul in the mix! He really fueled us… His enthusiasm meant a lot to us. He was really passionate with each song, and he was the only outsider with us for these songs,” Hiatt says of working with Kolderie.
The music of Forever actually began with a chance meeting of Lilly and Scot Sax, longtime musical, marital, and parental partner of our old phriend Suzie Brown. The two met at a pedal shop in Nashville and went on to co-write the album’s opening track, “Hidden Day,” which was originally released as a standalone single last February, prior to a 26-date tour which included Lilly’s last stop at Johnny Brenda’s. The song was co-mixed by Jon Debaun, known for his work with The Mars Volta, before Paul came in to add his touches to the track.
Although setlists from opening night of Lilly Hiatt’s current run are yet to hit the internet, she tells me, “The live show is upbeat, good times, a four-piece band. We’ll play about an hour and a half and play through all my records,” going on to add, “It’s a pretty bare bones operation out there, so hopefully there’ll be a good lighting person… Stories get told and stuff like that.” And she tells me that she’s especially excited for the local date, not just for the venue, but because she’s always gotten good vibes from the Philly audiences.
“I love the moxie of Philly! I love Philly! The people have a lot of spirit… I remember being on tour there right before the pandemic – this isn’t the happiest story [laughs] – and the Nashville tornado happened when I was in Philly. I was on tour with Todd Snider, and I remember being outside of the venue and this guy came up to me — he probably doesn’t remember this or have any idea that I would remember it – and was like, ‘Are you okay? I heard about the tornado.’ And that meant a lot and said a lot about the city.”
*Get your tickets here.
