Lily Mae Oppenheim (born May 23, 1996), known professionally as Lily Mae, is an American singer-songwriter from Philadelphia.

Early life

Mae was born and raised in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, outside of Philadelphia. Her father, Tony Oppenheim, is a

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

player, known for his book, ''Slap It! Funk Studies for the Electric Bass'' and her mother, Cathy Block, is a songwriter, who has written songs for

Diana Ross Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups o ...

Al Jarreau Alwin Lopez Jarreau (March 12, 1940 – February 12, 2017) was an American singer and musician. His 1981 album '' Breakin' Away'' spent two years on the ''Billboard'' 200 and is considered one of the finest examples of the Los Angeles pop and R ...

, Kool & the Gang, and Mindless Behavior, and is a music teacher at

Solebury School Solebury School is a co-educational private boarding and day school located on a campus in Solebury Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Solebury School's academic program features a college-preparatory curriculum with cour ...

in New Hope, Pennsylvania. She illustrates her upbringing as "never quiet" and describes early memories of "sitting in my mom's guitar case...while she played for me." Mae attended

, graduating in 2014, where she held her CD release concert in the school's performing arts center for her debut EP, "Early Days" in 2013.

Music career

2012 to 2014: ''Early Days EP''

Mae's first release was an acoustic EP, "Early Days," which was available for digital download in October 2012. It was subsequently featured as ''New & Noteworthy'' on

iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...

. Philadelphia's non-commercial public FM radio station, WXPN gave Mae's debut EP early support. WXPN host, Helen Leicht chose Mae's debut single, "Early Days," as a Pick of the Day in 2013, which launched Mae into the public eye. During this period she appeared on various WXPN shows as a live guest, including ''the Folk Show with

Gene Shay Gene Shay (born Ivan Shaner; March 4, 1935 – April 17, 2020) was an American radio personality. Shay was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to a Jewish family and was a representative of the city's folk music scene. He produced weekly folk radio ...

'', ''Key Studio Sessions'', and ''the Philly Local Show with Helen Leicht''. From 2012 to 2014 Mae toured in support of Joan Osborne, Ben Taylor, Livingston Taylor, Nathaniel Rateliff, Harry Shearer, and Chris Collingwood. In 2014, Mae played at Firefly Music Festival on the coffeehouse stage and Philadelphia Folk Festival in Helen Leicht's WXPN showcase.

2015 to present: ''Closer''

In the spring of 2016 it was announced that Mae would release her second EP, "Closer," in the fall. Mae recorded parts of the album in London, England with British producer, Steve Brown, who previously produced Birmingham singer-songwriter

Laura Mvula Laura Mvula ( Douglas; born 23 April 1986) is a British singer. A native of Birmingham, England, Mvula has gained experience as a young member or leader of a cappella, jazz/neo-soul and gospel groups and choirs. She was classically trained. In ...

and Rumer. Brown first became aware of Mae when she submitted to open for Laura Mvula. The rest of the album was recorded stateside and produced by Mae and her father. Mae describes the EP as being "...completely how '' he' heard it in '' er' head" and wrote the songs "...with other instruments in mind," parting from the stripped back style of her debut album. Mae shared "Diamond" on SoundCloud for

International Women's Day International Women's Day (IWD) is a global holiday celebrated annually on March 8 as a focal point in the women's rights movement, bringing attention to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against wom ...

on March 8, 2016. It was featured on WXPN that day and has been in rotation since. Mae toured in support of Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Bobby Long, Ari Hest, and

Jay Brannan Jay Brannan (born March 29, 1982) is an American singer-songwriter and actor. He was born in Texas and briefly studied in Ohio, but moved to California to become an actor. Brannan appeared in the 2006 movie ''Shortbus'', which included one of hi ...

in 2016 and has emerged at the forefront of the Philadelphia music scene. Rookie Magazine premiered the title track of Mae's EP, ''Closer'', on October 25, 2016. ''Closer'' is due out November 11, 2016.

Discography

Extended plays

* ''Early Days'' (2012) * ''Closer'' (2016)

References

External links

Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mae, Lily American singer-songwriters Living people 1996 births American folk musicians American feminists Feminist musicians 21st-century American women guitarists 21st-century American guitarists American folk singers 21st-century American women singers 21st-century American singers