Some artists find music; for Lila Forde, music found her – and it’s been calling ever since.

With a voice like honey and an “Americana soul” sound steeped in old-school jazz, R&B, and folk traditions, the Seattle-born singer/songwriter carries the past into the present with refreshing ease. She does just that on her debut album VESSEL, a confident and cathartic coming-of-age record that captures the full spectrum of her artistry – from its roots in improvisation and harmony, to its emotional depth and genre-spanning warmth.

Raised in a spiritual, music-filled household in Seattle, Forde grew up without a television and with her feet in the dirt – the daughter of a musician and meditation teachers who encouraged her to stay curious, grounded, and creatively free. She spent her formative years singing in choirs, studying jazz in college, and steeping herself in the classics – including Bonnie Raitt, Carole King, Ella Fitzgerald, and Nancy Wilson – while developing a voice and vision that felt entirely her own. “There’s nothing else in this world I could possibly do,” she reflects. “I’ve known that from an early age; this is what I was put on this earth to do.”

After college, Forde began gigging wherever she could throughout Los Angeles – from background jazz sets in dimly lit restaurants to pop-up stages at shopping malls. It was at one of those shows, on New Year’s Day, that a producer from The Voice happened to hear her sing. What followed was a whirlwind run on Season 24, where she soared into the Top 5 under the mentorship of John Legend. The experience, she says, didn’t define her – but it did affirm her. “They never tried to make me into anything I wasn’t,” Forde recalls. “It was the first real catalyst that told me: You can do this. You’re ready.” The momentum that followed helped plant the seeds for VESSEL – a record rooted not in television spotlight, but in spiritual clarity and artistic self-trust.

For Forde, the album’s title is more than metaphor – it’s a mission statement. “I want to be a vessel for the music,” she says. “I’m here to serve it.” That spirit of openness guides the entire record, which she describes as a document of listening and feeling – of tapping into something greater, and letting the songs move through her. VESSEL captures a young artist both deep in reflection and firmly stepping into her power. “It felt like these songs arrived for me, not from me,” she says. “All I could do was try to honor them.”

VESSEL wouldn’t exist without the people who believed in her first. Long before The Voice brought her to national attention, Forde crowdfunded the album through a grassroots Kickstarter campaign – raising over $16,000 from early fans who recognized her spark. She recorded the project in just three days in early 2023 with producer Aidan Carroll, handpicking a band not only for their musicianship, but for their energy, intuition, and connection to the songs. “We crafted the perfect cocktail of people,” she says. “It was all vibes – the right players, the right space, and the right emotional dynamic.” From sultry yacht rock to stripped-down folk and country-funk, VESSEL is as expansive as it is intimate, showcasing Forde’s layered identity as a jazz-rooted vocalist, a deep-feeling lyricist, and a genre-fluid storyteller unafraid to color outside the lines. 

The album kicks off with a wink and a strut. “Temptation” is playful, flirty, and deliciously bold – a fantasy set to slinky chords and retro grooves. Inspired by Hall & Oates and steeped in ‘70s soul-pop flair, it channels the spark of a flirtation that can't – and won’t – go anywhere. “It’s a sexy little song,” Forde grins. “You want something you can’t have, so you let your mind wander. You fantasize about it, because that’s all you can do.”

Next comes the smoky shimmer of “All I Expected,” a jazzy standout Forde describes as “jazz o’clock.” Built on a line she overheard a friend’s father say – “Is love all you expected it to be?” – the track spirals into a lush, disillusioned, and heart-weary groove.

In contrast to those emotional cracks, “Brick by Brick” is about rebuilding. The Americana-flecked anthem is Forde’s ode to taking the long road toward something lasting – in life, in love, and in career. “I’m not here to be a flash in the pan,” she says. “This song is a metaphor for how I want to build my career – intentionally, piece by piece.” She wrote the track just after the devastating wildfires in California, and recorded it live with the full band in the room – no overdubs, no tricks. The song’s chorus nods to what was lost, and what can still be saved.

The album’s spiritual and emotional core is its title track, “Vessel” – a meditative mantra built on just four chords and one repeated verse. “I let the music come and go / I’m just a vessel, not a home.” The song arrived in fragments over time, but found its true form after The Voice, when Forde met her current band. The final touch came from viola virtuoso Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, who surprised her with an entire orchestral arrangement. “I thought he’d add a few notes,” she recalls. “Instead, he transformed the song into something celestial.”

The final stretch of VESSEL traces a full emotional arc – from heartbreak to healing, vulnerability to acceptance. “Honesty,” the record’s most emotionally unfiltered moment, is a tender folk ballad born in the aftermath of a formative breakup. The song’s rawness is its greatest strength: “You can hear me going through it,” Forde admits. “That’s the point.”

From there, she leans into levity and groove on “‘Til You Melt,” a Bill Withers–inspired, Hammond organ-fueled soul tune about waiting out someone else’s anger. “It’s something my parents would say when I was little – ‘I’ll just sit here and wait until you melt.’” Forde says. “It’s a cruising song – a song to drive to.”

The album closes with “The Masquerade Is Over,” a voice memo recorded during a background jazz gig – complete with clinking silverware and ambient conversation. It’s a nod to Forde’s earliest influences, especially Nancy Wilson, and a reminder of where she began. “It’s so real and raw and in the moment – you can’t recreate that,” she says. “This song is such a big part of who I am. It had to be on the record.”

For Forde, VESSEL is meant to reflect the full spectrum of who she is – not just as a musician, but as a person. “I hope people get the whole rainbow,” she says. “It’s not too much of anything, but just enough of everything. I want it to feel like you’ve eaten a well-balanced meal after you listen – like you’re just right there.”

VESSEL is a testament to presence – to showing up for the music, for the moment, and for the messy, meaningful work of being human. It’s not just an introduction; it’s an invitation. Across ten soul-stirring tracks, Lila Forde delivers more than melodies – she offers a window into her world, full of feeling, spirit, and intention.

“I want to be a timeless artist,” she says. “I want the songs to last.” If this album is any indication, she’s already well on her way.