Brisbane’s indie pop songstress Lili Kendall is a pretty amazing young artist. Having written her first song at the age of 11, it wasn’t long before people started taking notice of her striking voice and lyrics, written with a maturity well beyond her years.

By age 13 she was a regular visitor to LA where she worked with various songwriters and producers to develop her career. February 2013 saw Lili release her debut EP, Beginnings, which was well received in Australia.

Now at only 17, Kendall is releasing her most impressive work yet. Co-produced by writer/producer Cameron James, her latest single ‘Run’ was recorded in Soundbox Studio LA.  After after a stellar run for 2014 so far (which includes taking out first place in the US Unsigned Only songwriting competition) Kendall will be releasing her debut in early 2015. We recently chatted with Kendall who put together a list of tips for all aspiring musos who are still at school.

Make A Schedule

“Make a schedule with commitments for school and music. It’s good to have this as when you think about all the things you have to do you can feel overwhelmed, when you have a schedule and actually look at all your tasks it seems a little more manageable (and you won’t forget anything).”

Give Yourself Your Own Time

“Make sure you have down time. Usually on a Saturday or Sunday I have a day where I try not to do any work at all, I either sit around relaxing, catchup with friends or do something else I don’t get to do during a busy week. This gives you time to clear your head and just be a teenager.”

Have Something To Look Forward To

“If you just can’t find the time for a whole day off during your week, have something that you can look forward to after a long day. Whether that is spending time with friends or family or even catching up on the latest brain numbing episode of Big Brother that you are oddly addicted to.”

Talk To Your Teachers

“Talk to the teachers. I go to an alternative music school, Music Industry College, in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley. All the staff are so supportive of not only my career but every students’, I feel really comfortable going up to them and talking to them about how we can work around my work schedule and if I am starting to feel overwhelmed with the workload. Generally my teachers will accommodate and move due dates around for me and even tweak the assignments so I am can focus on my career.”

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Find Your Favourite Coffee Place

“Find your favourite coffee place. I do not function without at least one coffee on a normal day, so when it comes to exam times on top of having a full week with work I am downing two-four double shot coffees (do I need help?) maybe not the best recommendation, but hey! It works for me, ha.”

Time Management Skills Are Important

“You must acquire time management skills. I am still trying to get the hang of this one, and it is most definitely the number one reason I struggle with an overwhelming workload. I may ignore a school assignment I don’t want to do and it comes to the night before the due date and I haven’t completed it.. But I also have three interviews to do that night as well.. *tears and breakdown* The schedule helps with this and you just have to toughen up and do the things that aren’t always going to be a fun time.”

Know Yourself

Recognise the signs of a mental breakdown before you begin to cry laugh about everything. This isn’t even a joke, it happens to the best of us. Before you are overly stressed and start sobbing because the babies on the Huggies nappy ad are overly cute, you should probably consider step 4.

Focus On The Overall Goal

“Even when the workload feels like it is consuming you and you are run down, think about the overall goal. It is a funny thing to complain about, being too busy because people are beginning to recognize you for your music, but we do it. So when you are feeling stressed and just wanting to relax on a remote island somewhere, think about the leaps and strides you are taking to get to where you want to be. And when you ask why education is so important or what the point of finishing the last year of school is at this point, think of the numerous tedious years you have endured and why you would give up months-weeks off finishing forever.”

For more info on Lili, you can visit her Facebook page.