By Phoebe Dukes
A young songwriter from Melbourne’s west is attracting international attention, with her music reaching audiences across the globe through film, television and streaming platforms.
Twenty-two-year-old Lily Clancy recently performed ‘The Fallen’, the featured song in the opening episode of Season 2 of Netflix’s hit anime series Devil May Cry. The show’s first season attracted more than 18 million viewers worldwide, while the newly released second season reached 5.3 million views within its first three days.
The song’s success has also attracted attention from content creators around the world, with Clancy appearing in interviews and features across a range of social media platforms.
Connecting with them has been a pleasure for Lily. Speaking about the Netflix opportunity, Clancy says, “It’s pretty surreal to think that a song recorded by a girl from Melbourne’s west is now part of a Netflix series watched by millions of people around the world. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity and excited to be part of the incredibly passionate anime community.”
Long before her music was reaching millions through Netflix, Lily Clancy was performing for shoppers outside Queen Victoria Market. Armed with a busking permit, a microphone and a backing track, the then 15-year-old spent winter evenings singing to passers-by. What began as a daunting experience quickly became a regular attraction, with market visitors returning to listen to the young performer whose powerful voice was turning heads.
Those early busking sessions helped build the confidence and resilience that would later take Clancy from Melbourne’s west to songwriting rooms in Los Angeles and Nashville. The song itself has also found an audience, generating more than 500,000 streams on Spotify.
For Clancy, the achievement is the latest milestone in a songwriting journey that began at an unusually young age. Shortly after she began busking at 15, she was invited to travel to Los Angeles to work with acclaimed songwriters Richard Harris, Pam Shayne and Cheryl Beatty, who recognised her talent early and have continued to mentor her throughout her career. She has also benefited from the guidance of renowned producer Dean Tuza.
Her music has reached audiences well beyond Australia, including her song ‘Sailing’ being placed in a British children’s television movie viewed by more than three million people.
Today, Clancy regularly travels to Nashville, the world’s leading songwriting hub, where she works for a publishing company collaborating on music projects for film, television and other media. It’s a testament to her talent that a company in a city with literally a million songwriters brings her all the way from the other side of the world to work.
Her creative talent was also recognised closer to home, with Arts Centre Melbourne documenting her songwriting journey through its Together Experiences film series.
Follow Lily’s journey on Instagram:
@lilyclancyofficial
