Lila Tristram Dives into the Subconscious On 'Strawberries'

Dreamlike, disorienting, and deeply personal, the focus track from her debut album is a standout moment.

After two years hidden away in a remote Wiltshire recording studio, Lila Tristram emerges with 'America', a ten-track album that marks a bold redefinition of her artistry. Blending the intimacy of her folk roots with heavier, more expansive sonic landscapes, Tristram has crafted a record that is at once elegiac, cathartic and deeply alive.

The album's focus track, 'Strawberries,' digs deep into the psyche and emerges with something both haunting and strangely euphoric.

Built around stream-of-consciousness lyrics, 'Strawberries' plays out like a dream sequence. “Crawl into the silence / in the woods in the back of your mind,” Tristram sings, guiding listeners through a shadowy, Jungian soundscape. The song “drops” midway, morphing from its sparse opening into a darker, more driving section with pulsing low synths and an edgy drum beat that shifts the mood entirely. It’s an unexpected and satisfying evolution, emblematic of Tristram’s willingness to experiment and blur genre boundaries.

“I’ve always been fascinated by the subconscious,” Tristram says of the track. “This song felt like opening a portal - like a shamanic journey that takes you somewhere you didn’t know you needed to go.”

The single showcases the collaborative spirit behind 'America,' which was recorded between London and The Barn in Wiltshire with producer Gus White. Longtime collaborators Jack Handyside (guitar), Tim Gardner (synths/violin), Ailsa Tully (bass) and Heledd Owen (drums) help create a rich, layered palette that gives 'Strawberries' its textural depth.

'America' promises a wide emotional and sonic spectrum, but 'Strawberries' stands out as one of its most adventurous and revealing moments; a track that invites listeners to explore their own inner terrain as much as Tristram explores hers.

With sold-out headline shows, a European tour, and festival appearances at Rotterdam’s Left of the Dial (2025) and New York’s New Colossus Fest (2026), Tristram is poised for a breakout year.

“I now see that my dream of ‘America’ was a place inside myself all along,” Tristram reflects. This album is proof she has found it.