On Naming the Label After a Flower That Grows in Ruins

The following is an edited excerpt from a conversation with Lilien Reiß.

Why lily?

The lily is not innocent. It blooms in cemeteries, in flood plains, in the margins of things. The name was not chosen for prettiness. It was chosen because it survives without asking permission.

There is a species of lily that only blooms after fire. It requires destruction as a precondition for flowering. I find that honest. Most beautiful things do.

And Reiß?

It means "tear" in German. As in, to tear something. The name is not mine by birth — I chose it because it felt accurate. I am interested in the moment before the tear completes, when the material is under maximum tension and the outcome is still uncertain.

The label was formerly Azure Records. Why the change?

Azure is a color. A beautiful color. But color alone is not enough. Lily is a living thing that dies and returns. That felt closer to what we were actually doing.