Lilly Hiatt
Lilly Hiatt Credit: Jody Domingue

Tennessee musician Lilly Hiatt brings the  emotion that defines both her songwriting and her city to Orlando for the Modern Music Movement’s Nashville South 7 show.

Hiatt balances folky singer-songwriter authenticity with the grit and power of alternative rock. Her fourth album, Forever (2025), is a reflection on the four years between the release of Forever and Hiatt’s previous album, 2020’s Walking Proof. 

“I’m not ever trying to gun for some sort of trendiness, but sometimes it just so happens that a style of music people are rediscovering is kind of the style of music I make,” Hiatt tells Orlando Weekly.

Hiatt’s Forever follows her journey of falling in love, moving to a new house and starting fresh as a musician. 

“[This album] is a little more focused than maybe all the other things I’ve done,” Hiatt says. “It knows what it’s doing, and there’s no lollygagging on it too much.” The album was recorded and produced in Hiatt’s home studio, with every song going through Paul Kolderie, whose CV includes work with alt-luminaries like Hole, Radiohead and Pixies. 

There’s a prominent alternative rock sound on Forever, which Hiatt explains is a consistent underlying influence. “I did grow up on all the grunge bands and I worshiped Hole and Pearl Jam,” Hiatt says. “So it’s just only natural, like that is how I learned to play guitar.”

Coley Hilson, Hiatt’s husband, also played a major role in the production of Forever. Hilson and Hiatt share similar musical influences, Hiatt explains. “My husband, Coley, played a lot on the record, too. He’s the same as me, you know. So that’s just kind of where our ears took us,” Hiatt says. 

Forever’s themes unfurled naturally, Hiatt says. “It’s usually based on the first song I make for the record, which the first one on [Forever] was ‘Hidden Day.’ So that set a tone of a sonic environment, and then I just go off that,” Hiatt says.

Hiatt embarked on a solo tour over the winter. A longtime member of rock bands, Hiatt has over time learned to navigate the stage solo.

 “It’s more of a ‘hanging out in somebody’s living room’ vibe than like you’re at a rock show,” Hiatt says. “I’m more open when I’m by myself because I don’t get too nervous about my banter, because I’m not sharing a stage with anyone. So usually some stories get told, and we laugh and I play my tunes.”

Nashville-based Hiatt plans to bring a taste of Music City to Orlando for her Nashville South performance at Ten10 Brewing Co.’s BSide room.

“When I think of the Nashville spirit, I want to perform well, like I want to represent the skill aptly, I try to stay sharp and practiced and ready to go,” Hiatt says. “But also, there’s going to be some quirkiness in there, because that’s part of the Nashville spirit too.”

White is someone well-acquainted with this Nashville spirit. She’s the daughter of Nashville Hall of Famer and Grammy-nominated country and rock legend John Hiatt. As she began her first major tour, she received advice from her father that the industry is a difficult one to navigate and find peace. 

“He said it’s not an easy industry, it’s not an easy business to find peace in,” Hiatt says. “But he said it in a way where he was insinuating that it’s possible, but it’s going to take some work to keep your head grounded and peaceful through doing this for your life.”

On Forever, Hiatt sings songs of growth, change and a learned appreciation for stability.

“This is the most settled my life has ever been. I used to really thrive off it being unsettled. And I still do to some extent,” Hiatt says. “There is a stability that I’ve learned is just as powerful as the high you get off of playing music.”

Hiatt has been vocal about music being a positive and healing force for both herself and the audience. 

“I think there’s a lot to be troubled about now, and rightfully so, and I spend a lot of time mulling those things over,” Hiatt says. “But also, I have to remind myself I can still go to a concert and have a good time and laugh and hang out, like that’s part of healing stuff and it’s important. I go to shows to do that, you know? I don’t go to get, like, a sermon about something or another.”

Hiatt just wants her Orlando audience to feel connected and a li’l rejuvenated. “I just hope they leave feeling like their soul got fed something. It’s just that feeling you get when you’re like, ‘My heart feels good tonight after that.’”

Nashville South 7: Lilly Hiatt — 8 p.m. Saturday, April 25; Ten10 Brewing Co., 1010 Virginia Drive; ten10brewingcompany.com; $10.

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This article appears in April 22-28, 2026.