Lily Vakili isn’t your typical singer-songwriter. A New Jersey-based attorney, choreographer, and playwright, she brings a multi-dimensional perspective to her craft. On this episode of Curious Goldfish, Vakili joins Jason English to discuss her latest album, Oceans of Kansas, a record born from the remnants of her previous project, the Vakili Band.

The album’s title was sparked by a visit to the Sternberg Museum of Natural History in Hayes, Kansas, where Vakili learned the region was an ocean 80 million years ago. This geological "unearthing" became a poetic framework for her solo transition. "It just meant a lot to me in terms of how I think about... unearthing things, rediscovering things, finding things I didn't even know were there," Vakili explains.

Vakili speaks candidly about the "shock to the system" of raising a son with significant medical needs and an autism diagnosis. She credits this experience with building her "resiliency muscle," noting that "resiliency comes from going through change". She shares a transformative lesson from her son's school: assumed competence. By starting from the premise that every person is capable, Vakili has found the courage to be "more nervy" in her music, stretching her vocal and stylistic boundaries.

Born in Honduras and raised by a research scientist who traveled the world, Vakili’s worldview is rooted in community and "decent rights". While she avoids the "clap trap nonsense of hatred and division," she views music as the ultimate universal connector. For Vakili, songwriting is a way to "connect with people... without necessarily having a discussion."