Lil P // Lilia

What is your name and DJ name?

My name is Lilia, and my DJ name is Lil P.

What is the name of your show? When is it?

Freeballin’ with Lil P and it’s on at noon on Fridays.

What is your show’s format? What do you play?

I play soul from about 1958 to 1963, more or less, because it’s R&B influenced, and I like it when it’s a little rougher. I don’t like smooth, saccharine music. I play garage rock, usually from ‘65 to ‘69. I like a lot of international psychedelic garage and pop. I like 60s international pop music, especially Italian (because they have gusto), and weird oddities. I like throwing in music sung by kids, or raunchy blues – little pieces of fun.

What drew you to participate in KMRD?

My friend Westin had a show and invited me to guest-DJ. I had such a good time playing a variety of hits, from Brazilian psych to growly soul, and someone called in and they liked it, and I decided I would try to get a show because I thought it would be fun to experiment. 

And what kept me here is the open-ness, the community, the variety. This is the most unique community that I have been involved with. 

What is the appeal of doing a radio show? How does it fit into the rest of your life?

It makes me cool. Everyone thinks I’m cool because I have a radio show.

You know what I like about it? It helps me explore and learn. I don’t know if I would be digging into music, researching music, exploring as much – actually I know I wouldn’t be. The radio show gives me incentive to look into rare music and explore the oddities of human recording. Having this radio program makes me feel more connected to my creative side. And it also got me my bar DJ gig: I’m DJing the first and third Mondays of the month at the Matador, 10 to 2. 

What difference has being a DJ made in your life?

It has helped connect me to people I wouldn’t know otherwise: it’s expanded my friendship whirlwind. For instance, my friend worked at a frame shop and she turned it on, and they would listen to it while working, and through that I made friends who work there, who come to my DJ nights. I’ve made a friend in Alamogordo who listens to it. My friend Bruce has a graphic design company in Baltimore, and they listen to it, and because of that I’ve made friends there. In addition to that, I’ve expanded my knowledge of music, because I’ve had a reason to search. I’ve become more involved in the Madrid community, which is wonderful. It’s what I wish Santa Fe still was: creative, less gentrified, full of unique people. 

What are your hopes for your show? What are your hopes for the station?

The show, I’m pretty happy with it now. I’d like to prepare a little better, and have fewer hiccups. I’d like to play music I haven’t played before. I’ve been a DJ for three and a half years, and I find that I can play the same songs that I love repeated. I try not to play them more than once a year. But I guess my hopes are that I can continue to uncover music that I love and I haven’t played form the eras that inspire me. 

I feel like the station is incredible, and it doesn’t need me to hope to keep expanding. I can’t wait until the music studio is built. It’s the best radio station ever; everyone works so hard. 

I want to have roller skating nights!