Lilli Worona has lived in Central Oregon long enough to consider it home. And she’s been a player in the local music scene long enough to be a fixture. Her sophomore album, “Maritime Siren,” is set to drop on July 25. In a press release, it is described as “a vulnerable storytelling album with themes of love, connection to past and personal reckoning.” The 10-track album blends “poetic storytelling with rich classical and Americana roots,” with early comparisons to artists like Kacey Musgraves and Nicki Bluhm,” according to the release.
Worona says, “This record speaks to reminiscing about the past, while curiously moving forward into an undetermined future. It also has a touch of fantasy; for example, the title track is loosely based around a classic tale from Greek mythology. I think this album’s diversity of themes and content is what really sets it apart.”
The album was produced by Central Oregon’s Brent Alan of Brent Alan Studios in Sisters.
Worona released her first album, “Between the Lines,” containing 10 original songs, in 2021 during the pandemic. Since moving to Bend in 2007, she has sung and played fiddle and guitar with the bands Broken Down Guitars and Dry Canyon Stampede, as well as the trio Grits ‘n’ Gravy, and duo projects with John Shipe from Eugene and Mike Biggers from Sisters. All this while working as a part-time science teacher at Elton Gregory Middle School in Redmond.
Worona was born outside of Boston, where she grew up. She attended college in upstate New York before relocating to Bend where she lived for six years before moving to Redmond in 2013. She says she rented a small cabin on a farm on the border of Terrebonne for six years before she and her husband bought their first house in 2019 in southwest Redmond.
Worona made time in her busy schedule to respond to emailed questions submitted by the Source.
the Source: Who were your musical influences while you were growing up?
Lilli Worona: My dad is a classically trained vocalist who sang for our synagogue and urged my brother and me to play music from a very young age. I grew up idolizing classical string players like Vanessa Mae, Midori and YoYo Ma. When I got a little older and could afford to buy my own CDs (and pick them out myself!), I was a total 90’s pop/rock girl who loved No Doubt, Garbage, Incubus, Nirvana and TLC.
tS: How and when did you first get into making music?
LW: I’ve been a musician my whole life; I started taking classical violin lessons when I was six years old and my father coached me vocally, as well, at a young age. I performed throughout my youth in our synagogue and in local orchestras. In college I toured with a classical choral group and an all women’s a cappella group.
tS: When did you know that you wanted to make music for a living?
LW: To be honest, music has never been my primary income. I’ve been a public school teacher for the past 12 years and have played music on the side to make a little supplementary income, but mostly because I’ve never known a life without music and it’s a hugely important part of my life. The past two years I decided to move to a part-time teaching schedule so that I could have time to record my second album and to expand my performance schedule to other parts of the state. I also started teaching private violin and voice lessons. I just finished my school year and have decided that I’m not going to return to my teaching position next school year. I’m currently in the process of trying to decide if I will pursue music full time (more performances and lessons) or if I will find another part-time position to supplement music.
tS: Any family members who you want to mention?
LW: My extended family mostly lives on the east coast, and I feel super lucky to have a really robust chosen family in Central Oregon. I am married; my husband Dave and I have been partnered since we were 22 years old. Dave is an ER nurse in Redmond and super supportive of my music. We don’t have any kids, but we are auntie and uncle to our close friends’ kiddos and they are some of our favorite humans. We also have an adorable 14-year-old cat.
tS: How is the upcoming album different from the first?
LW: My first album was born out of an aching to make music when I wasn’t able to perform due to the pandemic. Most of the songs on my first album were written during my 20s and early 30s, and were mostly first-person songs about me, a young millennial trying to navigate adulthood. In contrast, all of the songs on the new album, “Maritime Siren,” were written in the last four years, a time where I’ve really been delving more deeply into the craft of lyrically driven songwriting. My goal in creating this second album was to focus more on the folk tradition of telling stories through song, and therefore I spent a lot more energy this time around getting the words just right and trying to paint a tangible picture through the lyrics. The album as a whole is more contemplative and mellow than my first album, which is true to the subject matter and the stories within the songs.
tS: Did you have any major influences on this new record?
LW: I think the biggest influences on this album are my duo partners, John Shipe and Mike Biggers. Both of my partners are incredible songwriters and have taught me so much about the craft of songwriting. I’ve always had a knack for writing a strong melody, but writing illustrative and complex lyrics has been a big learning curve! Mike and John have really helped me to hone this craft and I’m super inspired by their musical guidance. Additionally, over the past 10 years, I have taken a deep dive into folk and Americana music. I grew up mostly with classical music, so I’ve had a lot of catching up to do. I’m super inspired by songwriting legends such as Dolly Parton and John Prine, and more recent artists such as Brandi Carlile, Sierra Ferrell and Jason Isbell.
This article appears in Source Weekly July 24, 2025.
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