Lilies of David didn’t set out to become a band.  

Originating as an alternative pop duo between Jeremy Rotolo and Dierdra McGrath, the project has since evolved into a five-piece band, joined by Michael Pulice (lead guitar), Matt Sonzogni (bass), and Derek Arnheiter (drums). 

“I kind of indirectly found out she could sing,” recalled Rotolo, who plays rhythm guitar and provides lead vocals. “And it was my SoundCloud clips from back in the day,” joked McGrath, the group’s lead vocalist. 

The discovery happened during the pandemic, when both were working in the restaurant industry and suddenly found themselves with time on their hands. 

“We weren’t looking to do anything,” McGrath explained. “But, then we just started getting really curious about what we were finding.” That curiosity continued to grow. “And then it just kept going, the momentum just built upon that.

While both had musical backgrounds, Rotolo believes the songs themselves shaped what would become the band’s identity. “We’re just average artists, nothing crazy,” he shrugs. “The important thing is that the songs we were writing are really what formed the band. The songs we write have something in them.” 

“For me, it starts with basic chords, and on top of those, I’ll find a cool melody, and then we’ll want to explore that,” McGrath explained. 

“Then, I’ll bring that melody somewhere, and it just kind of organically happens,” Rotolo added.

“It’s really like a puzzle piece to us; we don’t quite understand what we’re doing until after the song is made,” Rotolo continued. “You realize the meaning, whether it be from your subconscious or your influences, and that’s, for me, the greatest thing about being in a band, the songwriting process. That’s my favorite process, because it’s so freeing, it’s so open.” 

Their name, Lilies of David, which came to Rotolo “almost in a spiritual way,” emulates one of their defining characteristics: contrast. 

“I think contrasting is a good word for us,” Rotolo said. “We have two lead singers – a female lead singer and a male lead singer. The way that we produce music has a lot of dynamics and contrast…genres that bend all over the place.”

Officially described as alternative pop, Rotolo and McGrath lean into the “pop” part of their genre without hesitation and embrace the influences that come alongside it. McGrath’s powerful vocals mirror the likes of Hayley Williams and Billie Eilish, and their arrangements pull from a variety of groups ranging from the harmonies of Fleet Foxes to the structural ambitions of Led Zeppelin. 

“If you listen to all of our songs, while they’ll be different genres, we have a Bossa Nova style song, we have pop rock and punk-influenced songs, then we have straight up pop songs,” explained Rotolo. “But the throughline is that it’s all pop, and the production and the melody are what tie that together.” 

“The Beatles wrote some of the best melodies and things that are very sophisticated, but were considered a pop band,” McGrath reflected. “So, all of these people I pull from for a lot of different reasons.”

If the studio is where they puzzle their songs together, live on stage is where they set them free. The band started playing in Asbury Park, New Jersey, where the local scene quickly embraced them.

“We just started doing open mics in Asbury [Park], and from there, we had so many supportive people around us, who we didn’t even know yet,” McGrath said. “And from that, something grew.”

“What I love about playing live, and what I also hate sometimes, is you never know what it’s going to be. You can prepare yourself, know the venue, but ultimately you never know how to play it out,” McGrath elaborated. 

While the element of the unknown can add to the stress of playing live, it’s the unpredictability that allows the band to connect so strongly with their audience.

“Obviously, the unknown is always in life, and so that’s the beauty and the magic of making anything and doing anything artistically…you find new things in the moment,” Rotolo said. “I think that collaborating and supporting each other is the greatest thing that you could do in the local scene. And you hope that one of the bands makes it, because then everybody makes it, if you know what I mean.” 

The steady launch of their genre-bending singles has led to the upcoming release of their debut album, Diamonds and Ruins, arriving February 20, followed by an album release show at Asbury Lanes on February 21. While an album release was always the plan, Rotolo and McGrath did not underestimate the weight of creating it.

“If you can release a first album and stay together, then you’re good,” Rotolo said with a laugh. “It’s very testing; it takes a lot of time, a lot of energy, a lot of resources, a lot of patience. It’s a big test.” 

However, the confidence in their full band, who they say found each other indirectly, but turned out to be perfectly aligned, helped them through the process.

“There is a sense of peace in the decisions you’re making and who you’re making them with,” Rotolo explained. “Trusting your gut and your instincts, the right people will definitely surround you.”

As for that debut album? McGrath hopes that listeners get “whatever they need in that moment.” 

Rotolo echoes the sentiment: “I’m happy to be a conduit. If you connect with our song, that’s amazing, that we can contribute to your life in that way.”

Photos Courtesy of Lilies of David | Interviewed on Jan 20, 2026