01
Title: Clarion Call
Artist: Delphic

Losing Lila starts with an epic chase scene through the back streets and over the rooftops of Mexico City. This song has the beat that really makes me feel the adrenaline.

02
Title: Standing On The Shore
Artist: Empire Of The Sun

This song will make sense once you read the book. There’s a literal shore that Lila’s standing on. I love Empire of the Sun. This song is really full of emotion. The sense of waiting and pent up adrenaline.

03
Title: A Night Like This
Artist: The Cure

The way you look at me now…this song is all about Alex and Lila. He’s coming to find her. My romantic heart breaks…

04
Title: Blank Slate
Artist: The National

We all know that Lila has trouble hiding her emotions. This song is what’s going on in her head when she heads back to the base. She knows she’s got to keep it together. I imagine her listening to this song on her way back.

05
Title: Howl
Artist: Florence and The Machine

This is another song that sums up how Lila is feeling around a third of the way into the book. This song for me at any rate makes me feel all her panic and pain and fear.

06
Title: I Feel Better
Artist: Hot Chip

Don’t you love this song? How did we get ourselves so lost?…kind of perfect lyrics. If you read the book this is the song that plays during the scene Lila & Alex take a walk along the pier at night.

07
Title: Quicksand
Artist: La Roux

La Roux’s Cover My Eyes was THE song for me when I wrote Hunting Lila. I listened to it obsessively. It was Lila’s theme song. And in the sequel, this song encapsulates for me an image of Lila in a very sticky situation. She’s all alone, surrounded by the enemy and trying to find an escape route.

08
Title: Set Fire To The Third Bar
Artist: Snow Patrol & Martha Wainwright

There’s another scene in the Seven Eleven (remember where Lila first me Key?)…and this song is playing in the background.

09
Title: Crystalised
Artist: The XX

Without giving too much away, if you listen to the lyrics and then read the book, you’ll know when this song plays. There’s a boat involved…and an argument. And violence. uh oh.

10
Title: Keep The Streets Empty For Me
Artist: Fever Ray

There’s something really eerie about this song, don’t you think? There’s a reason they need the streets kept empty.

11
Title: Quelqu’un m’a dit
Artist: Carla Bruni

If you speak French you’ll know that she’s singing ‘someone told me that you still love me…’ which is very appropriate at a certain point in the book. But that’s all I’m saying.

12
Title: Time Is Running Out
Artist: Muse

This song is set in the final action-packed scenes when time is really running out and they’re under pressure and everything is going wrong. Can they figure out a plan before it really is too late?

13
Title: Hope There’s Someone
Artist: Anthony & The Johnsons

I always cry my eyes out when I listen to this song. This song plays towards the end, in a scene involving some of our favourite characters, and it’s heartbreaking.

14
Title: Forever After Days
Artist: The National

Another song that makes me cry. This is the song for the final scene in Losing Lila. You’ll be able to guess who and what it’s about…