Lilly Smitherman's thunderous rock-solid playing gives the Southern Groove Machine a firm foundation to lean the groove on. She comes from an incredibly different background than the rest of the Machine, as she hails primarily from the Charlotte punk and rock scene, giving her a completely unique lens for rooting the band. Though distinctly local, her sound is also influenced by the sounds of Wyatt Shears, Jaco Pastorious, Thundercat, Eugene Abdukhanov, and Patrick Paige II. 

Outside of the Machine, Lilly is incredibly active in the local Charlotte scene, and plays in a number of bands. She also teaches music at We Rock Charlotte, where she is inspiring the next age of legends like herself.