anika in london

Interview: Lissie

Lissie is a talented lady from California who recently released her debut EP via Fat Possum. She has an incredible voice and I can’t wait to hear more from her. Have a listen on Myspace. She played a few shows here last year and looks set to return soon; make sure you come catch her live! You can have a look at some questions she kindly answered here:

Can you think of two sentences that rhyme to describe your sound?

Hmm… How about: Stomping my feet, edgy yet sweet.

I very much enjoy your EP, when and where did you record it? How was the recording process?

Thank you.  It was recorded in my apt. at the time in the Beachwood Canyon area of Hollywood, California, then a bit in Asheville, North Carolina, &  then at my new home in Ojai, California ( this was in chunks over the course of a year or so). It started with “Wedding Bells” just as a fun sort of experiment but because that song turned out so cool, Bill Reynolds, the producer and i just tried to meet up whenever we could to do more recording.  our style together is very natural , spontaneous and initially stripped down but would build and texturize a bit as we felt it.   After getting together 3 or 4 times (for a week at a time) we had a nice body of work… some of those songs became the EP!

How did you end up releasing via Fat Possum?

After the EP was finished, about August of ‘09,  someone i’d worked with who knew Matthew Johnson at Fat Possum sent him the tracks… He listened and liked it.  We then spoke on the phone and within a few weeks of that conversation I was putting together the art and mastering the songs to send to them for a November ‘09 release.  It was very natural and smooth, just like the recording process.

Have you got many new songs? Are you working on a record?

Yes… I have a lot of old songs too!  Lots of material gathered over the years!  Also, I have done quite a bit of recording and, fingers crossed, I will be putting out a full length of more songs I’ve done with Bill Reynolds in late March.

How long have you been playing music? Do you remember your first song? What was it about?

I have been singing for as long as I can recall. I have always found it soothing and have always had melodies in my head.  It wasn’t until high school that I taught myself guitar and began really writing songs… but my first song?  It’s funny, I think that when I was little I had this tape recorder and I remember being mad at my family for something… like I was the youngest and thought they were teasing me so I sang like an entire tape’s length of  ” go away, leave me alone, go away, I don’t wanna talk to you”… haha, that kind of stuff. I sort of put into sing song whatever it was that I was upset about and then set the tape recorder in front of my shut door, turned up the volume and pressed play to keep them out! I was probably sitting on the other side of the door hoping to get a reaction!

I also found some papers with lyrics on them in some boxes at my parents’ house a few years ago that must have been from when i was 7 or so. I was always writing and using melody to make myself feel better or to express myself. High school was the awkward angsty time though when I NEEDED to write songs so I wouldn’t go crazy!  Haha.

Your voice is amazing. Do you have a musical family/background?

Thank you.  Yes, my grandfather was an international barbershop quartet champion and my grandmother has a lovely voice and sang in church… pretty much everyone in my family though on both sides can sing pretty well. Aside from my grandfather though, I’m the only one to pursue it as a career. But my mom sang me to sleep and we’d go see my grandpa in musicals and my brother could play the piano pretty well by ear… so I was around music growing up.

Did you enjoy your trip to London? How were the shows?

Yes , very much.  It was probably like my 5th time there and this was my best trip so far. I stayed at the Hoxton Hotel which was great and that neighborhood is cool. I love Vietnamese food and found this great spot, Caytre that i ate at almost daily!  The shows went even better than I’d hoped.  The support and response was great. We got to be on BBC 4 which was a trip!  All very positive!

Also, my band and I went to Leicester Square and there was a winter festival happening so we rode the bumper cars.  That was pretty funny. I also got to catch a cool photo exhibit at the Portrait Gallery… photos of the British musicians of the 60’s. Very cool.

Have you played many live shows? What’s been your favourite show so far?

Yes… I’m not good at favorites questions : )  They’re all good.  The best usually happen when and where I least expect it!

What are some records you’ve been listening to recently?

I don’t listen to much new music… sorry to say. I want to get better at that.  I like to listen to the Grateful Dead, Fleetwood Mac, Bobbie Gentry, Bob Dylan… or whatever my ipod decides I need to hear when it shuffles.

What are some goals for 2010?

Stay healthy.  Work hard.  Have fun!  Sell lots of records.  Play lots of cool shows.  Maybe buy a house in Iowa.  Meet a hot guy.  : )

You list ‘pie’ as one of your influences. What is your favourite type of pie? I like apple pie best.

I moved to Ojai, CA. in June.  There’s a blackberry bush in my front yard that at that time was going off… blackberries everywhere! So I’d get some fresh strawberries and raspberries and mix those with blackberries to make a berry pie.  Delish! I’ve also tried peach, nectarine (which was kinda weird) and cherry.. but the berry combo is my best one.

Make sure you have a listen! Here is her Myspace.