Interview with Singer-Songwriter Lisa Loeb

          Lisa Loeb is a singer/songwriter, producer, touring artist, actor, author and philanthropist who started her career with the platinum-selling number 1 hit song, “Stay (I Missed You)” from the film Reality Bites, as well as two back-to-back albums that were certified Gold--Tails and Firecracker. A trailblazing independent artist, Lisa was the first musician to have a number 1 single while not signed to a recording contract. She followed that remarkable feat with the hit singles, "Do You Sleep," "I Do" and "Let's Forget about It” and the albums Cake and Pie, The Way it Really Is, and No Fairy Tale. 
        
         A native of Dallas, Loeb earned a degree in comparative literature from Brown University, where she experienced her first taste of real musical success with the duo Liz and Lisa (with Elizabeth Mitchell of Ida). The pair built a substantial following on campus and often booked shows in New York on the weekends. Fellow singer-songwriter Duncan Sheik also played in the band during Loeb’s final year of college. 
     
       When Loeb moved to New York City after graduation, she continued to develop her vision, this time as a solo artist, and hone her artistic talents while carefully managing the business side of her career. This led to Reality Bites and “Stay” in 1994, and the rest, as they say, is history. The fact that “Stay” became a number one single in 1994 and still resonates with people today is a testament to Loeb’s gift as a songwriter and storyteller. 



AHC: What has this journey, this life in music, so far, been like for you, the highs and the lows, and what life lessons do you feel you've picked up along the way?

Lisa: I feel like I’ve learned that there is always something to learn from every experience, high or low.  I’ve loved having popular songs on the radio that people know all of the words to, and the challenges of developing my own businesses and exploring different genres of music including musical theater and kids’ music. I’ve realized that connecting with people and telling my stories and hearing other people’s stories is always valuable and really creates a rich life.  I’ve also learned that collaboration can be really satisfying, creative and productive. 
 
AHC: What first drew you to music and what was your early musical environment like growing up? Were there pivotal songs for you then that just floored you the moment you heard them?

Lisa: I was always surrounded by music growing up: my parents played records and the radio all of the time, my father played piano in the house, my older brother played classical music, my sisters and brothers and I also had a deep connection to music and our record collections.  My sister and I also took dance lessons and always enjoyed singing along with records.  I loved Raindrops Keep Falling on Your Head, which my dad used to sing with me on his lap while he played piano, I love Rainbow Connection, all of the sad songs on the radio in the 1970s, like Someone Saved my Life Tonight, Starry Starry Night, The Night the Lights Went Down in Georgia, Nights on Broadway, and the list goes on and on.  There’s another dimension that exists when you listen to songs like these.  
 
AHC: Do you remember the first song that you ever wrote?

Lisa: I wrote a song on piano when I was 6.  It had a melody that made me feel emotional when I played it, like the songs I liked listening to. 
 
AHC: Who are some of your musical inspirations? Are there certain songs or albums that you couldn't live without?

Lisa: I love Elton John, David Bowie, The Police, Queen, Olivia newton John, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, the Cure, again, the list goes on and on.  I can’t live without Brian Eno’s Music for Airports, David Bowie Ziggy Stardust and Hunky Dory, Queen Night at the Opera, Olivia Newton John Totally Hot, The Police Outlandos d’amour and Regatta de Blanc, Yaz Upstairs at Erics, and on and on...

 
AHC: What do you think makes for a good song, as you're writing and composing, is there a sudden moment when you know you've found the right mix, that perfect angle of light, so to speak?

Lisa: I think melody makes a song and how it lays across the chord progression, and then lyrics that clearly feed a story, almost like telling a story, but less literal.  
 
AHC: Could you talk some about your time with the Lilith Fair, it was an amazing moment in time for those of us watching, I wonder what it was like for you, as an artist, to be sharing the stage with so many incredibly gifted songwriters and surrounded by the huge reception and celebration for women in song that was taking place then?
 
Lisa: Although I was hesitant to be grouped together with women artists, it ended up being a wonderful community experience.  It was so amazing to meet so many different women lead singers and their bands, who were more often than not, super nice guys, with a few gals in there.  I loved the audiences who came to the shows; they were incredible listeners and could really be present for everything from the singer songwriter feeling to rock to funk, country, folk, world music, everything really.  It’s unusual to hang out with other people who also play music, so it was fun to share stories and just hang out or learn songs with the Indigo Girls, EmmyLou Harris, Joan Osbourne, of course, Sarah McLaughlin, and so many more.  

AHC: Do you consider music to be a type of healing art, the perfect vehicle through which to translate a feeling, a state of rupture, hope lost and regained? As a listener of music I have this impression, I wonder, as the artist, the creator, do you have this feeling about the transformative power of song? Does the writing and creating of the song save you in the kinds of ways that it saves us, the listener?

Lisa: Music can be healing, but not always meant to be that by the writer.  the music can be transformative, but it’s not the artists job to intend to do that.  It’s just important for the creators and performers to tap into their own vision, experiences, and styles to do their best work and the way it’s experienced by others will be what it is. 
 
AHC: What are your favorite on-tour, on-the-road memories?

Lisa: I loved climbing through the drive through window from my tour bus at Tim Horton’s donuts in Canada when I wanted to get a better look at what was available in the middle of the night. 
 
AHC: You really helped to define and shape a generation, your music is such a huge part of what the culturally sonic landscape in the 90's was, that must be an immensely rewarding experience, to have left and made that kind of impression on a decade in time, and to still be doing so, what are your feelings about your career, then, where you are now and where you're going next?
 
Lisa: Thanks so much.  That’s super kind.   I love that it continues- I experience it every time I play music in front of other people.  There’s a magical connection that happens in a live show, and I hope people also still have that with the records that i put out every couple of years.  I love people’s connection with my songs from 20 plus years ago- it’s amazing that it still feels present. 

AHC: Do you have any words of advice for other musicians and singer-songwriters out there who are just starting out and trying to find their voice and their way in this world?

Lisa: Musicians should do their thing.  They should write and perform, find collaborators if it helps them make what they want- a partner can always be a great support system.  Figure out a way to make it a business if that’s what you consider your business and find collaborators there too, especially if business isn’t your thing.  Keep an eye on your level of success and if people are responding then you should respond accordingly.  Make the art the central part, but don’t ignore what’s going on around you. Be yourself. 

AHC: Do you have any new projects in motion you'd like to tell people about?

Lisa: I’m currently out promoting and touring to support my new record, Feel What U Feel, an Amazon Originals music release.  Also, my eyewear line is ongoing and you can find frames for your cute face at www.lisaloebeyewear.com/.  I also have a non-profit called the Camp Lisa Foundation, and you can purchase my Camp Lisa album or the Lisa Loeb Wake Up! blend of coffee beans from the charitable section of www.coffeefool.com/ to contribute to the foundation that sends kids to summer camp that normally wouldn’t have the opportunity to go. 



New album, Feel What U Feel, for sale here www.amazon.com/dp/B01KVMXTIQ

For more visit www.lisaloeb.com/

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