Lissie Maurus … One of Those Voices

Ten Topics in 2010

By Jim Calder

Any music fan will tell you that there are voices that stick inside of your head and voices that get shut out and shut down by the miniature hydro powered vaults that we place on our ear drums, which are directly connected to the “Music Taste” sections of our brains. There are voices that the naked ear can hear in just minutes and know that the word “special” is far too simple to use as a description. The amazingly beautiful words for these voices have yet to be invented. The feeling comes over you quickly like a rush of caffeine. You feel like you are in an exclusive invite only club. The club of secret insiders who realize that an artist is about to be huge before the rest of the world knows it.
Lissie Maurus is one of those voices … and I am inviting you to the club.

In November 2009 my wife and I walked into the Tower Theater outside of Philadelphia to see Ray LaMontagne perform. As we made our way to our seats we weren’t prepared for the opening act – a charming, seductive, powerful and soulful voice emulating from the blonde haired young women down front. Enter Lissie Maurus. I must admit I first heard Lissie a few days earlier when her song “Little Lovin” was being played on WXPN in Philadelphia, but I didn’t realize it at the time. Either way, “Little Lovin” had made an impact on my brain.
I have always been a fan of people who are and continue to be approachable. I found Lissie on Facebook and she agreed to do this interview with ProLong Magazine.
Listen to Lissie’s song that first hooked the staff at ProLong Magazine now as you read this article.

	Lissie – Little Lovin’ .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

Topic 1 – Ray LaMontagne

ProLong Magazine (PLM): Can you talk about how you ended up touring with Ray LaMontagne, the first time you met him and how this tour has given you additional exposure?
Lissie Maurus (LM): I have the same booking agent as Ray. I guess he was sent a bunch of CDs of possible openers and he ended up going with me. The first night he introduced himself, he gave me flowers and said if I needed anything to let him know. He is very kind. It was fantastic to open for such an amazing and powerful artist like Ray. He inspired me with the huge crowds he’d pull in and their passion for him. Of course it was great exposure. His audiences listen. I’ve been doing my own shows here and there and opening for other groups as well, a combination of both.

Topic 2 – Start in Music, Annie and the Smell of Hair Spray

PLM: We recently read that you started singing in the play Annie in school. Do you remember the first time you were on stage singing alone in front of an audience? What did that experience trigger inside of you that made you want to pursue a career in music?
LM: When I was really young, I always hummed and sang. At age five I started taking these dancing/singing/acting classes with a local kid’s group. We’d put on shows and I remembered loving the night of the show. That excitement leading up to the show, then performing and how rewarding and exhilarating it was, even at that young age, the thrill hooked me! It was an experience I would always associate with the smell of hair spray for some reason, which is strange because I never use it. But it was that big event that I loved! When I was nine I auditioned to be Annie in a local dinner theatre of my own accord. I ended up doing 80 shows and felt like it was where i was most comfortable! It felt good to have the vibration of singing coming out of my throat and into a space. First time, not sure … but those were the early days.

Topic 3 – The EP

PLM: You released your EP “Why You Runnin” with Fat Possum Records . Please describe what the release of the EP has meant to you and how long it has been in the making?
LM: It’s been fantastic to have some music out. I’ve been playing for years, recording in bits and pieces, but it wasn’t until this last year, that a “sound” started to form. It had been unclear to me for a while because I had always played solo. But as far as the EP goes, I met Bill Reynolds through mutual friends and we ended up recording some songs together over the last year or so. We took 4 of them and I also used a writing demo I’d done in London with Ed Harcourt to create this collection (the EP) … then I was able to get it to Fat Possum and a release date was set.

Topic 4 – Rock Island, Illinois to Los Angeles, California

PLM: You grew up in Rock Island, Ill., and then lived in L.A. for awhile. Tell us about this journey and what advice would you give for others who are thinking of moving to L.A. to advance their careers in the arts?
LM: Well obviously Rock Island is a lot smaller and the Midwest is incredibly different from the West coast as far as landscape, population, weather, etc. People wise … I think you have to be more of a team player in towns like where I grew up. The focus is more on the whole than the individual in a way. In LA it seems to be all about the individual, which is good in that people can truly be themselves and go for it on their own terms … but bad in that people can be more selfish and less genuinely thoughtful of others. I grew up in a blue collar kind of place so there’s a lot less emphasis on material things than in LA. I’d like to think I took the good from both places and melted it into the little stew that I am.
There are way more things to do in LA but maybe it is that the things you do in Rock Island end up getting more focused energy.
I adjusted to LA in that I found a great family of friends a year and a half in that were like minded. I sold honey for awhile at farmers market to make some dough and get outside. I think that LA is different for everyone. I think people need to really hang on to who they are if they move there because ultimately that’s what makes a person interesting. You gotta work hard and balance staying open to new people with setting up clear boundaries. And so much of advancing your career is honing your skill and meeting people … and probably luck!

Topic 5 – An UnSquashable Spirit

PLM: Is it true that you were kicked out of high school and how has that experience has influenced your music?
LM: I was but I don’t want to go into it. But it shaped me in that it kept me focused on establishing that I was a good person who meant well but needed to break away from anything that tried to squash my spirit.

Topic 6- Artist Influence

PLM: What artists have influenced your sound, music style and your lyrics?
LM: Everything from folk to musicals to female singer songwriters to classic rock, jam rock, country, reggae, rap, pop … you name it! A bit of it all found its way into my view of music. But mostly I don’t think about it and I just do what feels right.

Topic 7 – Passion

PLM: When you are not singing or writing lyrics what areas of life are you passionate about?
LM: Being outdoors, chilling with the pup, cooking, homemaking, watching funny shows and films, spending time with friends and family.

Topic 8 – Off The Beaten Track

PLM: You live with your dog, in a farmhouse in Ojai, California, away from the beaten and obvious track of LA’s music scene. Why have you chosen to remove yourself from the day to day LA scene?
LM: I wanted a yard and to be closer to nature. My dog needed a yard. I wanted to spend more time alone. I wanted to get away from traffic and certain hassles. I still pop into LA from time to time when I need to see/play music with friends or yearn for a bit of excitement!

Topic 9 – Interesting Family Line

PLM: Your family line has a lot of history: a grandfather who was an international barbershop quartet champion, a great-grandfather who was a train-jumping hobo on the famous Rock Island Line, and a father who delivered you at birth. How do you channel these people and experiences in your music?
LM: I’m not sure how … I’ve inherited passion and conviction and a need for adventure I guess.

Topic 10 – Living Life

PLM: ProLong Magazine is about increasing the life in your years. Do you have any tips or advice for our readers; for how you have managed to balance building your music career and still have time for friends, family, pets, and other hobbies?
LM: Just staying in the present, having faith and doing my best to enjoy my experiences as they’re happening has helped each separate part of my life feel richer and more wonderful when I’m able to be in it.

Photos courtesy of www.myspace.com/lissiemusic

Ten Topics in 2010 is a new column by ProLong Magazine. It takes a look at different topics for a person that we feel is making a mark in 2010.For more information on Lissie visit Lissie’s MySpace Page


Jim Calder is the brand architect and co-founder of ProLong Magazine. Jim was born with the perfect combination of cockiness and self consciousness. He has over 10 years of publishing industry experience and lives and works in Philadelphia, Pa. He currently can be found on the greatest adventure of his life as a newlywed with his wife Melissa. Jim can be contacted via email at jim@prolongmagazine.com

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