Lissie

Lissie Maurus (born 1982), known by her stage name Lissie, is an American folk rock artist. She released her debut EP, "Why You Runnin'", in November 2009. Her debut album, Catching a Tiger, was released in June 2010. Lissie is from along the banks of the Mississippi, Rock Island, Illinois. Why You Runnin' - the Fat Possum released & Bill Reynolds (Band Of Horses) produced - EP released in the US late last year, earned the young singer high praise, with coverage in Bust, Filter, Marie Claire, Nylon, and Under The Radar to name but a few. In addition to the recent 'Best of What's Next' profile in Paste, the Boston Globe included her in their 'Names To Know' in 2010 feature, declaring she is "...not so much a soul singer as she is an incredibly soulful Americana artist who finds the sepia-toned sweet spot between Neko Case, Laura Marling, and the Shangri-Las." Comparisons such as these and with other luminaries like Stevie Nicks & Chrissie Hynde may already be coming thick and fast, but in 2010 you'll have a chance to discover who Lissie really is for yourselves; an artist as relevant to the present day as at peace with the artistry of the last four decades. Recorded mostly in Nashville late last year with Jacquire King (Kings of Leon), as well as further sessions with Bill Reynolds and Ed Harcourt, Lissie's debut album which will follow this summer is packed full of surprises. For starters there is a voice that crackles with the influence of the blues as much as it does with say folk music, and a range and delivery that could put most rock singers to shame. Then more importantly there are the songs; where wonderfully brooding & emotionally charged stories mix with a magical warmth that feels as at home blasting out of a radio today as it does driving across the desert with the wind in your hair. Lissie lives by herself, with her dog, in a farmhouse in Ojai, California, away from the beaten & obvious track of LA's music scene. There are many things from her life & history that make these songs and her spirit possible, some of it in deference to that spirit: having a grandfather who was an international barbershop quartet champion, having a great-grandfather who was a train-jumping hobo on this famous Rock Island Line (the Cash song of the same name Lissie has played in hometown gigs), a father who delivered her at her birth, getting kicked out of high school, selling honey for living money upon coming to LA and an inability to separate herself from this Midwestern city. Lissie will plays a run of US dates as special guests to The Low Anthem en route to several appearances at this year's SXSW festival. These US shows come off the back of recent London shows & previous US tours as special guests to Ray Lamontagne & City and Colour that have seen Lissie pick up rave reviews across the board. Lissie will then return to tour the UK this spring, with a loads of festivals to follow over the summer. Watch this space for more details!