3,2,1 Let Go: Lisa Loeb is Coming to Vinyl and Toronto Q&A
You all know Lisa Loeb… in fact, I’m going to give you a minute to sing Stay (I Missed You) to yourself. Do it out loud, don’t be ashamed!
What you might not have known is that the 90s indie pop darling is still going strong, still super busy, and finally bringing vinyl to her vast resume in the entertainment industry.
The history: Lisa Loeb burst onto the scene in 1994 with her breakout #1 hit Stay (I Missed You) from the Reality Bites soundtrack, becoming the first artist to take the number 1 spot without a recording contract. She followed that up with I Do and Let’s Forget About It and Do You Sleep? and more and more.
The now: There are children’s books and CDs, fashion, acting, touring, etc. As we’ll get to in the Q&A, Lisa Loeb is so busy it makes us tired.
Lisa also talked to us about that vinyl release of 3,2,1 Let Go and The Disappointing Pancake, about what to expect at her live shows, making kids music, being Mary Jane Watson, and more.
If you love Lisa Loeb and want to see her in Toronto on July 13 at Adelaide Hall, CLICK HERE and buy yourself a ticket.
To be honest, I’m not sure what more I can say about Lisa Loeb. She’s a known quantity, an artist we’ve loved for 2 decades, an indie pioneer, a mother, a creator, an entertainer, and we’re thankful to have had the chance to hook up with her to bring you this Q&A.
Find @lisaloeb on Twitter to learn more about her day-to-day, the music, life, and hit her with your requests for her shows. Seriously.
Now, without any further ado or fawning, please enjoy message from Lisa and our Q&A!
Q. Some people still listen to CDs in the car, streaming is taking over day-to-day play, and then vinyl is there with this vintage resurgence… what made you want to put this new music out on vinyl now?
A. The two songs that are pressed on this single are songs you just might want to listen to over and over, just like singles some of us used to buy when we were kids. Vinyl makes listening a more engaging experience; it’s really hard to skip or fast forward when you listen to this. Also, “The Disappointing Pancake” is a very visual song with a lot of word play, and so this will give people a chance to focus on the song without wondering what’s next. It’s a song I wrote for a kids’ album, “Camp Lisa”, but grownups really seem to enjoy it.
Q. Looking at your list of credits made us feel both tired and extremely under-accomplished. How do you manage to stay so busy, and what makes you want to try all of these different kinds of work?
A. I follow the work that I love to do and that I feel like I can do. Also, people bring me into collaborations too. I love creating, connecting with people through song and story, and also not feeling limited by anything really. At the end of the year, it all adds up!
Note: Lisa Loeb also has her own line of super adorable eye wear that we’re pretty sure would look amazing on you or someone like you. Check that out too… www.lisaloebeyewear.com
Q. One of your TV credits stands out to us, because we love comic books… what was it like to step into the role of Mary Jane Watson in 2003’s Spider-Man cartoon?
A. This was my foray into voice over work. It was amazing working in the room with Neil Patrick Harris, Ian Ziering, and other actors to create a version of the classic Spider-Man. With such great actors, it was fun coming up with our version of the characters, which I think represent the Spider-Man well. We did a lot of the recording like a radio play, which is unusual for many of the shows these days.
Q. Ok, back to music again. You were indie before indie had the cool/hipster love that it does right now. What is it like to look back on the 90’s and the success you had in that position?
A. It’s interesting to see that being indie is the way to go again. I think it’s always been really important to make your music and find and grow your audience in a grassroots way, and now with the internet, it’s easier to have that close connection. It’s unfortunate that the music industry is on its way to collapse when it comes to supporting musicians, but hopefully with the ability to make and communicate music to others, we’ll be able to make up for some of the shortfalls of the classic music industry.
Q. You have 2 kids of your own at home now, has that shifted your focus or goals when you’re picking projects or working on new music? Did it lead directly to the children’s books and music?
A. The kids music came before the kids. Funny, having kids has reminded me that kids really like to listen to grownup “regular” music mostly. I have a great time telling stories imaginatively about different things I would normally sing about, things like Pancakes and monsters and what to do when it rains. It’s made my grownup music more free and imaginative, which is cool.
I started doing kids music when I had opportunity to put out a record that was different than my regular records and came up with the idea of doing a kids record. I had been so inspired by “Free To Be You and Me” by Marlo Thomas and Carole King’s “Really Rosie”, both albums for kids when I was a kid, but that sounded like grownup records in their production and quality of music and lyrics. I made that first record, “Catch the Moon”, with my collaborator from college, Elizabeth Mitchell, who had made some beautiful records for kids.
I continued making kids music because I really enjoyed it, and I wanted to share my summer camp songs and write some new ones, which led to making a kids’ musical, “Camp Kappawanna,” and two illustrated kids’ books with CD’s. Most recently I was finally really inspired by my kids when I recorded the “Nursery Rhyme Parade!” , an album of classic nursery rhymes in a very intimate way to help parents and other caregivers and teachers really connect with the kids in their lives. I realized once I had kids, that even though I like writing originals, kids really enjoy hearing songs that they know, recorded by real people and real voices. Also, a lot of us have forgotten how the melodies to these rhymes go.
Q. And back to the vinyl, “3,2,1 Let Go” and “The Disappointing Pancake” will be featured on the 7-inch, how excited are you to have those tracks coming out to the fans that have been there since day 1, and the fans that have joined you along the way?
A. I’m super excited. As I mentioned, these songs can really stand alone and represent the kind of music I love making. And, the artwork is awesome too. So even if you don’t have a turntable, it’s cool to look at.
Q. Last question, we know a lot of people that are excited to see you when you come to Toronto on tour. In 50 words or so, can you tell them what they can expect when they show up at Adelaide Hall for your show?
A. You’ll hear the songs you know from my entire career so far, some new songs that you’ll like, a couple of kids songs, and then you control the rest. Make requests at the show or via social media and there’s a good chance I’ll play them: sometimes it’s a bunch of newer songs, sometimes it ends up being almost the entire “Firecracker” album, or just a lot of stories. It’ll be an intimate acoustic show.
Q. Sorry, we lied, 1 more question. We love asking this one. If we got a look at your playlist right now, what artists would we find in your top 3?
A. Top three now are, other than me. (geez… I’m working on a new album, so I’m listening to the music a lot now to get it right), David Bowie, and Purity Ring- my daughter loves their album, so we listen to it a lot in the car and Haim.
all photos via Facebook.
creator of content, daddy blogger, writer, coffee drinker, fan of the Batman. proud mo bro. prouder dad.
