It's no secret that women can rock just as hard, if not harder, than men. But there seems to be a disparity when it comes to their representation in the music industry. They are topping the charts but barely getting any slots at big name festivals (this years Coachella lineup is 90 percent male). To do what we can to celebrate these women and give them the positive recognition they deserve, each week Music Times will introduce you to a female in the music industry whom we love.
Singer-songwriters, rappers, DJs, producers, filmmakers, and any woman who is part of the music industry is fair game for this segment. So read on, and get to know the women who continue to wow us. This week we'd like to show off ...
Name: Lissie (born Elisabeth Maurus)
Age: 30
Profession: Singer-songwriter
From: Rock Island, Illinois
Why We Love Her: She can cover a Lady Gaga or Kid Cudi song and make it sound honest rather than ironic, and she can do a mean Fleetwood Mac cover. Growing up in the Midwest, she had a childhood that many of her fans can relate to. It's been a long road, and she's worked hard, done her time and is now living her dream. Not to mention she plays rhythm guitar like a lead player and has the voice of a modern-day Stevie Nicks.
Background: Lissie began performing at a young age from playing parts in musicals (she played the lead in Annie) to playing coffee shops. She studied for two years at Colorado State University in Fort Collins where she would open for bands coming through; then she studied abroad in Paris for a year. When she came back, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music.
In 2007, she released an EP and within a year was opening for Lenny Kravtiz on his Love Revolution Tour. Her song "The Longest Road," which she co-wrote with DJ Morgan Page, reached No. 4 on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Songs. In 2009, she released the EP Why You Running, produced by Band of Horses' Bill Reynolds via Fat Possum Records.
She also signed with Sony Music U.K's Columbia records and put out her debut LP Catching a Tiger in 2010, which received great reviews in the U.S. and U.K. She finally released its follow up last month, the 13-track effort, Back To Forever.
Fun Facts: She was expelled her senior year of high school for "over something stupid that I did." She also used to sell honey at farmer's markets and work at Urban Outfitters to make ends meet.
What Now: She is currently on a North American and European tour in support of Back To Forever.
Watch: Check out the video for her single "Sleepwalking" of Back To Forever.
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