Lissie has today released the new compilation ‘Watch Over Me (Early Works 2002-2009)’. A must have collection for fans, the album finds Lissie delving into the archives with a set of songs which document her formative years as a musician and songwriter. To coincide, she also shares the previously unreleased track ‘It’s The Alcohol’.
From the hymnal acoustics of the album’s opening song and title track through to the closing live performance of ‘Simple Woman’, Lissie demonstrates the early talent that she would later refine with her global breakthrough album ‘Catching A Tiger’.
The album also features ‘It’s The Alcohol’, a dramatic, soul-tinged folk-rocker full of sweet, swirling vocal harmonies. The song is also notable as Band of Horses duo Ben Bridwell and Bill Reynolds played a part in its creation. Lissie takes up the story:
“‘It’s the Alcohol’ was a very interesting song to make and I’m so glad that people are finally hearing it. In 2007 I became friends with a very talented producer Bill Reynolds. We started working on music together and he would go on to produce my music for years to come. At that time he was in Band of Horses, and this song was something he was working on for the band. I put down vocal melodies with stream-of-consciousness, kind-of gibberish-lyrics. Then Ben Bridwell would interpret the melodies and gibberish, translating it into a more fleshed out song.
Ultimately they didn’t use the song and then I reinterpreted the new melodies and words into the finished version. Bill had tracked the instrumental with an incredible group of musicians which I later added my vocal to. We had our German friend Inez singing ‘Ich glaube daran’ in the background which means ‘I believe in it’. In the end, it transformed into a song about believing in and trying to help a friend that is going through a hard time.”
‘It’s The Alcohol’ represents another fascinating snapshot of Lissie’s evolution as a songwriter. That mix of youthful optimism and constant artistic development is what makes ‘Watch Over Me (Early Works 2002-2009)’ such an engaging experience. She adds:
“‘Watch Over Me (Early Works 2002-2009)’ is a collection of the songs that I wrote not long out of high school, in college and in my early years in Los Angeles While these songs didn’t make the cut when I created my debut album ‘Catching a Tiger’, they are near and dear to my heart. They represent formative moments in my life and I find their themes coming up time and time again.
‘Hey Boy’ was written in 2002, birthed in the male-dominated band scene, as I navigated the nightclubs of Ft. Collins, Colorado. While my college days were short lived, those were the first experiences in which I thought of myself as a ‘musician’. I wrote ‘Simple Woman’ in 2003 when I was studying abroad in Paris, France and our group took a trip to Honfleur. I remember looking out at the sea, singing those words to myself as I tasted some of my first sips of freedom and independence, wondering where my life would take me. I wrote ‘Watch Over Me’ not long after I moved to Los Angeles, because I knew that I’d need it! That invisible plea served me in the years to come when my faith was tested, lighting a fire in my young heart to keep going. And so on…
While these songs weren’t ‘hits’, their profundity has become clearer than ever. For the listener who has charted this journey alongside me, I hope you’ll get some insight into my life as you enjoy these songs.”
‘Watch Over Me (Early Works 2002-2009)’ completes Lissie’
