You Oughta Know : Lissie

Just a girl, her voice, her guitar and her band is the perfect way to describe Lissie's sound. Born and raised Lissie Maurus in Rock Island, Illinois, the folk-pop singer-songwriter's music captures a midwestern sensibility: heartfelt, quirky, natural. Lissie's pipes have been ranked with Sheryl Crow, Chrissie Hynde, Stevie Nicks and many other rock 'n' roll women who have marched to their own soul-stirring beats. And now, though she's not really comfortable with the comparisons, Lissie is out to prove she's the real deal - not just part of a here today, gone tomorrow trend. Lissie's careful folk, rock, blues blend lays bare an artist with something to say, while her persistence from 2004 (when she launched herself into the music scene, setting up a night a... More»

Just a girl, her voice, her guitar and her band is the perfect way to describe Lissie's sound. Born and raised Lissie Maurus in Rock Island, Illinois, the folk-pop singer-songwriter's music captures a midwestern sensibility: heartfelt, quirky, natural. Lissie's pipes have been ranked with Sheryl Crow, Chrissie Hynde, Stevie Nicks and many other rock 'n' roll women who have marched to their own soul-stirring beats. And now, though she's not really comfortable with the comparisons, Lissie is out to prove she's the real deal - not just part of a here today, gone tomorrow trend. Lissie's careful folk, rock, blues blend lays bare an artist with something to say, while her persistence from 2004 (when she launched herself into the music scene, setting up a night at a Hollywood bar called Beachwood Rockers' Society) to 2007 when she self-released an EP and pushed for - and got - radio play showcases a self-confident grit that's getting her noticed. In 2008, veteran rocker Lenny Kravitz heard Lissie's songs on her MySpace page and asked her to open for him on tour. She was signed by Sony a year later. Then, just as a widely-circulated YouTube cover of Lady Gaga's 'Bad Romance' further upped her profile, she did something decidely atypical for an up-and-coming star, but absolutely Lissie: she quit L.A., moving to the small town of Ojai, California with her dog to continue focusing on her music. And that's just Lissie -- not overdoing it, staying true, staying genuine.«Less