Née Elisabeth Maurus in Rock Island (Ill.) in 1982, singer-songwriter Lissie has built a huge worldwide fan base. Her current single “Everywhere I Go” is lifted off her album Catching a Tiger and includes her live performance of the classic “Stairway to Heaven” from the BBC2 Radio Sessions. Lissie has also recorded a cover of Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance.”
Described on her web-site as “A straight-talking Midwestern girl, all flaxen hair and big blue eyes, and this girl is smart and gutsy and tough, with a big old voice to match it: Laurel Canyon prettiness stewed in campfire and bourbon,” next year might just be Lissie’s!
Already, she’s been embraced by British music critics (including Q, The Sun, The Sunday Times) but Lissie has still not got the major breakthrough as Eliza Doolittle and Ellie Goulding. Catching a Tiger did manage to reach No.12 on the UK album chart, also appearing on the Billboard Top Heatseekers and Folk Albums charts. This is her first album on a major label, but did release an eponymous album in 2007 and Catching a Tiger was preceded by the EP Why You Runnin’ (Nov.09).
Her biggest market is, lo and behold, Norway. Her debut set peaked at No.9 earlier this year, Norwegian music critics hail the album and “When I’m Alone” made it all the way to No.2 on the singles chart. VG gave it the highest mark saying “with a slack slap both Sheryl Crow and Stevie Nicks especially from its heyday in the voice Lissie playing through an impressive variety of songs, from ballads through intense clean retropop beads to more life-affirming rockers with the sun in the hippie hair.” Aftenposten compares Lissie to Amy Winehouse and Duffy, given it 5/6.
“When I’m Alone,” “In Sleep” and “Everywhere I Go” are the most popular tracks via last.FM.
