The Way it Really Is (w/ Lisa Loeb) Interview by: Jeff Hightower

The Way it Really Is (w/ Lisa Loeb) In the music business, the mold is to be hard-nosed and ready to do anything you have to in order to further your career. Even if this includes going against your better judgment. But with all rules, there is the exception. And her name is Lisa Loeb, the lighthearted and musically soulful singer/songwriter from Dallas, Texas who decided to take the world by storm. Via music, film, & television Lisa has made her way up through the ranks to become a Grammy nominated artist who studied her trade and put in her miles to establish herself as the real deal. With a beautiful voice, seasoned writing skills, and a killer smile, she takes the stage with her trademark glasses and gives you every bit of her heart as she did when she was playing the Manhattan club circuit. And after a break from good pal Ethan Hawke, and a cut off of the soundtrack for Ben Stillers Reality Bites, it was the beginning of a career that proves, hard work and determination can get the job done. Recently, I talked with Lisa to get her thought on the music business, television, and how she got to where she is today. HM – What prompted you to take the long hard journey into the music business? LL – I started writing music when I was about 6 years old, and little by little over the years I became more and more interested in becoming a professional musician. I had admired (to put it lightly) so many bands and writers over the years, was a radio dj in highschool, interviewed bands, played in bands, wrote music, went to so many concerts I can't even name them. I studied music, learned how to work in the recording studio, worked on my "craft" and took it pretty seriously. Along the way, I quickly learned that in order to be a musician professionally, I'd need to know all about the music business. From the grassroots methods of booking and promoting my own concerts, to recording and manufacturing my own CD's (and cassette tapes), to learning about publishing: every part of the business was necessary to get my music out there. By the time I graduated from college, there were record companies and music industry types interested in what my bandmate Liz Mitchell and I were doing, so we moved to New York City after graduating from Brown University. I continued to network, attend all kinds of music conferences- CMJ, SXSW, New Music Festival, and more. We continued to gig, and record with and without demo deals, and to develop our music and our following, then I went solo (sometimes with a band). Finally in 1994, my song came out on the "Reality Bites" Soundtrack, went to #1, and I signed a record deal, a publishing deal, and just continued on my way. So, in summary, it was a slow build over many, many years, slogging it out, leading to an overnight success! I felt, early on, that the business was an important element to becoming a professional musician, and I built a great team of business folks to work with me!! HM – Why the branch out into television and how did the idea for your reality series come about? LL – I'd appeared on various TV shows and a couple of films, studied acting since I was a kid, and even created a show on the Food Network, inspired by a promotion Dweezil Zappa and I did to promote my album Cake & Pie, during which a chef-friend did a pie-making demo with us in between music performances. My reality show, #1 Single, came about after realizing that I share a lot about my personal life with my fans through songs, on-stage banter, and conversation in person and on the web. As a performer, other than playing music, the most important part of being in the public eye is this kind of human connection and community. At first I didn't want to put my life in a reality show- I was at the end of my second 6-year relationship, touring with my band, too busy with my songwriting and recording career, and just dating for the first time. Then my manager/TV producing partner, Janet Billig Rich, suggested that we do a reality show because there were so many other people going through what I was dealing with. After some experimentation to make sure I was comfortable with the idea, the E! Channel picked it up. HM – Lilith Fair was a step forward for female artist. What were your impressions and thoughts on the concept and how it came off as a celebration of female artists? LL – When Sarah McLaughlin invited me to play at the first pre-Lilith concerts, I was hesitant, at first, to separate myself out from other musicians as a "female artist." I had already spent 11 years in an all-girls school, and felt like it was important not to separate myself out as a woman. Then I heard the roster of artists- Aimee Mann, Paula Cole, Patti Smith, and I couldn't say no. I realized that it was about the celebration of great musicians who are women, and I went from there. Lilith Fair was a wonderful experience for me- it's rare that a musician can spend time with her peers, both other singer/songwriters, band musicians, and crew. It was a fantastic circus, and the audience loved it too. Because of it's "all women" label, no matter whether the musicians' style was acoustic or rock or funk or country, I do feel like there was a tone set on-stage, backstage, and in the audience of acceptance and other feminine traits (not antifeminist). HM – Being a songwriter, you understand the importance of lyric and music. Who influenced you as a writer and musician and how have you grown as a writer over the years? I listened to a great deal of music growing up in Dallas. My father played us the old standards from the 20's, 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's, the radio was always playing the great pop-rock songs of the 70's, my mother listened to musical theater albums, my older brother is a classical musician and conductor, and we also had tons of classical music around. Elton John, Queen, Bowie, the Police, Led Zeppelin, ELO, It's a Beautiful Day (the band, not the U2 song, although I like that too..), Stevie Wonder, the Beatles, and on and on and on. My sister, Debbie, and I got into New Wave bands like the Cure, the Smiths, and New Order. As I get older, I'm studying Lyle Lovett, Bob Dylan, Rickie Lee Jones, as well as newer bands. So much music, so little time! HM - What do you know now, that you wished you had known then, when you were first starting out that would have been a big help for you? LL - I think I've been very lucky to learn what I need to know at a good pace along the way. I think the main thing that would've helped me, which I often tell young songwriters, is that the only thing that makes you different from other people is your point of view, so it's important to explore your own expression, and learn from others, but develop your own way. If you can develop your own way, and do your work (the other most important piece of advice, thanks to Nike, "just do it"), you will have a truly unique voice. · We at Ambient Level Music want to thank Lisa for taking time out of a very busy schedule to answer a few questions for us and give us some insight on what its like in her world. Be sure to catch her show on the E! network - #1 Single where you can get a look at Lisa as she tries her hands at the dating world. Don’t forget to pick up The Very Best of Lisa Loeb from Universal Music Enterprises. And, a very special thank you to Tea Brennan (Lisa’s Webmistress) for all of her help coordinating this interview. You can check out her business LinkArtist at www.linkartist.net. From the Nest...

Lisa is debuting her new album "The Purple Tape" (with limited autographed booklet). *Offer valid with purchase of "The Purple Tape".  This special offer is valid for both domestic and international orders.  CD's shipping with promotional material are limited to (5) per customer.  Booklets will be available while supplies last, newburycomics.com will post information when autographed booklets are sold out. Click here to purchase "The Purple Tree" Click her to visit Lisa Loeb's official site.

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