Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/95079
closeup FAST FACT cathartic to play because of the downward the songs on Lisa's new album are piano-based. "I find the piano very More than half of pounding motion," she says. For Lisa, that time in her life was also about finding herself, asking big questions about life, growing up and being settled enough that the barista at her local coffee shop got to know her name. "I remember doing a lot of research about Eastern philosophies and I was doing a lot of yoga, which is liberating and empowering," Lisa says of her time between albums. "That was a cool time. There were a lot of big questions and there was a lot of darkness too, but I think it really taught me not to be scared of the confusion that we sometimes find ourselves in." Lisa's latest offering, Bless This Mess, explores big life themes, reflecting her journey during the formative years. "A lot of songs on the album deal with spiritual and philosophical questions," she says. "The lyrics of the song 'Providence', for example, are literally saying, 'I'm here, I'm ready! What do you want?' It's kind of me talking to life." When asked which track on her new album means the most to her, Lisa characteristically pauses before answering thoughtfully and candidly. "It's a difficult question because they are all really personal stories." Does she ever worry about overexposing herself in her music? "It's a really fine line and one that you have to guard to be true and real," she reveals. "There are some songs I write where I think, 'Hmm, I definitely won't be releasing that.' To me, art is honesty, so I think if you feel like you're treading a line, maybe that's a good thing. "One of my favourite songs on Bless This Mess is 'The Raven and The Mushroom Man'. It's a really whimsical, fantastical story about a character from a book. I found him to be a real metaphor for the ugly side of society and our consumer-driven world. I think a lot of people get really lost in that and start denying themselves of their intuition and their instincts." Growing up in Albury, the English-born Aussie learned to play guitar at the age of 12 and would frequent folk festivals in her early teens, singing traditional Celtic songs. "That's really where it all began," Lisa says. Eventually, she would write her own songs and "do recordings with local engineers", dropping her CDs into cafes and asking for gigs. These days, Lisa is more likely to be playing to thousands-strong festival audiences or performing on stages around the country at her own gigs. "I really don't think there's anything like playing your own tour. People are there to experience your music and there's kind of the same sense of willingness, which is really endearing," she enthuses, adding that she makes a point of touring to regional towns and playing to all ages. "I grew up on the river in the country and I'm so glad that I'm from rural Australia. What a beautiful place in the universe to have landed in!" 10