Posted on: January 13, 2009 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

“…Lissie is a soulful folkie from Illinois who sings melodic, hand-clapping tunes about love. But to truly understand her appeal is to behold her voice: a quiet, smoky croon that dissolves into a gentle twang, underscoring her laments.”

– Nylon

“…takes you to a different time and place. The gospel-tinged ‘Oh Mississippi’ could be the soundtrack to a Flannery O’Connor story, one that takes place down by the river and undoubtedly involves a broken heart and a baptism, while her forlorn cover of Hank Williams’ ‘Wedding Bells’ makes a bottle of Jack look damn good…worth repeated listenings.”

– Filter

“Echoing with folksy, Appalachian heart and flooded with the haunting sweetness of Lissie’s vocals (think Dolly Parton a la ‘Jolene’), Runnin’ sounds like an intimate, modern hymnal to love and the Heartland.”

– Bust

Today Lissie announced a new run of January tour dates, beginning January 7th at the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC, and concluding January 23rd at the Henry Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles, CA. All dates will be in support of City and Colour except for January 13th at the Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis, MN, which will be her own headlining show.

Lissie’s EP Why You Runnin’, released November 10th by Fat Possum, has been receiving glowing coverage from the press. In addition to a nod for her song “Little Lovin'” in Marie Claire’s ‘Need to Download’ column (January 2010), London’s Sunday Times recently profiled her in a ‘Breaking Act’ piece and raved, “…Lissie Maurus has the voice, the songs, and the image – freckle-faced barefoot prairie girl transported to an LA canyon in 1972, cooing like an angel and strumming an acoustic guitar – to be huge in 2010.”

Last month, Lissie wrapped up a tour with Ray LaMontagne and two shows with A.A. Bondy, in addition to her own headlining shows at the Mercury Lounge in New York, NY, and the Bootleg Theater in Los Angeles, CA. She also performed on KCRW’s influential program ‘Morning Becomes Eclectic’ and taped NPR’s ‘World Café Live,’ which will air January 5th, 2010.

Lissie tour dates:

JAN. 13 MINNEAPOLIS, MN TRIPLE ROCK SOCIAL CLUB

JAN. 15 CHICAGO, IL METRO*

JAN. 16 DETROIT, MI THE FILLMORE*

JAN. 21 AUSTIN, TX CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH*

JAN. 22 SAN FRANCISCO, CA THE FILLMORE*

JAN. 23 LOS ANGELES, CA HENRY FONDA THEATRE*

* with City and Colour

Why You Runnin’ is a five-song introduction to Lissie and pivots around her big, achingly raw and evocative voice. The songs range from the­­­ hand-clapping, foot-stomping spirited opener “Little Lovin'” (download here) to the poignant country cover “Wedding Bells” to the haunting, soulful ’60s pop-esque ballads “Everywhere I Go” (download here) and “Here Before.” These tracks were recorded at her current home in Ojai, CA, and at Echo Mountain Studio in Asheville, NC, with her friend Bill Reynolds (of Band of Horses, who also produced and plays bass on the songs alongside his bandmate Tyler Ramsey, who guests on guitar for some tracks). The hymn-like “Oh Mississippi” was recorded with Ed Harcourt last fall, when Lissie (originally from Rock Island, IL) was far from home in London, England.

www.myspace.com/lissiemusic
www.fatpossum.com

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