Tune Tuesday: Taking Leaps - Lizzie Weber
This Tune Tuesday is a special one! I'd like to introduce you to friend and local musician, Lizzie Weber. This lovely little songbird and I have known each other for about ten years, but really haven't had a chance to get to know each other. High school was a funny time and you didn't always make friends with people you probably should have in the first place. Luckily, Lizzie has put down some roots in Saint Louis for the time being, and we were able to catch up over coffee.
We both love Rise Coffee, which you may remember from a previous post where I gushed about it being my home away from home, so it was the perfect spot to sip an amazing pour-over and talk about what miss Lizzie Weber has been up to. One recent highlight is Lizzie gracing the cover of Riverfront Times in January.
But before we get into her budding fame, let's get to know Lizzie a little more!
What’s in a name when it comes to being a performer? Lizzie chose to use her middle name as her last name while on stage for its meaning in German - “to weave.” Being a songwriter, she understands what goes into weaving a tale - especially a tale that typically only last 3-4 minutes. What’s surprising to discover is that Lizzie didn’t start out crafting songs at all. Music was not a primary focus in her life until what most might consider a fairly recent date. I was pretty astounded to find this out as I clearly remember (as did every other girl in our high school at the time) her performance at one of our school’s talent shows. She sang “Konstantine” by Something Corporate, which is a doozy of dizzing length at about 9.5 minutes. I think we all sat completely in awe while the song seemed to last forever in the darkness of the auditorium. I am not quite sure that many of us knew at the time that Lizzie could sing, let alone with such a crystal clear, wonderful voice.
Lizzie says that her original intention was to become an actress, and she took a big leap by moving out to LA to pursue that passion. In her off time, she would pick up small gigs here and there to play her guitar and sing original work. One such gig was playing softer music during yoga classes at a nearby studio, which she said was frequented by “industry professionals.” Occasionally, a class participant would ask her whose songs she had been playing. Soon after, Lizzie began focusing more on her own music, but her endeavors were stopped short when she was ordered to wear a mouth splint to address her TMD. The splint restricted her ability to move her jaw, and caused her to have an awkwardly open-hanging mouth. She decided the best option was to move home during recovery. Saddened by this setback, she mentioned that this counted as one of the most difficult decisions she’s had to make, as she would much prefer to leave a city on her own terms.
Back home in Saint Louis, she was able to move forward with her musical pursuits, and began recording her first album at Sherpa Studios in Brentwood. Her self-titled debut album was released in January of 2014, and she already has a new record in the works. Her creative drive doesn’t stop with just the album, however. The music video for her song “Falling Like Fools” won the merit award at the Best Shorts Competition in La Jolla, CA, and a second merit award at the Women's Independent Film Festival in Los Angeles, CA. In September of 2014, the video was screened at the prestigious Raindance Film Festival in London. Tomorrow, February 4th, “Falling Like Fools” is being screened as a finalist in NYC's One Screen Film Festival in the music video category. Upon closer inspection, I discovered that Lizzie’s video is standing up against big names such as Skrillex and SBTRKT. I’ll have my fingers crossed all day tomorrow for her!
While performing live in Saint Louis, Lizzie enlists the help of a full band to bring her music to the stage. Her live band consists of John Hussung on bass, Tony Lamacchia on drums, Katelyn Hamre on violin, and Sean Hamre on cello. Lizzie describes her live band as a team, and that “you are your team.” I’ve only ever played sports in a team setting, but I understand that each member supports the other in pushing towards success.
And success is definitely what I wish for Lizzie, and believe she is headed towards. Please find links to all things Lizzie Weber-related at the bottom of this post.
