Lisa Richards Mad Mad Love
The
new album confronts love in all in its guises – as bringer of great joy
along with intense pain, from the personal to the universal and the
earthly to the planetary. Mad Mad Love contains two cover versions, a
spellbinding rendition of Lou Reed's Satellite of Love, and a riotous
take on Rags and Old Iron, an Oscar Brown Jr song most famously
performed by Nina Simone.
Lisa recorded the album in New York and Austin, Texas. Brooklyn-based
studio whiz and multi-instrumentalist Tim Bright (who also co-wrote
several songs with Lisa) brings out the unique richness of her voice and
song writing, while providing complex musical textures, utilising slide
guitar, harmonica, violin and cello. In Austin, Craig Ross (producer of
Spoon and Patty Griffin) and Lisa's husband Jeff May offered stark,
organic and hauntingly beautiful arrangements. Billy Masters - who
toured with Suzanne Vega and Dar Williams – produced two tracks, using
loops and atmospheric, multi-layered guitars.
It is a sign of Lisa's growth as an artist that she has surrounded
herself with a number of esteemed musicians on this album. These include
John Deley (Dido's band), Tim Luntzel (Bright Eyes) and Dan Reiser
(Norah Jones' band, The Little Willies). The result is a rapturous and
catchy collection of sublime love songs.
Lisa Richards
Lisa
Richards is an exceptional singer-songwriter who is blessed with a
crystalline and bell-like voice and writes music of stark, dark beauty.
Her material is a melting pot of influences, taking in jazz, folk,
blues, pop, rock and country. Her foremost inspiration, however, must be
Nina Simone. It was Richards' acapella interpretation of Simone's
classic Plain Gold Ring at a Sydney folk club that got her noticed by
industry big wigs. Soon she was performing all over Australia with her
band The Cavers, before relocating to New York. Here she self-released
her debut album, Not Quite So Low.
Lisa moved to Austin, Texas after meeting her husband-to-be, musician
Jeff May, at Austin's SXSW festival. Since moving west she has produced
two more scintillating albums, and regularly performs in the US and
Australia.
Richards attributes her unique sound and lyrics to her troubled
upbringing. Her mother was left severely brain damaged after a car
accident when Lisa was 7, and began dabbling in the world of drugs and
drink at the age of 8.
"I
think my personal history has given me a unique perspective on the
world. I have my own quirky way of looking at things. My voice is
unique: the voice I sing with and the voice I write with. I mix this
feeling of futility with grand hope and optimism."
Lisa takes her original and adventurous folk music on tour both
nationally and internationally in support of the new album beginning in
September.
Further information:
lisa@lisarichardsmusic.com
www.lisarichardsmusic.com
www.myspace.com/lisarichardsmusic
www.sonicbids.com/lisarichards
Mad Mad Love is currently available at cdbay.com and amazon.com and will
be available in early September on itunes as well as a number of other
major and minor download stores.
Previous albums by this angel-voiced songwriter have been universally
well received:
"Richards has a remarkable voice that is as powerful as it is haunting,
as evocative as it is memorable" Inpress Magazine Australia
"The tangible yearning in Richards' performances give her an almost
spiritual power, but her rebel appeal still shines through. Spunky,
brash and wise" TNT Magazine UK
"Affecting and beautiful" Pennyblackmusic.com
"Richards sings with incredible power and conviction, and surprisingly
doesn't sound like anyone else". Relix Magazine
Lisa Richards
Bloom
Satellite
Of Love
Whose
Chain
The world is set to fall in Mad Mad Love with Aussie folk-pop
gypsy Lisa Richards
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