continued from page 24
popular Twinings Tea commercial overseas. In 2014, she issued her own covers EP, Cryin’ to You, including Danzig’ s“ Mother,” Dylan’ s“ To Ramona,” and even Drake’ s“ Hold On We’ re Going Home” – exemplary of Lissie’ s diverse, often simultaneously arcane and playful taste. Last but not least, Lissie had the remarkable honor of appearing on David Lynch’ s rebooted Showtime series ** Twin Peaks last year, trilling her track“ Wild West” live. She also guested on last year’ s MTV Unplugged – Summer Solstice album from Norwegian New Wavers a-ha, singing“ I’ ll Be Losing You” with bandleader Morten Market.
Castles seems to encapsulate more of its composer’ s zen-like life philosophy than any of its predecessors. Lissie herself isn’ t certain.“ But each album’ s like this little marker in time, like,‘ Oh. This is what I’ m going through,’” she reasons.“ And with this album, I went through a pretty agonizing relationship that wasn’ t even a real relationship. So a lot of Castles was in real time, just me processing and working through things, and holding a mirror up to myself, too, because you can’ t really blame other people for things that you’ re participating in. So you can see it on all the songs, really – I don’ t want to waste any more time repeating the same old patterns, so this is a darker album because I actually had to go inside myself and focus on what you don’ t want, and then draw a line in the sand and say,‘ That’ s it. I’ m done with all this faffing about – no more squirrelly dudes.’ So Castles helped me let go of a lot of toxicity.”
These post-winter days, Lissie has found herself thawing with her spring surroundings. And she’ s thinking beyond simple dalliances, to a climate-change reverent future.“ It’ s a long process with some of the things I want to do,” she sighs.“ I’ ve realized that even the trees I want to plant, I won’ t see the payoff with that until 20 years from now. So it’ s an evolving process, but it’ s been a comfort to have it. But it’ s great to get home because I do like to knit, and I’ ll go down to the local knitting store, and I’ ll get help. So I try to keep myself busy and crafty and creative.”
Given the abundance of its Hee-Haw cheesy TV ads, no conversation with this Thoreau-ish hermit would be complete without raising the possibility – has she ever once considered logging onto FarmersOnly. com in hopes of finding real, salt of the Earth love? Lissie wants to laugh at the innate absurdity, but she can’ t quite bring herself to.“ You know, I should sign up – I really need to,” she cedes.“ People tell me that all the time, and I really probably should because I live such a bizarre life in terms of consistency and dating in any kind of normal, gradual way. So I probably will need to get on some kind of app ….”
Lissie plays in Rock Island on June 2nd as part of the 7th Annual Laura’ s Legacy concert at Schwiebert Riverfront Park, an event she created with her family to honor the memory of her late aunt, Laura Swedberg Schoonover Bartel. All proceeds go to support the ALS Association of Greater Chicago and ALS Research University of North Carolina. She also appears at Milwaukee Summerfest June 29th.
26 illinoisentertainer. com june 2018