Singer-songwriter Mia Lissette opens up about her musical journey, performing live, and her upcoming album "Liberation."
Mia Lissette © 2024
Today we have the pleasure to have Mia On Goathead for a Q&A
GHR: Hi Mia, great to have you here. What inspired you to start writing music?
Mia: Thank you for having me. Writing has been a natural tendency since I was very young. I don’t remember a time in my life when I wasn’t singing little love songs to myself, even in childhood. To me, music is a necessary self-expression. As necessary as eating or breathing. What inspires me to write and perform is the joy of the gift of life itself! I feel a calling to sing, and I figure that must mean it is my duty to do so. I believe we all have a given purpose in this world, and our hearts call us to our path. Singing and writing the message of my heart is my way of repaying the love I get to experience in this life. It’s my way of connecting to this world.
GHR: Can you tell us more about your experience performing live at gigs and what was the most memorable experience you had?
Mia: I’m always grateful to take to the stage and play my music. I love to play private events and local bars where I sing covers of hit songs, but my favorite performances are when I get to showcase my own music.
When I first started playing my own stuff, I was just singing with a ukulele. I wrote a short EP called The Little Things that I would perform at local venues, and I remember the first show I did with my new music was a turning point for my journey into what being an artist really means to me. I was so nervous because I had never put myself out there in this way before.
I’d sung other people’s music countless times before, but what would they think of MY art? I was practically trembling, but I forced myself to get up and sing. You can imagine how bare it would be, just my vocals and the strum of a ukulele. I set in on the first song, and the audience silently watched as I felt for the first time what it means to be an artist. I sang a sweet little love song from my heart and just hoped they would find it appealing.
The applause was a relief, of course, but what caught me by surprise was the brief moment of silence after the song was over. You could hear a pin drop. I could tell then that the room was truly listening. At that moment, I was hooked on sharing myself with the world.
GHR: How is your process of songwriting set around?
Mia: When I’m writing a new song, it’s usually about something I’m feeling or processing in that moment. I will be going about my daily life, washing dishes or folding clothes, and a melody will float around in my head until I just have to write it down! It’s like an itch that you must scratch. Usually, the hook is what comes to me first. Then I build up the song’s story in the verses. I’ll write it out in a notebook and record a little voice memo so I don’t forget the melody. Then, I meet up with my engineer and we develop a track for the song together! I like to get the main melody recorded first, then we experiment with harmony placement and ad libs until it all sounds just right. My favorite part is recording the ornamental “ooos” and “ahhs” because it’s like the icing on the cake!
GHR: What motivates you to create music and bring awareness to different situations through your songs?
Mia: I believe we all need to feel seen, and that’s my main goal when creating music. I want to reach people who have felt like I feel. I think music and art, in general, are meant to bring us together.
There’s so much anguish in this world, and so much to worry for. We all experience our own personal heartbreaks every day. Music can be used to remind us that we are not alone in our problems and that other people feel the same way we do.
I write about my own personal truth that I’ve come to through my lived experiences. Many times, I have stood in the crowd of a venue and heard a song that spoke to my soul and reminded me that I’m a part of something bigger. I can only hope that my art can have that influence on others as well.
GHR: Could you share some insights into your next projects?
Mia: My next album is named Liberation. It is the story of my path to self-understanding and acceptance. I’ve spent many years of my life living for the satisfaction of others. I gave myself to relationships that didn’t serve me and worried over the opinions of others that never really mattered. It led me to a very disappointing life because I was never really living for myself. I finally learned to ask what I really want out of life and disregard anything else. Only through radical self-love was I able to free myself from the imaginary confines of the mental prison I trapped myself in and learn to be who I really am!
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