Naked

Right now my toes are naked.  This very minute, as I type --- naked. They are sans polish. They don’t know a sock or a slipper. They have totally gone commando. I’m sitting here with naked toes, and I’m thinking that I might let this go on for a while.

Part of me says, “Take care of this! Polish those toes!” But part of me says, “not yet.”  Because being naked, whether literally, figuratively,  or metaphorically, can be a good thing that brings about new perspectives.  Being uncomfortable, feeling exposed, feeling like you’ve put yourself out there – these are all things that artists use to create something that transports them – and others -- beyond the experience.  

For me, being naked really means going beyond the fuss, the pageantry, the facades, the persona – anything that we put between us and the world – and reaching in and grabbing hold of something that is honest and real.  Then I try to weave those threads into the cloth that becomes a song. It is what makes writing so enjoyable. It’s what makes art so enjoyable, because my truth is not your truth, and your truth is not mine. I don’t have to know what you were thinking when you painted that beautiful picture, but deep within the fiber of it, the truth is still there.  

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that you can’t really be true to yourself if you don’t even know your own feet.  Can you? I wonder…

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Birthin' the Baby: My New CD is Born!

Dear Bloglodites,

I'm happy to announce that my new CD, The Balance, has finally emerged! I have a few of the tracks uploaded onto my website and you can listen to them if you click HERE.


Images and Jacket Design by JSi Photography

 I recorded this CD in Nashville: It was a journey unlike any other, and it allowed me to reach far beyond what I thought I could accomplish, and from somewhere deep down, bring it.

Images and Jacket Design by JSi Photography

The Balance FAQs:

1. Where can I get the CD? The CD is available for purchase NOW - right this minute! - on my website at www.lauralisbeth.com. Just click on the link for "Music" to get started.  You can order a physical CD or download the album. You can even order it signed - for posterity, I guess.  Of course  probably the best way to obtain it is to buy it at one of my shows. Then I can really personalize it with a big ol' sharpie.

2.What kind of music is it?Oh, now, come on. It's L-raising music from heart of America, baby!

3. Holy cow! I see that there are 18 songs on your CD! That's a lot! (not really a question but sort of demands a response)Yes! There are actually 2 versions of each of the 9 songs on the album. One is a full production version, and the other is a more intimate, unplugged version. We wanted to offer both to my fans because when I play live, you get that acoustic version. But the songs demanded (yes they did, really) to be also recorded in their full regalia with their party hats on.
4. Where was the album recorded? It was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee! To make sure I brought my "A" game, I enlisted the help of a producer, hence the addition of Gary Beard - a very talented songwriter in his own right. Gary also co-wrote the song "Billy" with me. We hope you'll really like the end result.
5. How do you come up with the idea for the song "Don't Look Down?"Beats me! I was just a blow-drying my big hair one morning and it popped into my head and pretty much insisted on being written. When a song is that pushy, I do what I'm told.

6. I heard that your cat, Toonie, wanted to be on the CD...? He actually was on one of the rough recordings I was doing. He was such a natural, with impeccable timing and perfect pitch, that I really wanted to put him on. In the end, I just didn't want to share the spotlight with him. He takes up a lot of space.

unimpressed by the trappings of success

7. Is there a significance to "9"? You chose 9 songs for the album. We chose the strongest songs. After we added song #9, it seemed like a complete project, so we stopped, and had a beer.   

8. What is the "secret" about this CD?There's a tiny picture of Gary Beard, my producer, hidden somewhere in the design. Just for fun.

During the next few weeks, I'll be scheduling some shows that will help me roll out my new baby. The first one will be on October 13 at Fence Stile Vineyards & Winery in Excelsior Springs.
I'm also going to add some fun stuff on the website about the Making of the Balance. Stay tuned!


For more UP-TO-THE-MINUTE info on new shows,etc.,  check www.lauralisbeth.com.