Liza Victoria has gotten a good deal of press from DC, which makes a lot of sense, as she's been one of my favorite singer-songwriters during the lifespan of this site. I previewed Shelter of a Song back in November 2020, and then followed that up with an artist interview a few months later. And when I was more active on Instagram during lockdown, I even ran a promotional giveaway, sending the winner a copy of Liza's 2018 album, Momentary Glance. I really just dig everything she creates.
A couple months ago, Liza contacted me to share an advance copy of her new album, Breaking and Mending, and to also brainstorm another possible long-distance (Portland, Maine-to-Portland, Oregon) collaboration piece. I proposed a track-by-track song breakdown, since I'd already published a more traditional interview with her, and she obliged. So below, check out some truly special straight-from-the-artist context, which will surely enrich your listening experience when Breaking and Mending comes out tomorrow.
Oh, and did I mention that the album is incredible? It's incredible. Okay, you can read Liza's words beneath the image break.
Felt Twice - Listening to this song now, I think it’s about holding trauma, and wanting to feel and be accepted and cared for despite your pain. Felt Twice is kind of this idea that someone with trauma feels their pain once, and then again. Like if you got a scrape on the knee on a Monday, and then every Monday you feel the scrape over again, just when you are eating your Cheerios or walking your dog or something.
Held Together - This song is about having difficulty letting go, and realizing it's important to you, to let go. It’s sort of a will and desire expressed to move forward. Perhaps with the caveat of not knowing how, but knowing you want to.
Fight for You - This song is about wanting to fight for people you love, but not feeling as though you have the capacity, and a hope for that to come. It’s also about my relationship with time, as someone processing trauma.
Kiss the Flowers - This song is about friendship helping you grow. I think it also is about flowers. I started to garden for the first time in my life a few years ago. It helped me a lot with having more strength physically. As I had been dealing with a neurological disorder and working through that. It made me very weak at certain times, and gardening was a really good exercise. I think there is some exercise of hopefulness there too.
Wild Fox - This song is about remembering to tell people in your life you love them. It's pretty much just a love song to life and those I care about.
Breaking and Mending - This song is about Judee Sill’s beautiful song The Kiss. It’s also about believing in art and believing you can get better through very hard things. It is also a song about holding contradictions, and the contradictions others hold, and beginning to be able to be aware of that.
John Prine - I'm not sure I can give too much away about this. It was inspired by watching some interviews of John Prine's and feeling inspired by him. It's also about being afraid and how others help us, especially friends.
Tree Line - This song was inspired by watching the sunset, and thinking about what the sunset might mean to me in a cosmic, or spiritual type way. I wrote it during an episode of getting sick and trying to calm and center. Being grateful for the day, ect.
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I feel like it might be a nice practice to read each song breakdown while listening to the album, so maybe give it a go tomorrow when Breaking and Mending comes out in full (and hit that link to order your copy). A big thanks to Liza Victoria and the fine folks at Orindal for the opportunity, and I'll see y'all next week for an April music roundup, a song premiere, and a label profile!
Thanks, as always, for reading.