Late last year, Lisa Bouchelle dropped her latest EP, Lipstick Tomboy, which is full of country rock riffs and Americana influenced melodies. Her powerful vocals and genre-bending guitars are captivating from the very first strum of the opening track, “Only The Tequila Talkin’,” which features a duet with Blues Traveler harp master, John Popper.
Eponymous Review got a chance to ask Bouchelle about her song-writing process, her favorite gear and her plans to tour in support of Lipstick Tomboy this upcoming summer.
Laurie Fanelli: Congrats on Lipstick Tomboy – I love the storytelling elements throughout the EP. How autobiographical are your lyrics?
Lisa Bouchelle: Thank you, Laurie. I’m so glad you enjoyed the EP, that means a lot to me. Some of my songs are very autobiographical, and some are slightly embellished or biographical about other people. I never reveal how much of “Only The Tequila Talkin'” is straight up true and how much is urban legend, haha! “Heart vs. Mind” is definitely written from experience to some degree, because I think we’ve all had situations where our heart tells us one thing, and our mind tells us something else. I certainly have “been there.” I think that’s what makes it a song everyone can relate to.
“Luv is Supposed 2B Fun” is definitely inspired by my experiences at the time I wrote it, and despite my fondness of introspection and observation of the nature of life, sometimes it’s just best to ‘let go’ and celebrate love and the great feeling it gives us when we don’t define it too much and just enjoy it! That’s what that song is about. My remake of Gordon Lightfoot’s “If You Could Read My Mind” is done in a really slow, syrupy style, with organic instruments, like steel guitar, to help create a dreamy mood. I’m not sure if Gordon wrote this from an autobiographic standpoint, but I can surely identify with the metaphors of great movies and storybooks that remind you of the type of love you’ve felt and the type you hope to feel.
LF: The EP is also full of strong melodies in each verse and chorus. Can you share a bit about your songwriting process?
LB: I usually get an inspiration about a topic. The lyrics that come to me are usually already tied to a melody or at least a meter. At that point I bring my guitar into the process. The finished melody finds it’s way through the phrasing of the lyrics, along with the chords I’m playing, to help create the mood. The tempo usually finds its best place through the melody. A bouncy melody will be brought out best by a faster tempo. A dreamy melody will be brought out better at a slower tempo. I try not to squander the melody of my verses in an attempt to make the chorus pop. I pay close attention to the verses, then I am sure to “up the ante” on the chorus melodies so they really shine!
Spinning a song out of thin air is like magic. There’s no yarn, no fabric, no paint, no clay, yet you work and create and then there it is. Beautiful Sound and a work of art in the space where there was silence. A work of art that manifests itself in each listener in a unique personal way, wow. Sometimes it feels like songs are hanging there in mid air waiting for me to channel them, filter them through myself as an artist, give them form, and bring them to life. I love song-writing.
LF: Let’s talk gear – What are some of your favorite guitars, pedals, amps, etc?
LB: Primarily I play ovation guitars. They are a great guitar for my Country/Rock and Americana style. Ovation guitars don’t typically feedback. I can walk off the tour bus, go to soundcheck and get it right really quickly. They are designed to be amplified. They have EQ options on the guitar and a built in tuner. They’re great for a “Girl On The Go” like myself. I compose on Ovation guitars a lot. This makes a difference. They are not the guitar with the most resonance when they’re not amplified. But the neck is fairly thin and lends itself to the use of barre chords, which makes me want to write with a bit more funky, tight rhythms, mixed in with my acoustic style.
Sometimes I play an Alvarez guitar live during parts of my show. My Alvarez has a big body and lots of resonance. It’s classic sound lends itself to the slower singer-songwriter, country and folk songs. These guitars are good to sit down with because they don’t have a rounded back like the Ovations. My live singing mic has been the Shure Beta 87A Microphone (cardioid condenser version vs. hyper cardioid). I can “work it” live like an SM58 (which I grew up with), but it has a clearer sound. I dig it. I guess it was originally a studio mic, but they are great for live performance too. With regard to guitar picks, I use heavy picks because I don’t “play like a girl,” I play more like a Lipstick Tomboy, haha! I shred anything thinner than a heavy pick within 8 songs.
LF: John Popper duets with you on “Only the Tequila Talkin’,” What was it like working with him?
LB: John Popper is always great to work with. He is such a great singer and harmonica player. He really made the song his own. He’s also a really witty guy and he keeps me smiling. He is such a good person and we became friends when I opened solo acoustic for Blues Traveler on a tour. I called him to let him know I had written a fun, tequila drinkin’ song with John Eddie out of Nashville. I asked him if he’d like to record it as a duet with me. He was totally into it, so I flew to Seattle, where he is based. We recorded our vocals and also had the good fortune to have Brendan Hill, the drummer of Blues Traveler, also playing on the track. Another great musician who worked on the production of several of the tracks on Lipstick Tomboy, as well as playing instruments like lap steel and mandolin, is Jeff Trott. He has collaborated with Sheryl Crow for years, as well as many other well known artists. He has a creativity for bringing the songs to life that is special.
LF: You’re no stranger to sharing the stage with iconic artists including Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi. What’s been your favorite “pinch me” moment looking back on your career?
LB: I guess I’ve had a lot of them. When I sang a duet of “Who Says You Can’t Go Home” with Jon Bon Jovi I had a sort of a “realization” during our performance. I remember singing along with the radio when Bon Jovi songs would come on and thinking, “Wow, I really think our voices would blend great on a duet.” I wanted to sing with him someday on stage. I imagine a lot of people think things like that. But then for me, it really happened. I’m just a girl from suburbia, really. And there I was. It was pretty amazing.
LF: Will you be touring in support of the release?
LB: Plans are in the works for a live performance tour in the Summer of 2017. We will announce the official tour dates on www.lisabouchelle.com as well as on social media as soon as all plans are finalized.
LF: Is there anything else you’d like to share with Eponymous Review readers?
LB: Thanks to Eponymous Review and the readers! Hope you enjoy Lipstick Tomboy and find a bit of yourself in the stories. Hope to see y’all at a live show during the summer tour!
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Click here to pick-up your copy of Lipstick Tomboy and follow Bouchelle on Facebook to stay up-to-date with her latest news and tour dates.