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 Singer-songwriter
Lisa Loeb will tell it the way it really is when she releases
her new CD, The Way It Really Is, her first for Zoë/Rounder,
on August 10, 2004. The Grammy-nominated, Gold and Platinum-selling
artist chronicles her observations on life and love on 11
tracks that are split between full-tilt pop productions and
intimate acoustic performances.
The take-charge, no-nonsense Loeb executive-produced the
disc and surrounded herself with an accomplished team of songwriters,
musicians and technicians to help realize her vision. The
musical talents who were anxious to join Loeb for the project
include: The Indigo Girls’ Emily Saliers, who provides
harmonies on the folksy “Would You Wander,” John
Shanks (Sheryl Crow, Melissa Etheridge) Stephanie Bentley
(Faith Hill, Martina McBride), Shelley Peiken (Christina Aguilera,
Brandy, Meredith Brooks), Billy Steinberg, (Madonna, Bangles,
The Pretenders), Jimmy Harry (Moby, Kylie Minogue), and Bob
Clearmountain (Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen,
Roxy Music). The Way It Really Is is the perfect showcase
for Loeb’s finely tuned pop sensibilities. Her trademark
lyrical insights are evident on the first single “Fools
Like Me,” which will be released to radio in July.
 Loeb’s
decision to mix catchy, up-beat pop productions with the earthy
folk-rock tones of her solo performances gives the album added
direction and depth. The Way It Really Is opens with the catchy,
off-beat spree "Window Shopping," a playful look
at the modern dating game, while "I Control The Sun,"
shines with a retro-flavored pop sound. “Diamonds,”
a nod to Loeb’s Hendrix influence, cuts a harder rock
edge. Acoustic numbers such as "Hand-Me-Downs,"
"Would You Wander" and "Accident" highlight
Loeb’s intimate, thoughtful vocals as well as her trademark
guitar work.
All of the tracks reflect the insightful, storytelling song-craft
that is Loeb’s signature style. She shines a bright light
on contemporary life throughout the album. Though many songwriters
sing of the obvious joys of falling in love, in her song “Probably,”
Loeb repeats the memorable refrain "I probably love you,"
in a voice filled with realism, both outgoing and hesitant,
accurately capturing the bittersweet flavor of new relationships.
Loeb creates poetic images that are both hopeful and painful
throughout the album, but are even more evident on the acoustic
tracks. The song "Try," with its classic allusions
to mountains and other obstacles, reflects Loeb’s attitude
that one can choose the positive over the negative, and it
serves as sound advice, as well as Loeb's reminder to herself,
that perspective is everything.
 On
"Accident," Loeb creates a jarring effect when she
juxtaposes lyrics about a high-society calamity with gun-toting
school children and she emphasizes our very human reaction
to tragedy; it’s horrible to witness but we are nonetheless
drawn to it.
For Loeb, who tends to live life in the moment, recording
The Way It Really Is prompted a combination of looking back
and looking ahead. It was 10 years ago that the singer made
music history by becoming the first unsigned artist to debut
with a No. 1 song, "Stay (I Missed You)" from the
seminal Gen X film Reality Bites). In the years since, Loeb
has forged a singular creative path using her musical career
as a springboard into acting, voiceover work, a children's
album and her own television series for Food Network.
Raised in Dallas, Texas, deeply immersed in the arts, Loeb
studied piano and music theory and wrote her first original
songs with lyrics while still in her early teens. She earned
her degree in comparative literature from Brown University,
where she experienced her first taste of musical success with
the duo, Liz and Lisa. In the early ‘90s, Loeb moved
to New York where she became a favorite on the Manhattan club
circuit and surrounded herself with like-minded young musicians,
actors and writers.
In 1993, Loeb's New York neighbor and pal Ethan Hawke recommended
her to Reality Bites director Ben Stiller, who in turn included
"Stay" on the hit film's soundtrack. Confirming
Loeb's prodigious talents, the Platinum-selling "Stay"
earned both a Grammy nomination and a “Best New Artist”
Brit Award and resulted in a record deal with Geffen Records.
Making good on her successful debut single, Loeb followed
with four acclaimed CDs, including her Gold-certified debut
Tails (1995) and its follow-up the Grammy-nominated, Gold-certified
Firecracker (1997). In 2002, Loeb ushered in the new millennium
with a pair of CDs, Cake And Pie and Hello Lisa. Recently,
Loeb reunited with her college music partner, Elizabeth Mitchell
for the children’s CD and companion book Catch The Moon,
released May 25.
Loeb’s television credits include her own series for
Food Network Dweezil and Lisa, a weekly culinary adventure
which debuted in January 2004 and showcases the pair's passion
for food, cooking and music. Other TV appearances include
The Chris Isaak Show, and The Drew Carey Show. Loeb starred
in her first feature film role, opposite Oscar-winning actor
Geoffrey Rush, in the movie House On Haunted Hill in 1999.
In 2003 Loeb gave voice to Spiderman’s gal pal Mary Jane
in MTV’s animated series Spider-Man.
Now, on the 13-year anniversary of her worldwide breakthrough,
Lisa Loeb serves up a recording sculpted from recent events
and her own experiences. The Way It Really Is offers listeners
a deeply personal musical journey. Loeb will follow the release
of The Way It Really Is with a national tour, currently scheduled
for fall.
Founded in 1970, Rounder Records recently celebrated its
35th anniversary as America's premier independent label, with
over 3,000 albums in its catalog to date and five imprints,
representing a wide variety of folk, roots, rock, blues, and
reggae music.
Photos: Lisa and Lisa with Mark Sonder relaxing at the
hotel before a show in New York City, October 2005
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