Lisa Canny has been making a unique imprint on the music scene since her debut single earlier this year. Bold, daring and a self-defined ‘disgrace to the tradition’, the Irish, London based artist has zero shame and an unbeatable blend of R&B, Pop and Electronica to share. We caught up with her to find out more
Hey Lisa, your new single ‘Snakeskin’ has some powerful lyrical imagery. What events inspired the track and what made you choose this metaphor?
Snakeskin was inspired by finding out moments before going live on TV that an ex of mine was cheating on me. I was angry. Angry AF!! I needed to find a way to shake it off so that it wouldn’t ruin my performance. He definitely wasn’t worth that. I had a moment with myself in the mirror backstage. I took a few deep breaths, reminded myself of my worth, laughed it out, pulled my shoulders back, walked on that stage like I was dogs bollox and ended up absolutely killing the performance… cos I am the dogs bollox. Later that week I wrote Snakeskin. The screaming chorus represents me finding that strength!
Do you feel inspired by the Irish musical tradition? How does it affect your work?
I grew up on the west coast of Ireland, heavily immersed in the traditional Irish music scene. Irish traditional music was my first musical language and my first love. It is indented into my relationship with music. Hence, it inspires and informs everything I do musically to this day. From my use of harp and banjo to the lyrical themes and melodies I tend to write, everything has at least a taste of Irish music in it. Furthermore, Irish music is all about feeling and connection between musicians and its audience, much like Gospel music and other community-focused music traditions. This ethos has stayed with me in my original music career, particularly in my approach to performance. Expect high energy & emotionally-fuelled live performances from me and my 6-piece All-star band. No tracks or playback… live, real, raw connection.
What was the songwriting process like for ‘Snakeskin’?
I got into studio with one of my favourite producers in London – James Yuill. I had the chorus already, we built the rest in the room there and then together. James also mixed the track. He’s all-round incredible!
What has been your favourite live performance so far?
My sold-out show at Jazz Cafe, Sept 2021. I’ll remember that one forever!
What do you think you’ll be doing a year from now?
Hopefully doing even more disgraceful things with a harp and a banjo.