Photo credit: Antonio T. Harris
Vocal powerhouse Lisa Ramey caught the attention of millions following her stint on The US Voice, where she performed on the team of John Legend. Exuding soul-infused fervour in every delivery, superbly countered by her signature rock n’ roll edge that unequivocally captures her roots; the St Louis born, New York-based vocalist has recently returned to the spotlight to take her unmatched versatile artistry to the next level. Following the a string of thought-provoking releases including unplugged, gospel stormer ‘Certainly Lord’, country blues track ‘Jesus Is My Only Friend’, powerful nod to Black History Month ‘Keep Your Lamps’, r&b single ‘You Know’ and reggae bopper ‘By The Shore’, Ramey now returns to deliver her highly-anticipated full album ‘Broken Smile’.
With a growing catalogue of gospel, rock, reggae and R&B infused productions, Lisa Ramey’s limitless and creative mentality is reflected in her discography, as she effortlessly floats between genres with unmatched versatility. Blending styles to create her own distinctive sound, her productions are scattered with nods to greats who have gone before her. As she harnesses her unique talent for re-awakening forgotten voices, she showcases her very own refreshed perspective.
With a natural propensity for creating genre-defying bodies of work, this versatility is very much reflective of Lisa Ramey’s personality and naturally, the ever-shifting emotions of his listeners. Entering a new era, with a sharp focus on creating evergreen excellence, the icon in the making envisions a multitude of creative influences interlocking to create a pure, unadulterated sonic experience.
“The whole idea behind creating this album was to find joy in a scary world. Without joy what else is there? This project helped me trust people again, made me realise there are still kind and loving people out there ready to be a part of a historical project. I found myself. Recording it in my hometown made me dig deep into my St. Louis roots. I was able to eliminate the noise from NYC and really dig deep into my younger self. Nostalgia is a beautiful drug.”
As Ramey croons over a Nirvana-reminiscent beat in ‘Certainly Lord’, she strikes the perfect balance of crunchy rock ’n’ roll grit and a refreshed amalgamation of soul and jazz. Where sweet, mellow guitar and percussion meets Ramey’s versatile vocal, unique additions of black Jamaican birdsong and organs support her offering ‘You Know’, while in ‘Keep Your Lamps’ we see the artist invoke impactful spoken word as she sends a powerful nod forgotten voices in the wake of Black History Month.
While the multi-talented artist continues to discover a pure means of translating and understanding her experiences, she has drawn from a multitude of personal influences, from country blues references in ‘Jesus Is My Only Friend’ to reggae infused tones heard in ‘By The Shore’. By fusing melodic references spanning across decades with her signature flair and seamlessly integrating the two, Ramey’s latest creation lends itself to an unique, journeyed experience that envelopes its listener in an ambient, reflective moment.
As ‘Broken Smile’ leads the listener on an odyssey of sonic goodness across continents and throughout history, this offering continues to support Ramey’s lionhearted approach to her creations as she delivers a superbly varied body of work. With one foot in historic music traditions and another boldly stepping into the future, the old soul continues to break boundaries while effortlessly wrapping listeners up in a whirlwind of full-bodied, rich tones – a result completely tantalising to any well-versed music lover.
Speaking of her latest offering, Lisa Ramey said:
Finally it’s here! I feel incredible. I’ve been thinking about this release since 2020. I’m so happy everything came together so brilliantly. This whole process fulfilled my expectations and beyond.”
About Lisa Ramey
Vocal powerhouse, St. Louis-born and New York-based artist, Lisa Ramey caught national attention on NBC’s hit music competition show, The Voice, where she performed on Team Legend. She exudes gritty soul and passion with a soul meets rock vibe that emphatically captures her roots. After headlining alongside Ms. Lauryn Hill, she took her soulful rock artistry to the limit with her debut album “Surrender” which placed #34 on Good Morning America’s “Top 50 Albums of 2020.”
Ramey has since become a mainstay of the live-stream concert world; constantly finding new and exciting ways to put on compelling at-home and studio performances for fans old and new. Now, just months off performing at MSG with her mentor John Legend and performing at The Metronome Festival in Prague, she is currently at work on her second album which re-imagines the historically important and virtually forgotten songs and music sung by civil rights activist Ms. Fannie Lou Hamer. Her mission is to re-awaken a voice from the past and bring it to the forefront of our lives.
Broken Smile Tracklist:
1. City Called Heaven
2. Jesus Is My Only Friend
3. Fannie Lou
4. Run
5. Certainly Lord
6. Keep Your Lamps
7. Sad Sax
8. You Know
9. By The Shore
10. Remarkable Woman
11. The Lullaby
‘Broken Smile’ is out on streaming platforms now.