Lisa Hartt Releases Heartwrenching “Don’t Tell Me How I Feel” Ahead Of Arrival EP
Lisa Hartt lays every single emotion on the table with her upcoming heartfelt EP Arrival, which is landing on January 2023. This EP is forty years in the making. Drawing on every raw emotion, Lisa has produced a storytelling masterpiece that delivers health, mindfulness, body, and spirit themes. The first single, “Don’t Tell Me How I Feel,” is out now.
Born in Montreal, Lisa grew up in La Tuque and Dorval, Quebec, where she started an early career in music in 1960 at the young age of just 10. Lisa then went on to have a wide and varied career that spanned the world, from London to Cairo. Throughout the 60s and 70s, Lisa toured with a score of seasoned musicians before returning to Canada and setting up The Lisa Hartt Band. With a varied vocation in music through the 80s and 90s, Lisa eventually developed her sounds into holistic and transformative living to become a Sound Practitioner and Reiki Master, combining her vocal talents with world instruments and the ancient practice of Reiki.
Now making a home in Port Credit, ON, Arrival is Lisa’s first outing in several years. She has delved deep into her soul to bring a very personal and sensitive reflection on 40 years of recovery and sobriety. These tracks have been floating around Lisa’s mind, and it wasn’t until the pandemic she decided to record them.
The vocals and acoustics were recorded by Lisa in her home studio before sending them off to Chris Birkett, a multi-talented producer and musician from 2Mounties. This collaboration allowed Lisa to explore her folk, soul, jazz, and rock roots.
Lisa’s influences of gentle folk, soul, rhythm, and blues with a rock edge give a backbone that runs right through her EP.
The first single, “Don’t Tell Me How I Feel,” reflects on her relationship with her brother and his mental illness, which he finally succumbed to. A strong bond between the two, Lisa explains that it was never about trying to ‘fix him’ but just to hear him.
“Don’t judge me by the way I look, or by the words I use
Don’t think you know my feelings until you’ve walked a mile in my shoes.”
Lisa Hartt puts everything on the line here with her Arrival EP. Welcome to the next journey of Lisa’s life, and expect more music to be released in the months ahead.
Watch the video for “Don’t Tell Me How I Feel” below and learn more about Lisa Hartt via our mini-interview.
Would you like to introduce yourself?
Hello everyone. My name is Lisa Hartt, and I have been a singer-songwriter for all my life. Thank you for that welcome! I originally hail from Montreal, Quebec and now reside in Mississauga, Ontario.
There have been many peaks and valleys in my life as a singer and musician but have always believed in the power of music to reach people in a way that nothing else can. Music has the power to heal, and music is everyone’s birthright.
To that end, as well as songwriting, recording and performing, I have studied to be a Sound Practitioner and a Reiki Master, and I use music, my voice, Reiki, and world instruments to foster wellness. I also teach a 4-week songwriting course for beginners and believe that it is a powerful tool to really know yourself.
Life is a journey, and I have experienced many aspects of life in the music world, the corporate world, and the academic world, and as a wife, mother, and daughter. All these experiences inform my music, and it is this diversity that continues to enrich my life as I come full circle back to my passion for singing and songwriting.
Tell us about the writing process for “Don’t Tell Me How I Feel.”
“Don’t Tell me How I Feel” is a song I wrote with Don Graham. It began to take form while telling Don about the untimely death of my brother Christopher due to causes directly related to mental illness. I told him about how close we had been and how he suffered all his life, of how the family tried to help, and of how we could never really ‘hear’ him. All he ever wanted was to be listened to. It is always difficult for a super-sensitive sibling who doesn’t fit into the family dynamic. The dichotomy with Chris was that he was so handsome and bright, but there was another worldly aspect to his personality that never allowed his brain chemistry to settle down, and so we were always trying to ‘fix’ him. That is where the title comes from. It is written from his point of view, but I used myself as the protagonist. It is Christopher’s story, however. In writing this song, I hope we have touched people who may be going through a similar journey with a sibling who is suffering. Once the song was written lyrically and musically, Chris Birkett from 2Mounties Media arranged and produced this song. I would send my vocals digitally, and Chris made his magic happen by his playing on the tracks, engineering, and producing. Created during the time of the pandemic, it was an honour and a pleasure to work with this amazing man.
What’s it like being a musician in Port Credit?
Port Credit is a lovely village on the shores of Lake Ontario, and we have a lot of live music in the whole of Mississauga. In the summer, we have the South Side Shuffle originated by the Downchild Blues Band and Chuck Jackson. There is the Waterfront Festival in the park. There are many venues to play, and I love playing at the Farmer’s market in Port Credit in the summer months, where I get to sing my favorite folk songs and originals and sit with all the folks and have a laugh and a great cup of coffee. With the release of this single, “Don’t Tell Me How I Feel,” I believe there will be more opportunities to play live in the village.
Who was the first Canadian artist to blow you away?
There were too many to single out one. At 12 years of age, I immersed myself in original folk music. Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot, Ian and Sylvia, and Buffy Ste Marie: all the singer-songwriters of my generation were my first Canadian idols.
You’ve been making music for while now. What’s one piece of advice you can offer to those starting out?
Looking back over 63 years of making music, I can honestly say that my best piece of advice is to know yourself. Take time to establish yourself as a singer, songwriter, and musician. Then stick with it. Don’t let anyone sway you from your vision. Use your intuition and surround yourself with good people, people who ‘get’ you and have your best interests at heart. Keep studying your craft and take a business course at a great school, i.e., Harris Institute for the Arts, for the music business curriculum. Know your own business. Then you can make informed and knowledgeable decisions to further your music and your career.