She’s the California girl by way of America’s Midwest, famous for her powerhouse voice that rivals Stevie Nicks’ and her barefoot version of rock ’n’ roll. Now, two albums down, she’s released a covers EP which sees her take on everyone from the likes of Drake, Judas Priest and One Direction. We spoke to her about Directioners, how to get over boys and her (very adorable) dog Byron.
The Debrief: There**’s a pretty diverse group of covers on your new EP. Why did you choose these songs?**
Lissie: It started out because we were asked to cover that Danzig song Mother for this new video game. And doing that, we were in the studio, and we just thought it would be fun, since we were there anyway, to knock out some covers that we like. With One Direction, I thought I could do with something a little more contemporary, so I looked at the chart and tried to see what popular song there was and when I read the lyrics to Story Of My Life, I thought I could really kinda make this my own voice. It’s a story I can relate to.
DB: Are you actually a secret Directioner?
L: No, I’m actually not. I don’t have anything against them; it’s just really not my thing. But all the more power to them.
**DB: Have you had any reaction from their, erm, over-enthusiastic fans? **
L: You know, it’s funny, I think I have an interesting career in that only people who really like me pay attention to me. But I have had a lot of reaction. I don’t know if it’s Directioners saying, ‘Wow, this version of Story of My Life is so beautiful.’ I don’t really attract that kind of controversy like most bands, so I’ve been very lucky in that way.
DB: I know you like your boxsets, which ones are you into?
L: I have so many shows I love. I really like female-led dramas, so I love Nashville, Revenge, Scandal. I used to really like Weeds. But then, of course, I also love True Blood, Game of Thrones. When I’m off-tour I watch so much TV, drink so much wine and sit by the fire. I also love House of Cards.
DB: So the town you live in Ojai, California looks pretty amazing.
L: It’s Native American for ‘valley of the moon’.
DB: Seems like the perfect name for it. What’s life like when you’re back there?
L: It’s pretty quiet; it’s a town of 8,000 people. But then, on the weekends, it’s pretty touristy. People from LA will drive up for a weekend getaway. Because you can see the stars and there are rivers; there’s hiking and it’s close to the beach. I have a really great back porch, and a really nice dog, who is with me when I’m not on tour. You feel so isolated in Ojai.
DB: I saw pictures of your dog – he’s amazing. What's his name?
L: His name is Byron, and he's the love of my life. He’s a Lhasa Apso and he’s eight. He’s a little bratty – he thinks he's the boss of everything. He sleeps in my bed with me, we cuddle and I rub his belly.
DB: Do you still keep in touch with Ellie Goulding? I know you guys performed together a few years back.
L: We used to sing together a bit. We met in Brighton at The Great Escape, and really hit it off. So we’d sing together whenever we were in the same town. I haven’t really kept in touch. I know that she’s doing incredibly well. From time to time, we send each other a text saying, ‘Hope you’re doing well’, but we haven’t really stayed in touch. She's a lovely woman, though.
DB: So I really enjoyed your song The Habit, about getting away from an addictive relationship. Half our friends are in that kind of relationship. Have you got any advice you can impart on the matter?
L: I am absolutely insane when it comes to guys, so I don’t think I should give anyone advice. I do have that kind of all-or-nothing personality. If I do something I do it all the way, or I’m just kind of over it. Maybe that’s a Scorpio thing as well.
There was a guy in London and we had dated for a long time, and I wanted to be broken up. But then you care about each other, you miss each other, and then you see each other, and then next thing you know, you’re making out. Then it gets all weird again, and you’re like, ‘Why did we do this, we need to stay away from each other!’
You just need to stop cold turkey. If you really think you need to get away from someone, it’s like all addictions – you just need to stop and say, ‘I’m done’. No texts, no calls, no hanging out and no drunken late-night calls and stuff. You just have to be strong and play it cool.
Follow Jess on Twitter @jess_commons
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.