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Full of soul, life, and as sweet as can be, I had the absolute pleasure of getting to know the music industry’s next big star, Lisa Vetrone! For such a tiny person, she has an ENORMOUS voice! At only 22 years old, Lisa is known for her 60’s and 70’s style music. Now, I’m no psychic or anything, but I can see this young lady having a very successful music career. Check out our interview here:
Jessica Baeza: Being that you’re so young, how did you become so intrigued by the 60’s and 70’s music era? Was this something that you remember listening to from an early childhood memory?
Lisa Vetrone: I’ve got a few early memories of music – I don’t know how old I was, so I couldn’t tell you which came first. But my grandpa would always sing Dean Martin, Sinatra, Bobby Darin, all of those standards to me, and my love for that era has stuck with me since. My parents always played classic rock in the house, a lot of Beatles, and I always had a crush on Paul. Still do!!
JB: So what made you actually want to pursue a career in singing, aside from knowing yourself that you have an amazing voice?
LV: I always knew, or at least always came back to wanting to do it. Like every kid who grows up and wants to be 1,000 things, I went through phases, but once I hit middle school, it kind of stuck. And nobody really inspired me to make that decision, but I’m huge on reading, so I read all of these biographies, all the time. There are stacks and stacks in my room – the stories of the people who I admire, like the Beatles, the Stones, Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan – pushed me to keep going because they didn’t give up, and I wasn’t going to either. And I learned a lot about the industry and navigating it just from reading their stories.
JB: What has been your “biggest break” so far as a performer?
LV: I think I’m still waiting for it! Haha – I think the biggest boost I’ve gotten has to be joining Just Sixties, and it’s not just being introduced to newer, bigger audiences, but just in terms of learning. They’re all musicians who have been playing their whole lives, and they have taught me so much – I see them all as mentors, and not only mentors but father figures, except Mike, who’s my age – I see him as a brother. They’re so talented and so supportive, and I have felt so comfortable to be myself totally on stage with them. Our shows are where I’ve really developed my own unique style – I’m my best self when I’m on stage with them – and I’ve taken that with me in other situations.
JB: Let’s talk about some of the artists you have performed with. I know you’re in a 60’s/70’s rock tribute band. That’s got to be amazing, especially since you’re so young!
LV: Yes – Just Sixties plays all music from the 60’s, and they’re the longest running 60’s tribute band in the country. It’s so cool because it’s not limited to just what I would put on my own set-lists, Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, but I perform songs like “Shoop Shoop” and “To Sir with Love” and get to show off a range. Plus, it’s dancing music, and I play blues and rock on my own, which is pretty hard to dance to, so I have such a good time at Just Sixties gigs.
I rarely feel my age, though – it’s funny because me and Mike are both 22, and sometimes we’ll be at practice and the other guys will make jokes or references that are waaaay before our time, so we just look at each other and attribute it to the “old people” thing. But we both know so much about the music and the era that it doesn’t come up often, and so many people have come up to me after shows and been like “Where did you COME FROM? It’s like they plucked you out of Woodstock!” My intro line is that I was born 50 years too late… either that or I must have lived a life before this one.
JB: If asked to describe your music in 3 words, what would they be?
LV: Bluesy, soulful, throwback… ? I’m not sure!!! I think that sums it up.
JB: I know you have some shows coming up. What can people expect at one of your performances?
LV: Well, it depends on whether it’s with Just Sixties or a solo thing with Jordan or my band… either way, you’re going to see me jumping around the stage like a crazy person at some point in the night. With Just Sixties, I don’t stop dancing once. Certain songs, no matter who I’m playing with, kind of just possess me – I feel like I’m not in control of my body and I’m just channeling the music, singing with my whole body. I’ve never sung a song I didn’t feel. I just can’t do it!
JB: Tell me some of your favorite artists. Who did you listen to growing up?
LV: At the risk of sounding super repetitive: The Beatles, the Stones, Janis Joplin, the Doors, the Animals, Dylan, Hendrix, and then the older stuff, like the Rat Pack and Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong. Current favorites would be Adele and Lady Gaga, and Leon Bridges is incredible. Ever since Bowie died, I’ve been listening to him nonstop, actually weeping in my car. And right now, Patti Smith’s record Horses is in my record player.
JB: Where do you see yourself in 5 years? What can your fans expect from Lisa Vetrone?
LV: I have lots of future plans but no clue how to get there, so I could be anywhere in five years, and that’s how I like it – I trust I’ll be wherever I’m meant to be. Hopefully by then I’ll have finished watching The Sopranos, because that’s my top priority at the moment, and maybe will be able to move out of my mom’s house? I don’t know what to expect from myself yet!! Just lots of hard work, lots of shows, lots of music. I’ll keep going and hopefully someone will “discover me,” but either way, this is my life now.