A Brief Conversation w/ Lisa Houdei of LéPonds
When and where were you born? When did you first begin to fall in love with music, more specifically the guitar and songwriting? Was this something that was relevant around your household growing up, or did you make this unique connection on your own?
I was born in St. Louis, Missouri in the afternoon, February of 1990. I had always loved music, but it was when I picked up the guitar in middle school when it all clicked into place. The first attempt at serious songwriting came way later— when I was 18. All thanks to my father insisting early on that “You have to play an instrument. So choose one.” That is likely how it all came to be, but I knew I was going to make music. I have made up songs and melodies since I can remember.
Did you participate in any groups, projects prior to becoming a solo musician? You’ve been releasing music since 2016, tell me about some of those early projects leading up to last year's “In My Cave I Am Me”. Would you mind giving some details behind tracks such as “The Rattle”, the album’s title track, “Sound Of Something” and “Everyday”? What was the overall process and approach to this record?
I have always been a solo musician. I’ve had lovely band mates along the way, but as far as musical groups, LéPonds is all I’ve got. I began playing live at bars with the first friend I actually would sing in front of and write songs with. Of course I must pay homage to the open mic nights I played weekly. Playing live was terrifying in the beginning. I got little to no joy from doing it, and I shook like a leaf. All of my albums were collections of songs that I brought to my dear friend, Tim Gebauer. Together, we recorded 4 albums in his beautiful studio in Saint Louis, and our collaboration allowed me to express exactly what I wanted to express with each song.
For the latest album, “In My Cave I Am Me”, it was written during the 2020-2022 years. I felt safe and in my own world when I was tucked away, at home. All the while, I was planning on finally leaving it to move to Los Angeles. I’ve never thought out a concept for any of my albums. They are always a collection of songs from pockets of time, that then blend themselves into themes. To get into the songs, “Sound of Something” is one of my favorites on the record. It’s about the preparation of moving away from my family, an ode to my father’s Iranian heritage, my grandmothers, my mother, my own skin. The Rattle was a song that came along quickly. I wrote it in 30 minutes, or so. During this time, I also heard the violin part in my head. I wrote “Everyday” on electric guitar and I was having trouble figuring out lyrics for it. We (my band and I) had a live recording performance scheduled and I really wanted to finish the song. After hearing one of my friends complain about their boyfriend, I just took on the perspective of someone who really loves someone, but also really despises them. It ended up being a fun exercise.
What have been up to as of recently? Is there anything else you would like to further share with the readers?
I have been writing my latest album and hope to begin recording later on this year. I also love to combine food and music, so there will be a handful of live shows with food pop ups featuring food that I cook. For these events in the past, I cook all day, then perform at the end of the night. It keeps me humble and honest. No room to be contrived. It feels like the ultimate exchange.
