Lissie Finds Empowerment in Kid Cudi and Lady Gaga Covers

Posted on Aug 27th 2010 2:00PM by Dan Reilly
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Valerie Phillips

Kid Cudi. Lady Gaga. Lionel Richie. Metallica. Hank Williams. This disparate quintet of artists has one thing in common: they've all been covered by Lissie. And in the age of the Internet, the singer-songwriter's indie-folk renditions of their songs -- 'Bad Romance,' 'Hello,' 'Nothing Else Matters,' 'Pursuit of Happiness' and 'Wedding Bells,' respectively -- have become somewhat of a viral sensation.

"I never thought the covers would really turn into something that was so well-received," she tells Spinner. "Really, when I started doing them it was like if I'm listening to a song, something in me is like 'I wish I wrote those words because I can relate to them.'"

At a glance, it might seem odd to think that she would have much in common with Kid Cudi, but Lissie found she could relate to his lyrics one night in her Illinois hometown. "I was driving around Rock Island with my friend who I've known since I was five and we were listening to that song," she tells Spinner. "'Rolling the Midwest side and living my life, getting out dreams' -- I thought, 'all the words to this song are totally, totally me.' People, in Rock Island especially, tell me 'slow my roll' and I used to scream out 'f--- that. I'm going to do what I want and there is no turning back.'"

"The lyrics mean something very specific to me, so I just wanted to do it because I felt empowered when I sang it," she continues. "I like saying 'F--- that.' People like it. Everyone in the crowd is like 'f--- that!'

Though they've added to her popularity, Lissie says that was never the motivation behind doing the songs. "We didn't do those with any marketing in mind or any sort of campaign," she says. "On some level, I'm sure people are like, 'It's good to have some content because it helps people get to know you.' 'Hello' by Lionel Richie, I have a very specific moment I spent with that song, so I want to do things that I relate to."

Lissie's debut LP, 'Catching a Tiger' is available now via Fat Possum. Check out her covers of Kid Cudi's 'Pursuit of Happiness' and Lady Gaga's 'Bad Romance' below.