Photograph by Meg Webster
Lizzie Weber
If interested in further information about songwriter and performer Lizzie Weber, we might suggest the June edition of St. Louis Magazine, still on newsstands (or you can read it online here). In it, we feature the young performer, who is now branching out from her debut, self-titled album. And today, online, we’re able offer a world premiere, of sorts, with a video of Weber’s newest cut, which goes live today.
The new song, “Raptor,” was recorded in the live setting of Sherpa Studios, where Weber’s frequently worked with producer Bryan Ryback. The session was pulled together when a family member, videographer Brad Conner, passed through St. Louis. As luck and open dates would have it, she, her band, Ryback and Conner were available for a single-song recording date at Sherpa.
She selected “Raptor” because it's “a new song that’s sort of a departure for the style of songwriting found on my first album. I decided to do something new with the arrangement, and I wanted it to be the first track that I shared with folks outside of the first release.
“I finished the song in January,” Weber adds. “We had played it out at different gigs around town a few times. As soon as we felt comfortable with it, had a good vibe on the track, I felt comfortable in saying ‘let’s do this.’ My band’s so talented and accomplished that I never had to worry about things. Working with such great people, I knew everyone else would have their stuff together. That’s where you feel the pressure, going in and representing the song to the best of your ability. It’s very different process than the recording of a studio album. The beautiful thing of a live session is seeing everyone come together and the sound of a live room is really special."
Weber figures that the cut will wind up being on her second work, “even as the title track. It’s one that’s about self-discovery. It spiraled me into writing these other tunes that have the same themes. I would put this on the next album for sure.”
In addition to Weber on piano and vocals, the principles behind “Raptor” include Brian Ryback, engineer and owner of Sherpa Studios; Brad Conner, videographer and owner of Notion Productions (Denver, CO); and Dane Iwata and Nick Garcia, who assisted with filming on the project. Musicians are Katelyn Hamre (violin), Sean Hamre (cello), John Hussung (bass), and Tony LaMacchia (drums).
Watch the video here.
