Lady sings the blues

“I love audiences,” says Lisa McCuiston. “The energy you get from an audience really feeds a performance.”

Unfazed by the unexpected downpour pounding Scruples’ patio on a recent evening, McCuiston played her own alchemy of rock and blues, blending soulful vocals and musical raw intensity without losing control.

Formerly with Glass Ear, BlueStone and Dirty Pretty, the Texas native has played a wide variety of musical genres, even commercials. Currently a solo artist, she collaborates with other musicians with their studio projects, as well as her own gigs.

“There is freedom in live solo performances,” she says. “The storytelling of a song becomes not only an emotional one, but a physical one, as well.”

Her original songs encompass a broad range of emotions and characters. The sultry “Palm of Your Hand” portrays a lover wrapped in the intoxication of love, while the haunting “Stuck in Reno” captures a woman seduced by blue skies and promises only to be abandoned in a strange town.

While dedicated to writing and finishing her album, McCuiston is also open to new venues. “New faces, new energy, new atmosphere; that always makes for a great canvas to play.”

Lisa McCuiston plays Rollin’ on the River on July 17 when she opens for Krissi Moses.