Lizzy Long Talks About Her New Solo Christian Bluegrass Album "Blueberry Pie"

Lizzy Long was introduced to the Bluegrass world in 2007 when legends Earl Scruggs and Little Roy Lewis combined forces with this young talent to record the trio project, Lifetimes. With the sales and radio success of that award winning effort, she and Lewis began touring as The Little Roy & Lizzy Show. Over the past 5 years they have accumulated many nominations and awards, gaining thousands of fans.

Now, Lizzy steps into the spotlight to present her first solo work. "Blueberry Pie" is a collection of new songs, beloved classics and original tunes. "This project is both the story and soundtrack of my life," states Lizzy. Fans will love the haunting arrangement of the Mary Poppins favorite, Feed The Birds, the heartfelt and powerful duet with Rhonda Vincent, God Is There, and the blazing finger work of the original, Figueroa Mountain, featuring Sam Bush 

Hallels:  You started your singing career with Earl Scruggs and Little Roy Lewis.  How did you meet them and ending up recording with them?

I grew up on a farm in Lincolnton Ga raised with a big family. They all would get together and play with The Lewis Family, who were kinfolks to us...we'd have pickins and Little Roy would always come and play. Long story short... I became a ward of the state soon after and Little Roy took me in as his own. This led to me playing with The Lewis Family. This path in my life led me to Louise and Earl Scruggs when i moved to Nashville. Little Roy introduced me to them and Louise immediately took me under her wing. Before she passed away, she asked me to see to Earl and make sure he kept going. We would pick in his living room a lot.  One day he finally said we needed to record the tunes we were doing. So we did. 

Hallels:  Why then did you decide to go solo with this new album "Blueberry Pie"?

Originally, I was in the process of making a solo album called "Breaking Like Dawn" but the Lewis Family Retired and Little Roy partnered with me right in the middle of recording... So it became a Little Roy and Lizzy Cd. We took off right away as The Little Roy and Lizzy Show and a solo album was put on the back burner. After a couple of years ... Wayne Haun, our record label and producer, came back to me and discussed the strong desire of still making a "Lizzy Album". I had written some songs, as he did ... And we got to work.  

Hallels:  On this album, you have both secular love songs as well as Gospel numbers.  Why did you try to include both types of songs?

Well..... I travel in bluegrass, americana, classic country genres and yet was raised with The Lewis Family who traveled in gospel genre also. So my fan base is very diverse. Not only, i love... Love... A good love ballad.... And Love in my book... Is part of the foundation of christianity. Everything comes to love one way or the other.

Hallels:  I have the title cut "Blueberry Pie" on repeat when I was listening to your album.  What's the story behind this song?

Not very many songs in Bluegrass are written about men from a woman's perspective. It's always about a woman, a sweetheart, darling. Well, this is not who I am. And most men from "our world" world have a hardshell. They are hard workers. But they are not very emotional. And the man in my life now is very much this. I try to sing songs that relate to me and my life.  

Hallels: You have also worked with some very significant guests on this record.  Can you tell our readers who they are?

Oh yes. We have the queen of bluegrass music Rhonda Vincent, we got Sam Bush who invented the "new grass" genre of bluegrass/americana playing mandolin, and then we have Ernie Haase and Signature Sound who sings some quartet style from the gospel world.

Hallels:  One cover that you did really well is Mary Poppins' "Feed the Birds."  Why did you choose this song?

The first recording i ever remember doing was when i was a little girl singing and mumbling into a fisher price audio cassette recorder. It was red and white and had a little mic. My favorite childhood movie was Mary Poppins and I used to try and sing that song into that recorder. When we were working on the solo project song selections i told him this story. We were both fans of Disney anyway. It just happened. And it was magical haha.

Hallels:  For our readers who would like to purchase your new album or/and find out more about you, where can they go?

They can purchase the album at walmart, christianbooks.com, itunes or visit us at our website at www.littleroyandlizzy.com and order it personally there. 

 

 

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