Welcome to the fourth episode of Sweetman Podcast. This one is a chat with Lisa Tomlins, a Wellington-based singer. Lisa’s worked with everyone – most recently touring the world with Neil Finn. Her career, which she almost laughs off as a bit of fun with some mates stretches back some 20 years – she’s been a cameo artist one minute, a main feature the next; the lead singer or part of a line-up of backing vocalists.
She’s been a dancer and DJ too – and what I got from Lisa in this chat was an almost astonishing level of humility. She’s vulnerable, sure, she has bad days (she had a cold when we spoke, so there’s one or two coughs near the mic and sneezes and such) but she is so overwhelmingly positive. Singers tell you, so often, they just love to sing. You get that from Lisa Tomlins too. But you can hear it when she sings. And you believe it when she tells you.
We talked about some of the collaborations – and the high points as well as scrapping it out and scraping a living, from starting out on the professional karaoke circuit and covers bands through to international touring. Lisa Tomlins has done it all. And self-effacingly laughs most of it off to some strange sort of fluke.
I really enjoyed my chat with her. I hope you like it too.
Or to check out a wee teaser first, before diving all the way in, you can click here.
Awesome – the Queen of Aotearoa Soul!