Liz Brasher on “Big Sandy” and Learning the Business Side of Music

Photo credit: Piper Ferguson

Tell us about your tour vehicle. Any notable breakdown stories?

BIG SANDY — A Ford 15 Passenger church van. Sand colored so I named her after Big Sandy, the artist. He told me I should have named her “Big Vandy.” 200,000 miles. She’s had a lot of work done in her lifetime.

One time in-between recording my first album in Memphis I had a show booked to play with The Horton Brothers in Austin. I was really looking forward to this show because I had never seen a Horton Bros show and always wanted to! To be able to play together was going to be a huge honor. Then my damn van broke down. She needed an engine repair so we were stuck in Memphis, no Horton Brothers and no show in Texas. The mechanic was so sweet he lent us his 88 Jimmy so we could go back and forth from the studio to finish recording the album. Dale, if you’re reading this you are a Mississippi angel.

How do you eat cheaply and/or healthy while on tour?

I get an Airbnb, I buy groceries and cook my own food.

How many strings do you break in a typical year? How much does it cost to replace them?

None because I use flat wounds. Like, $30

Where do you rehearse?

You should’ve seen my landlord’s eyes when he saw me wheeling in my piano and setting up a drum set in my 1br apartment. Philip, if you’re reading this you’re an OC angel.

What was the title and a sample lyric from the first song that you wrote?

“Cold Baby”

Describe your first gig.

My first gig was in the middle of a snow storm in Chicago with a band of random people I had put together: violin, cello, drums, guitar. I was doing more folk stuff, deep into Bob Dylan and the delta blues. The music and songs were not very good, but I was learning how to lead a band and write and play guitar in a major city, so things were fun.

What was your last day job? What was your favorite day job?

I help to keep kids and families in Orange County safe. This has been my favorite day job 🙂

How has your music-related income changed over the past 5-10 years? What do you expect it to look like 5-10 years from now?

It’s been consistently inconsistent. Sometimes you get big pay days, sometimes you don’t. I expect more opportunities and increase in the future.

What one thing do you know now that you had wished you knew when you started your career in music?

Learn more about the business side of music as you’re learning to craft and create.

Like everyone, in the past few years, Liz Brasher has experienced the full gamut of emotions in her personal and professional life. Having settled in Memphis in 2019, the singer-songwriter was comfortable in a community that was far removed from the traditional music business. Surrounded by like-minded creatives, she was able to thrive in that community, but never flourish on a larger level, which made her feel that her career had stagnated. Add to that a relationship that was on the fritz, and battling physical ailments (including losing her voice) Brasher knew things had to change.

In 2019, Brasher released her tough-as-nails debut, Painted Image. It cemented Brasher as an artist who wasn’t afraid to draw upon her experiences in order to paint a raw and authentic portrait of who she strives to be as an artist and person. Her background singing gospel hymns in a Spanish-speaking church provided the foundation, as well as her background as a Southern-bred woman with Dominican and Italian blood. Painted Image was the spark, but her sophomore effort, Baby Damn, sees her flourish and her growth pronounced.

After signing with Blue Élan Records, Brasher — armed with her arsenal of demos that included ready-made harmonies, bass, drums, guitar, piano — headed into the studio to bring the songs she recorded alone to life. She hunkered down at the legendary Sunset Sound studio with famed producer Joe Chiccarelli and an all-star group of musicians, including Matt Chamberlain (drums), Sean Hurley (bass), Roger Manning (keys) and David Levita (guitar). My Morning Jacket’s Carl Broemel (pedal steel), Bones UK’s Carmen Vandenberg (guitar) and Oliver Kraus (cello) were enlisted during the overdubbing process. Brasher harnessed the angst she felt in Memphis and subsequent rebirth in Southern California to create a body of work that is intimately bold.

Connect with Brasher online and on the road.