Name: Lisa Ramey
Nationality: American
Occupation: Singer, songwriter
Current release: Lisa Ramey's new single "Internet" is out now.
(Pure) Vocal Recordings Recommendations: Do you listen to Brittany Howard? The album Sound and Color is one of my favorites, mostly because of her vocals and how she plays with them. Her breath support is phenomenal. Listen to 'Gimme All Your Love' and 'Future People'. Feels so good.
And Broken Smile! This album is filled with pure vocals. Check out 'Jesus Is My Only Friend' off the record ....  it's my album.

If you enjoyed this Lisa Ramey interview and would like to stay up to date with her music, visit her official website. She is also on Instagram, Facebook, and twitter.



Do you think that some of your earliest musical experiences planted a seed for your interest in your voice and singing?

Honestly, I think it was Vanessa Williams. I love her career and I remember telling people how much I wanted to be just like her.

How and when did you start singing?

I popped out of my mom singing! She has cassette tapes of me singing songs I would make up.

I started singing in front of people in church

Singing is an integral part of all cultures, and traditions. Which of these do you draw from – and why?

I draw from my culture. I create from within. It's the only way I know how to create.

What were some of the main challenges in your development as a singer/vocalist?

Being my own boss and making my own decisions. Nobody is going to do it better than myself until I reach the luxury of delegation and that's a hard pill to swallow.

Which practices, exercises, or experiences were most helpful in reaching your goals – were there also “harmful” ones?

I was a dancer first, then singer then actor. All of this training has kept me working consistently in a lot of different areas of entertainment. I strongly recommend it if you're just starting.

Because of my dance background, when I filmed The Voice I was cast at the beginning of a Marshall's commercial dancing it up. Dancing can be harmful to your body as it was mine.

Make sure your teacher understands how the human body works before giving them the keys to your muscles

How do you see the relationship between harmony, rhythm and melody?

I wouldn't listen to music without rhythm. Even in jazz music the musicians check in with the drums to stay on beat.

What is music without harmonies and melodies? I see the relationship as the perfection trifecta of life.

Do you feel that honing your sense of rhythm and groove has an effect on your singing skills?

Absolutely!! That's how I feel music as opposed to counting it out all the time. I can feel what happens next

What are the things you hear in a voice when listening to a vocalist?

Tone first, then I'll hear if the vocalist is singing freely or tightening their throat. Then, what feelings or emotions are they expressing through the song they're singing? I can tell if you're singing from your heart or your head. I can tell if you're full of joy or insecurities.

I love a free vocalist who sings because they love to sing. I also love a horrible singer who sings because they love to sing!  

What moves you in the voices of other singers?

Confidence in your gift and joy. You can be the most insecure, shy, anxious person on the planet but then you open your mouth to sing and the world goes silent and you trust your voice ... I love those singers.

How would you describe the physical sensation of singing? [Where do you feel the voice, do you have a visual sensation/representation, is there a sense of release or tension etc …]

Oh wow, cool question! Hmmm, I feel my voice in my chest. Singing has so much to do with breathing. The deeper the breath the louder and fuller the sound. I control my voice with breathing so there is for sure a sense of release.

For me singing is breathing. Singing is life!

What kind of musical settings and situations do you think are ideal for your own voice?

Showers lol. I can sing anywhere. The only thing I need is a fantastic sound man.

We have a speaking voice and a singing voice. Do these feel like they are natural extensions of each other, ends on a spectrum or different in kind?

When I speak and sing it's a natural expression. My brain said speak and whatever you hear is what my brain is making happen.

I don't alter my voice in any way which is wonderful because people have always told me "I hate you because when you sing you don't sound like anybody else. You sound like you" lol.

From whispers to screams, from different colours to dynamics, what are the potentials and limits of your voice?

I wouldn't say my voice is limited but other people have certainly limited my voice.

My voice sounds fantastic when I sing in the range that my voice was created to sing in.

How much of your vocal performance can and do you want to control?

I control it all. Warming up before every show is how I'll know what I'm dealing with. It's easy to control once you understand what's actually happening.

I started vocal training with a coach in highschool and I've never stopped. I know my voice very well and I trust it. My vocal chords trust me and the decisions I make during performances and in the studio. We're besties :)

When you're writing song lyrics, do you sense or see a connection between your voice and the text? Does it need to feel and sound “good” or “right” to sing certain words?

Seriously, great questions! YES. My favorite way to write is to hear a track, then I'll create a melody and the melody tells me what to say. Then when I'm singing the song it feels good to sing!

"I'm in the business of making you feel good" is a line from my song 'My Creator' and it's so true.



I will play with words and sentences to make them feel good to sing. The word vagabond feels so fun to sing where we placed it in my song 'Vagabond'. "You a vagabond, vagabond ..."



Play it and sing with me. You'll see what I mean

What's your perspective in this regard of singing someone else's songs versus your own?

Listen, if they did it right then I'll cover it and feel great. But I almost always would rather sing my songs from my mind to paper

Strain is a particularly serious issue for many vocalists. How do you take care of your voice?

Sleep. 8 hours. Without sleep, vocal control takes a vacation. If it hurts to sing, change it or don't sing it. Drink all the water and stop talking so much. I try not to speak for at least an hour before every show. Most importantly, find peace in your life. Stress will fry your chords.

My methods work! When I toured with Cirque du Soleil for two years I never missed a show because of my vocal chords and we performed 9 shows a week in a dusty tent!

Are the recipes or techniques to get a damaged voice back in shape?

For sure! I'll never forget when The Voice called me and I could barely speak into the phone. I had no voice. Too many gigs, late nights, and a horrible diet ruined my chords. I had to fix them fast. I thought I was never going to sing again. It was such a scary time.

I got my chords scoped by an incredible woman Dr who didn't charge all the money I had! I was told to give up yeast, wheat, red wine, all sugary cocktails, sugar, and spicy foods. It was easy to give up because I was about to start the process of auditioning for The Voice.

My voice was healed in weeks and I haven't had any issues since. No surgery!!

How has technology, such as autotune or effect processing, impacted singing?

I don't hate it. When I'm recording in the studio I'm on budgeted time, we don't have all day to sing perfectly so auto-tune for sure helps. Especially when you have a producer who is going for a sound that I can't necessarily make.

Has it been a concrete influence on your own approach?

I wouldn't say it's concrete. It's there if we need it so why not use help.

I don't use autotune while I perform live.

For recording engineers, the human voice remains a tricky element to capture. What, from your perspective, makes voices sound great on record and in a live setting?

On record what makes a vocalist sound great is how great their talent is and listening to the producer and engineer .... even though they can be super annoying lol

For me, singing live I listen to myself, my sound man and my music director. It takes a lifetime to find a music director you can trust so always remember to trust yourself first.

BUT all artists need another ear to help us. Your sound is your best friend. Be nice to the sound engineers. They have all the power.

Motherese may have been the origin of music, and singing is possibly the earliest form of musical expression, and culture in general. How connected is the human voice to your own sense of well-being, your creativity, and society as a whole?

I think I understand this deep wonderful question .... I believe in being kind.

Speaking words of love are healing to your insides and to those you're speaking to. Being kind and choosing love ignites creativity in a positive way and I believe society needs more love always!