Lisa Panagos
Lisa Panagos continues to redefine the R&B / Soul with the masterstroke new single 'No More Sinking' and the initial response on radio has been extremely positive. Lisa Panagos continues to prove the old axiom that talent, hard work and dedication can and will lead to success in even the toughest competitive environment that is today's music industry.
ANDREW: Did you ever expect your music to go this far?
LISA PANAGOS: When I first began making music, I thought it would take me far, but in a different direction and genre. I’m glad I followed my instincts and didn’t listen to managers and producers about the direction I should take. I had no idea that going in the R&B/Soul direction would take me this far and I’m shocked. I’m glad that I followed my heart about the genre, production style, and that I took control of my own career by writing and producing my own music.
ANDREW: Your new single 'No More Sinking' is currently getting a great response on radio. How would you describe your new single?
LISA PANAGOS:
My new single ‘No More Sinking’ is a sultry, heartfelt, honest and sensual song about missing the one you love. The person that keeps you alive when things are turning the wrong way and you feel like you are sinking in quicksand. The one that makes your truly happy. My lyrics speak of longing to see my love again, my best friend that gives me butterflies and takes the pain of the world away. It speaks of a simple life, winter love moments with that special someone and more. It’s about how the simple things with this person are all that you want or need. It’s so hard to be apart from the person that is your soulmate. It speaks of that pain and yearning to see them. The live musicians I hired brought magic to ‘No More Sinking,’ and I am so grateful that they agreed to play on it. The instrumentation is all live, and it brings a certain warmth and sincerity to the song that I imagined when I wrote it. It’s about turning your life around with the help of the one you love that is also your best friend. It’s a romantic, sincere song that I feel is timeless.
ANDREW: How has your music changed since you first began?
LISA PANAGOS: My music has really changed a lot! I had a strong dance background so I was doing a lot of pop/dance music and house music when I first started. I’m doing something very different now. Many people were pushing me in that direction mainly because of my dance background and live shows. I finally found my voice with ‘No More Sinking’ which is on both my “Inside” and “Beautiful” album. It feels great to have finally found my voice and direction.
ANDREW: What is your creative process when it comes to songwriting?
LISA PANAGOS: My creative process can vary but I mainly write when I’m not stressed out and usually at night. I don’t like bringing negativity into my writing. I can tell when I’m in a good mood to write and it’s great when inspiration hits. I don’t force it on a day I’m stressed or not feeling creative. I don’t clock in and clock out as they say. When I feel filled with creativity, I light candles, lie in bed with my notebook and phone to record my melodies. I sit quietly in a meditative state so that lyric and melody can flow through me like I’m a vessel. It feels so calm, loving and peaceful.
ANDREW: During this creative process, where do your musical ideas come from?
LISA PANAGOS: My musical ideas usually come from life experience, relationships, and love. I have an idea of the direction I want to go and arrangements after writing lyric and melody acapella. Then I bring it to life with a demo. After that, as a producer, I bring in amazing star musicians, and session players that take everything to the next level.
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ANDREW: How do you feel about the dramatic changes in the music business over the past decade?
LISA PANAGOS: I feel that the dramatic changes in the music business over the past decade have opened up many doors for people. There are many Indie artists that wouldn’t have a chance or even get noticed otherwise. There were too many gatekeepers. Now people can release their albums and singles without a huge label. The problem, I believe, is that some of the quality has deteriorated. Indie artists don’t have the big label budgets, so it can be challenging for some Indie artists to create industry-standard, high-quality music.
ANDREW: What is the best compliment you ever received?
LISA PANAGOS: The best compliment I’ve ever received is that fans find my music refreshingly beautiful and sultry.
ANDREW: If you embarked on a world tour, what is the first city you would want to perform in?
LISA PANAGOS: That’s a tough question! I think it would be London, England. I have fans there, so my music is well received, and they are a blast, especially at live shows. I’m also a huge fan of so many artists from the UK like Adele.
ANDREW: If you could sit down with one of your favorite artists, who would it be and what would you ask them?
LISA PANAGOS: If I could sit down with one of my favorite artists, it would be Mariah Carey. I would ask her how it felt to go from a background singer to a Superstar, and how she comes up with her producing and live show ideas. If she has a team that contributes to the concepts or is it just her running free with her own creative ideas. Does she collaborate often? I would ask her who she feels was most instrumental in getting her to stardom and or if it were a team effort that grew as she became more and more successful. I also wonder if she ever suffered from panic attacks and or stage fright, and if so, what did she do to overcome it.
ANDREW: Is there a particular era in music that you draw the most inspiration from (ex. 70's, 80's, 90's etc.)?
LISA PANAGOS: I love music from all eras but I think I draw most inspiration from the 70’s and 80’s. All of the disco, funk, jazz fusion and soul music of the 70’s was amazing. I’ve also always been a huge Sade fan. She really inspires me. I remembered vividly when she came out with her first album with Epic Records, “Diamond Life.” What a timeless record, and she won a well-deserved Grammy for Best New Artist.
ANDREW: When you are working on a song, who is the first person you share it with?
LISA PANAGOS: No one! I don’t want to be swayed by other peoples’ opinions because most people can’t hear through a rough version of a song. I hear it all in my head and know how I need to build it, so I keep my ideas tight to myself until I’m ready to record.
ANDREW: What new music are you working on and when will fans get to hear it?
LISA PANAGOS: I’m working on a new album and I’m really excited about it! I’ve been writing lots of songs and have chosen 10 for my new album. I’ll be back in the studio to record it soon, but who knows, I may write a few more that I feel are better than what I already have. You just never know! Once I get back into the studio, I’m sure everything will naturally fall into place, but I don’t have a firm date in mind yet. Once I’m happy with everything, and have all marketing in promotion in place, that will be the time for the release. I normally just sense and feel it as I continue to record and create. I’m sure my intuition will kick in and I’ll feel when I’m ready to share it with the world! It will be so much fun!
ANDREW: That sounds excellent! Thank you for sharing your experience and insight with us. We look forward to hearing more updates on your music career soon.
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