At the time of our call, Toronto-born R&B singer Liza Yohannes, who is just passing by Lisa– had just left his lifelong hometown. She doesn’t yet have a place to live (“I’m looking for an apartment,” she says) and recently made the decision to give up nursing to pursue music full-time. LIZA’s current state of change would be enough to bring stress, self-doubt, and uncertainty into anyone’s life. But the rising entertainer seemed calm when we spoke, crediting her good energy to taking care of her mental health and trusting herself when it comes to her leaps of faith.
“I think, honestly, growing up in a first-generation household, that a lot of the challenges that I face – and I’m sure other people can relate to – are the pressures to take on a tangible career as a doctor or lawyer or engineer,” says LIZA (pronounced Lee-za), of her Ethiopian-Canadian upbringing. “It was one of those things where I was like, okay, well, I guess I I’ll be on my way to medical school and something in healthcare, but music has always been front and center for me.”
LIZA says her passion for music was so strong that she ended up going to nursing school while releasing tracks, first on SoundCloud and later on other music streaming platforms. “I would finish class, then hop on the train to the only studio I know of to record my songs, then go home and wake up for classes or clinics early the next morning. It was my life for a very long time,” says LIZA.
LIZA’s double life as a recording artist eventually led to the release of her buzzing EP, Done Is Done, which was entirely conceived and completed during the pandemic with a select circle of collaborators. While working on the project, even LIZA went so far as to rent and live in an Airbnb with her producers. Since then, she has received numerous accolades and was selected for ASCAP’s 2021 “Songwriters: Next Generation” Program. She has also opened for Kyle Dion, Raveena and Lauryn Hill. “Honestly, I really have to give the coffee my all. It’s my main source of assistance,” jokes LIZA.
Some might argue that it was LIZA’s optimism that kept her going – after all, being an emerging musician and having every opportunity on hold indefinitely due to the pandemic is a hard reality to swallow. “It really made me sit down with myself and think,” LIZA says of her canceled performances and sessions and rescheduled releases.
“It’s really difficult [because performance is the] primary way to communicate and connect with supporters and [how I] introduce my music to new people. Shows are the most electrifying thing, especially when you have a crowd that really rocks with your music. There is no such thing. So one thing that I really forced myself to learn was to focus on the things that I could control and a lot of my focus was on writing as much as possible,” LIZA says of her proactive response. to these limitations. “It’s about seeing what you can do with what you’re given and how you can overcome any obstacles you have by simply changing your perspective,” she adds.
For LIZA, being consistent in daily rituals is how she takes care of her mind and body, even if no two days are the same. This includes waking up at 6:30 or 7 a.m. every day (“I’m so early,” she says), meditating, drinking coffee in the sun, and writing in notebooks. “I had a really bad pattern of working very, very hard and burning out, then taking a few weeks off, then working really hard, then burning out and repeating that cycle,” LIZA says of the when she felt least in control. “The important thing I learned is that taking care of yourself isn’t just when you’re exhausted, it’s every day. It’s waking up in the morning and meditating regularly and not looking at my phone and doing things that make me happy for my overall emotional well-being.
As a black woman entering the precarious and sometimes toxic recording industry, the practice of self-care also offers a kind of mental protection. “I don’t even know if I can simplify the complexities of racism into a few words – and it sounds cliché, but black women have to work twice as hard to go half as far. This is exactly the reality of the situation,” says LIZA. “I think we are making progress, but we certainly have a long way to go.”
For now, LIZA is looking forward to working on a new musical project (“I think it’s the best I’ve written to date,” she says proudly) and finding a place to live. And while big changes can be difficult, she works hard to view her life through heart-shaped lenses. “Sometimes I think of my life as a real romantic comedy, which can sometimes be unhealthy, but I really like to write about love and happiness and everything related to it”, enthuses LIZA. “My favorite movies are basically all the Julia Roberts movies from the 90s – one of my favorites is My Best Friend’s Wedding, where Julia Roberts’ character is called Julianne Potter. The first piece of my project is about makes its name.
From her early days as a nurse in Toronto to becoming a rising voice in R&B, you could even say that LIZA’s life has always exuded the energy of the titular character – and to this day, she faces all her highs. and her stockings like the protagonist she is. It shows in all of his work. Essentially, every heartbreak song LIZA writes also honors the optimism of what may come from the other side. It seems like a great place for LIZA, mentally, even though everything around her is in flux. “I think I write songs to express the love I want or how I imagine love,” says LIZA. “I really like to capture the essence of good healthy love.”
*The information in this program is not intended to provide medical advice and is not intended for self-diagnosis or treatment. If you have any questions or concerns about your health, and/or before starting or stopping any treatment or acting on any information in this program, you should contact your own doctor or health care provider. .
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