TEN YEARS AND TENACITY
Stepping out in faith is an integral part of Lisa Hentrich’s character. The challenges she’s faced to get where she is today have only strengthened her faith with thick skin and tenacity.
“I drove down from Missouri with my suitcases and a handful of songs, thinking I’d get my big break within a few years,” Lisa says, “Man, did I have a lot to learn about the music business and Nashville!”
She laughs about her naivety now. When Lisa joined the throngs of aspiring singer-songwriters who migrate to Music City each year hoping their talent will rise above the crowd, it didn’t take long for her to realize a few years NST (“Nashville Songwriter Time”) can easily equate to a long hard decade….and to rise above the crowd, you have to rise above rejection.
“I learned pretty quick that I needed thicker skin and a lot of it,” she says now, “You have to be a pit bull to keep chasing a dream like this, and I just refused to let go of the bone, no matter how long it took.”
FINDING HER VOICE
While she still had some things to learn about toughening up her “Dream Skin” in Music City, Hentrich had already put in some hard core time paying her dues as a singer. She had become a seasoned performer before she landed in Nashville, having gotten her start just out of high school singing with her brother’s rock band in the bars and clubs of St. Louis.
“Our family has music in our blood,” Hentrich reflects, “The first seeds of my passion for music were planted by my Dad. We grew up listening to him singing and playing bass in a country band, and by the time I reached my teens, I was listening to my brother in a rock & roll group.”
Although her stint performing with her brother’s band ended when the band split up, it was the catalyst that launched Lisa’s musical journey. She spent 3 years performing with traveling bands, one of which was the rock band now known as FUEL.
Hentrich says of her time on the road, “It was one of the most fun times in my life. I was seeing the big world outside my small town bubble for the first time, and I learned a lot about myself and about life. Music made me feel like I was finally doing what I was born to do.”
She also believes her years of touring were the ultimate training ground for a developing singer. “We played about 50 weeks out of the year, so I really learned how to overcome any fears I had about singing in front of people. During those years on the road, I learned how to come out of my shell and entertain.”
IN HER OWN WORDS
“I had to get tired of singing other people’s songs before it suddenly occurred to me that maybe I could write my own,” Lisa remembers. I was always good at writing stories and poetry in school, and it dawned on me one day that I already had half of a song there with my poems. I just needed to put music to it.”
She turned to the place where she’d gotten her musical start: family. Collaborating with her brother, she began learning the ropes of putting words and music together. Finding songwriting, she says, was finding home.
“It was the missing ingredient,” Hentrich says of writing, “I was craving something but I didn’t know what. When I tapped into songwriting, I struck my gold. As much as I loved singing, it was the process of creating something on my own that I needed to give me a sense of purpose.”
A PLACE TO FLY
...You just need a place to fly….God will give you wings...
Like the lyric from one of Lisa’s songs (released earlier this year on the WOMEN OF HOPE album) written about her mother’s encouragement to follow her dream, she knew her place to fly was Nashville. Her tenacity and determination were already beginning to take root, so she packed her bags and headed south to the land of songwriters’ opportunity.
Little did she know, she’d have a lot of walking through hills and valleys to do before she’d grow those wings. “I worked full time at an entertainment law firm for a while, just learning about the business,” Lisa says, “I wanted to be smart about it and go about things the right way. But I found out how hard it is to work a day job and pursue my writing and singing. You don’t make money doing music in a town with so much talent…so you work whatever jobs you have to work to pay the bills, and you summon up the energy to invest the rest of your time in the music. How long you can endure it is the real test of how bad you want it.”
LOOKING LESS...FOCUSING MORE
Despite all of the obstacles she’s encountered during her 10+ years in Nashville, Hentrich has not faltered in pressing onward. “I’ve learned to look not so much at what kind of obstacles and rejections I'm encountering, but focus more on what I’m learning from them,” she says, “I can’t imagine not writing and singing. It’s who I am, regardless of the roadblocks. So I might as well focus on what I can do to keep learning and growing from them, ‘cause I’m not going to let them stop me or dampen my passion for creating music.”
And Hentrich has created a lot of music. Her songs range from power Country ballads to spiritual message songs to music that crosses other varied genre borders. She has prolific versatility in her ability to span generations and honestly address life situations her fans cannot only identify with, but sing along to. Her songs often reflect her mission to help others through her music. Pink Ribbon, a ballad depicting a woman’s battle and triumph over breast cancer, has been a source of inspiration to women from all walks of life and their family members who have been touched by this disease. Her songs Bridges and You Win, both powerful stories of women walking away from unhealthy relationships, were co-written and recorded on an album by Lisa to benefit The Bridges of Williamson County, a shelter for abused women and children.
TAKING FLIGHT
Refining her focus brought a brand new vantage point of success for Lisa. After ten years of honing her writing and performing in the mecca of Nashville’s original music venues, other major artists began recording her songs for their albums. Clay Walker, Chris Cagle and LONESTAR lead singer Richie McDonald are just a few of the artists who have cut songs co-penned by Hentrich, and there are more in the pipelines from this talented songstress.
At the same time Hentrich's songwriting has found its wings, so has her artistry. In response to frequent requests at live shows from fans wanting to purchase her music, Lisa decided it was time to record her own full length album. The self-titled 2007 compilation of 10 songs were all co-written by Hentrich, expressing themes of triumph over trials, moments of surrender, and reflections of her faith. In contrast to the thread of sassy grit that runs through many of the rock-flavored up-tempo tunes, she reveals stark vulnerability in her intimate ballads and leaves you feeling that anything is possible in songs with silver linings.
Hentrich followed up this contemporary country release with “Days of December”, her 2010 Christmas album. “I’m a holiday girl,” says Hentrich about this labor of love that took 3 years to complete. “I’ve always wanted to do an album of all original holiday songs…you don’t come across those very often. I wanted to do a project of Christmas music that has something for everyone, so I tried to write songs with all different flavors for the project. There are classic-sounding songs, uptempo and fun for kids stuff, songs of worship, and even a torch song on this album. I had a great time creating this music from the ground up, seeing and hearing it come to life.”
NO COMPROMISE
In a business where compromise is common in order to rise to the top, Lisa reflects on how long it has taken to reach the doors that have finally opened. “I wouldn’t change a thing,” she says now, “because I’ve taken the road of Integrity. It’s the long way around, but I won’t compromise myself or my music for the sake of a shortcut.”
Most of all, she’s grateful that the long way around has brought her richness in the journey. “I’m looking forward to what the next 10 years brings,” she says, “The adventure has just begun!”