After Years Behind the Bass, Mai Leisz Steps Up to the Mic with “What Love Can Be”
Mai Leisz has toured the world supporting famous singers like David Crosby and Jackson Browne. Now, however, she’s stepping up to the mic herself. The bassist has just released her debut vocal EP, What Love Can Be, which puts the spotlight on her singing as well as her exquisite bass playing.
Of course, this isn’t the first time she’s ever sang. Leisz began singing as a child, but a bout of stage fright and performance anxiety in her teenage years led her to focus on the bass. She’s grown a lot in the twenty years since, from moving away from her home country of Estonia to finding her way in the music industry to becoming a mother.
A press release explains that the title track serves as the emotional centerpiece of the album as it reflects all of this.
“After being away from singing for so long, coming back to my voice has been a healing process. What Love Can Be is a tribute to family, home, and the beauty of understanding that love remains, even through change,” she writes. “Since becoming a mother myself just a few months ago, this song has taken on a whole new meaning. The themes of love and the passage of time feel even more poignant as I now experience these emotions from the perspective of parenthood.”
Leisz is joined by her husband Greg Leisz throughout the album including the instrumental opener, “Mo Chuisle Mo Chroi”.
Additional guests include guitarist Michael Landau, pianist Lee Pardini, drummer Alan Hertz, keyboardist Rachel Eckroth, and drummer Jake Reed. Another special guest is Mai’s bass teacher, Raul Vaigla, who plays fretless and e-bow on the intro to “What Love Can Be.”
What Love Can Be is streaming now on all major platforms including Bandcamp, Apple Music, Amazon, and more.
What Love Can Be Track List:
- Mo Chuisle Mo Chroi
- If My Heart Was A Compass
- Stars Like Fireflies
- I Am The Architect
- What Love Can Be
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
