Cover Photo Credit: www.lizbrasher.com
Liz Brasher is a one-of-a-kind Southern music artist—one you can’t box into any single category. Indeed, her music is an intricate blend between church flavor, homely tunes and bar moods infused with guitar, singing and soul.
From a young age, Brasher was exposed to many music influences, beginning at her all-Spanish Baptist church near Charlotte. Ultimately, Brasher has been able to tie together her experiences and talent to become a premier recording artist in Memphis and beyond.
Early life
Born in Matthews, North Carolina, Brasher comes from a family of singers and performed at her local Baptist church from a young age. As a member of a first-generation family from the Dominican Republic, Brasher grew up speaking mostly Spanish, and this—along with her church background—would come to influence how she writes her music.
Letting the music flow
Brasher’s musical evolution was continuous throughout her early life and into high school and college, when she started to draw inspiration from blues artists such as Geeshie Wiley, Son House and Elvie Thomas.
After college, Brasher moved to Atlanta and began performing professionally in a trio composed of herself, Todd Kerstetter and Lee Corum. Upon moving to Memphis in 2017, she started work on her debut solo album with renowned Memphis producer Scott Bamer. As she describes it, she was seeking to create a recording “that was truly me, that didn’t mask anything.”
Brasher was drawn to Memphis by her love of vintage American music, along with the fact that the city is a hotbed for big-name record labels. Indeed, Memphis is where she unleashed her songwriting skills and eventually released her album, Painted Image.
Popular releases
The fusion of Brasher’s roots in American, Dominican and Italian traditions with her church background and experience as a professional musician is demonstrated in her single “Cold Baby.” Its breathtaking symphonies, guitar strings and piano keys underscore her intended message of feeling unappreciated in a relationship. “Painted Image” (the single) picks up from where “Cold Baby” left off, adding a more intricate symphony orchestra component into the mix.
The future
Liz Brasher’s future as a recording artist is bright, fueled by her diverse background and a deep appreciation for American music. Being immersed in the culture and soul of Memphis brings out the best in her songwriting and performance skills as she continues to redefine Southern music and make it truly her own.
