We were lucky to catch up with Liz Borden recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Liz thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
I knew that I would be doing this professionally since I was a child. My mother said if we were having people over, I would ask which kids were coming and I would either put them in my band, which at that time consisted of dancing and singing to records, or I would write a play and put them in that. The music choose me pretty much. I’ve been playing out musically/professionally since I was a teenager. I’ve always enjoyed acting, and I’ve always enjoyed the technical and behind-the-scenes aspects of the entertainment business.
Liz, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I started playing music professionally as a young teen. I was lucky enough to be a part of the New York and the Boston music scene. The beauty of punk rock, which I was one of the original punk rockers, was it gave people a chance to get up on stage and express yourself even if you couldn’t play well. and that’s what I did. I found a home. As time went on, I learned my instruments and my music grew. I toured, labels, the whole thing. I played in the band Lizzie Borden and the Axes for over 10 years. We put out many videos and that just solidified my love for acting. What people don’t know is I’m a theater kid. I love Broadway. Before Covid I saw as many Broadway plays as I could. When I was a kid my mother took me to the original version of Grease on Broadway for one of my birthday gifts. It changed my life. It just really influenced me and I knew I wanted to do more theater. More music. I have always been techie. I loved taking electronics apart and putting them back together and that got me super interested in recording studios, making videos, editing a lot of behind the scenes stuff. Lizzie Borden and the Axes was the band I became really well-known for. I was also in the bands Lava Beat, the Finch family and then I’ve had a very long solo career. I’ve done theater, I’d like to do more of that. Now I’m making movies. I just finished my fourth movie.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
The lesson I had to unlearn was being a girl. Lizzie Borden and the Axes was an all female band in 1981. A lot of people did not know what to do with a female band in 1981. We had to get past the females stereotypes and teach the industry to do the same. Don’t get me wrong. We were girls, but we had to get through many obstacles in the business. We had to be tough. We were tough because we were city girls, but we had to be tougher. The music industry really did not know how to treat, manage or promote all female bands. Let alone female musicians. The Go-Gos went through this also. We were both around the same time. Record labels wanted us to be more feminine. Lawyers wanted us to watch how we behaved and what we said. One thing I made sure of was to learn all aspects of the business on stage, offstage and in the studio, Best thing I can tell anyone in this business is learn everything.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
For me, it’s when younger musicians come up and let me know. I influenced them in one way or another. That fact that what I did meant something to someone is the best reward. I have awards. I’ve played music all over. I’ve done the whole thing. But when somebody comes up to you and says you’ve moved them in someway or you’ve done something to help them in life, that means more to me than anything. Songwriting is one of my favorite things to do. When Covid hit I couldn’t play out and I was completely freaked out because I’ve never had a break in playing until Covid hit. I would go live on Facebook at all hours with Sarah Fitzpatrick. People would write and say, can you go on now even if it’s just to talk. We would go live and play some music. In March 2020, I had a new CD. I was supposed to go out and tour with it. I had tons of merchandise and that basically it all sat in boxes in my home. I was supposed to release my new album called Liz Borden – Dancing On the Moon. In one of my live sessions, I played it, and this woman name Cindy Lou loved it. That song she made hers. She was in the hospital and needed five operations. She had the best attitude about it. Long story short as they say, after one of her surgeries, Cindy Lou did not wake up they tried everything everything! Finally her best friend asked me for a copy of the song. Apparently Cindy Lou had told everyone about the song how much she loved it and what it meant to her. She would play it and the nurses would dance around. They said well let’s get a copy of the song. She wouldnt wake up. They were trying to get her to wake up for quite a while. Finally they got a copy of the song and they played it for her and she woke up. I am not kidding! That meant so much to me. Eventually she passed away, but it means so much to me that that song meant so much to her. Those are the things that matter.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lizborden.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizbordenofficial?igsh=YTQwZjQ0NmI0OA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lizbordenmusic?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Twitter: @Lizaxes
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@Lizbordenmusic?si=hrr6KFSIVrLhaYNt