When Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb debuted her 15th album, “A Simple Trick to Happiness,” in February, she didn’t anticipate her songs would resonate so deeply during the coronavirus pandemic.
Each of the 11 songs on the album preaches finding purpose, meaning, pleasure and happiness in daily actions, no matter the circumstance. With songs like “This Is My Life,” “Shine” “The Upside” and “Another Day,” Loeb connects people during a time of isolation with upbeat acoustic melodies and calming, feel-good vibes.
“A Simple Trick” came to fruition after Loeb spent the last few years writing and performing children’s music. Yearning to make a “grown-up record,” she told the Journal it can be daunting to write new music about evolved emotions, but she decided to write about subjects relevant to her that she knew her fans would also connect with.
“Life is not perfect but we find a place to shine,” she said, referencing the main theme of the album. “We find things in ourselves that make us strong. … Sometimes our life can be unusual and we’re trying to make sense of it. Then you take a step back and go, ‘Oh, my gosh, but this is my life; this is cool.’ ”
Raised in Dallas, the Los Angeles transplant said she also gained inspiration from her local community of parents and friends whom she used to run into at Trader Joe’s, and her two elementary-age kids’ school and baseball games.
“You end up having a lot of meaningful conversations while you are waiting around for your kids, especially before COVID,” she said. “Sometimes someone would say something brilliant to me that they thought was no big deal. … I wanted to capture those moments in the songs. I wanted songs you could carry around with you throughout the day.”
Loeb had to cancel her plans for an in-person tour due to the pandemic, but she isn’t letting it keep her from connecting and sharing music with her fans. On Aug. 15, from the comfort of her home and with the help of the web-based performance venue StageIt, she will kick off her “One Night Only” virtual concert. Playing songs from the new album, older catalogue songs and fan requests, she will interact with fans on social media.
During quarantine, Loeb has been jumping on Facebook and Instagram live to share music, thoughts and interactions with her fans. She’s also been on Cameo, which allows her to send them personalized messages.
“I get to know people’s names and who they are, where they live, what’s going on in their lives and … we’re trying to figure out what the best way to connect is,” she said.
Loeb also decided to create a quarantine music video for her song “The Upside,” which was released on YouTube on July 25. The song features young dancers from Groove at Creation Station, Everybody Dance & Dance Lab, the Harlem School of the Arts dance program, the Grrrl Brigade, Children’s Ballet Theater and Fancy Feet Dance Studio.
“It’s about appreciating life,” she said. “The kids really expressed themselves. We are all in a different place but we are all connected.”
While quarantining with her husband, Roey Hershkovitz, and their children, the songwriter is “appreciating life” by cooking, baking, learning a new language, dancing and sharing music with her kids. Loeb introduced them to soft ’70s rock while they introduced her to “Hamilton,” Billie Eilish, Lizzo and Haim.
“I’m inspired all around me all the time,” she said.
She’s also viewing her own music and experiences through a Jewish lens. She notes that her song “Shine” reminds her of the upcoming High Holy Days and how “looking inward” can provide great strength from within. Celebrating Shabbat with her family is another tradition Loeb has embraced during the pandemic.
“I thought, ‘Well, we’re all at home, let’s start doing Shabbat,’ ” she said, taking a pause to glance at her phone to confirm her grocery delivery service included grape juice for Shabbat. “We do it most Friday nights. I think it’s a nice tradition. Like all the Jewish activities and traditions, I’m in a constant journey to understanding the essence of the holidays and what they mean to me and what it means to humans and what it can mean to your kids.”
“Obsessed” with the High Holy Days, she said she appreciates how all the holidays in the Jewish calendar are connected. “I take it seriously. I think it’s exciting to have this time of year that has this inward and outward examination of your life and how you act and what your life is about,” she said.
Thinking about her own life’s journey, Loeb noted one of the many things she’s learned along the way as a songwriter is how much she loves collaborating with others.
“Although I used to take pride in doing everything myself … I think the song is more important than myself,” she said. “I really have embraced that through making songs on my kids record and definitely with this current record, really being able to collaborate with others.”
Loeb sings “Doesn’t It Feel Good” with pop artist Michelle Branch. Loeb first heard about Branch when, at 13, she sang for Loeb backstage at one of her concerts. “I’m so excited for her success and everything she is doing,” Loeb said. “She is a fan of mine and I am a fan of hers.”
Regardless of where she is — and these days, she is at home — you will likely find Loeb authentically sharing her music on social media, with an array of instruments behind her, ready to connect with her fans and discuss a few simple tricks to happiness.
“One Night Only”World Tour begins Aug. 15 at 6 p.m. Pacific time through StageIt. For more information and to join Lisa Loeb’s fan club, visit her website. To connect with her on Cameo, click here.
More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.