Americana/Roots artist Lisa O'Kane explores the "dark end of the street" on her most intimate album to date, It Don't Hurt, for New Light Entertainment/Universal. Recorded in Los Angeles over the past two years, the 11-song collection highlights the contrasts in the personal life of the California native. Her upbeat personality allows her to tackle the hard stuff, and still come out on top. The disc hits store shelves across North America on October 23.
While the title track explores the sobering subject of physical abuse -- O'Kane manages to navigate the listener down that rocky road, and back into the light, with perfect emotional
tuning. The path to independence is explored in the stunning practicality of "Got The Car Running," the story of a woman who is waiting only on the inevitable.
A Telecaster-wielding Albert Lee joins Kenny Edwards (Stone Poneys/Bryndle); legendary keyboardist Skip Edwards (Dwight Yoakam/Lucinda Williams/Jim Lauderdale), bassist extraordinaire,
Taras Prodaniuk (Yoakam/Lucinda Williams) and Emmy Award-winning composer Ernest Troost to bring the music to life - and lay bare the heart and soul of O'Kane. "There's something very
challenging about surrounding yourself with players of this quality," says Lisa. "They really made me dig deep."
Lisa's growth as a writer is evident in the three, very different songs she contributes to the project. The salt and sass of the album's rollickin' opener, "Ain't Done Nothin'" is a far
cry from the drivimg, "I'm Done," while the hypnotic "Pay For My Sins" has already become an international favorite. With a voice that has drawn comparisons to Linda Ronstadt, Joni
Mitchell and Emmylou Harris, O'Kane proves she can work her magic on other writers' tunes as well, creating an acoustic wonder with her chilling vocal on the John Prine classic, "Speed Of
The Sound Of Loneliness," and delivering a stunning performance on the heartbreaking Debra Davis composition, "Uninvited Guests." She moves deftly from the album's Roots rockers to the
full-on, soaring balladry of songs like "Give Me This Night" and "Remember This" -- and makes each one intimately and immediately believable.
It Don't Hurt is Lisa's first direct foray into the North American marketplace. Already a high-powered player in the international scene, O'Kane hopes that this album will help her find
her place "at home."
About New Light Entertainment:
Based in Plano, Texas, New Light Entertainment has secured a multi-year, multi-record distribution agreement with Universal Music & Video Distribution (UMVD) for distribution by
Fontana.
For more information visit www.newlightent.com.