Lisa Heller

Lisa Heller
Heller performing in 2021
Background information
Birth name	Lisa Jacqueline Heller
Born	(1996-04-16) April 16, 1996 (age 28)
Origin	Simsbury, Connecticut, U.S.[1]
Genres	Pop Singer-songwriter
Occupations	Musician singer songwriter record producer
Instruments	Vocals piano guitar^[citation needed]
Years active	2016-present
Labels	Unsigned AWAL
Website	lisaheller.com

Lisa Jacqueline Heller is an American singer-songwriter from Simsbury, Connecticut. She achieved global recognition in 2016 after the release of her song "Hope" and its video gained popularity in Australia, Canada, and most of Europe.^[2] Her EP is anyone listening? has independently achieved millions of streams after its release in 2021.^{[citation needed]} Heller has self-produced and self-published 4 EPs and numerous singles, and she has embarked on several nationwide and world tours.^{[citation needed]}

Early life

Lisa Jacqueline Heller was born April 16, 1996, in Simsbury, Connecticut, the first daughter of Wendy (Loeb), from West Hartford, Connecticut and David Heller, from Westport, Connecticut.^[3][4] She has a sister, Nicole, and brother, William.^{[citation needed]} As a child, Wendy enrolled Lisa in music classes, but she did not originally consider it to be a career path.^[2] Heller also began running due to her family's love of the sport. David runs triathlons, and Wendy ran cross-country at Colgate.^[2]

In high school, Heller was running in a race when her throat started closing up and she was unable to breathe. She ended up collapsing over the finish line and, though originally misdiagnosed as asthma, she was diagnosed with vocal cord dysfunction. Doctors recommended that she relax her vocal cords by humming or singing while running, which is how she discovered her love of singing. In the same year, she was given an upright piano by Steinway and self-taught herself how to play and write songs.^[2][4]

Heller graduated from Simsbury High School, where she sang in school choirs and a capella groups, in 2014 and from Colgate University in 2018 with a degree in psychology.^[1][2][4]

Career

Early career

Heller began writing music at the age of 13 following her VCD diagnosis.^[2][4] Her first songs included "Close Your Eyes", which was a reaction to her own stress and the stress of her peers.^[1] "Close Your Eyes" was named a finalist in the Performance category at the 2014 American Songwriting Awards while another song, "Apocolypse" was nominated.^[1][5] Four of Heller's songs were nominated at the 2014 Songdoor International Songwriting Competition in the Pop category ("The Day We First Met", "Life on the Run", "Whispers", and "Wounded Soldier").

Heller continued to work on her songwriting and performance and had written several hundred songs by the middle of 2016. This included a collaboration with Jim McGorman, who co-wrote several songs with Heller.^[1][2]During this time, Heller began performing throughout Connecticut including opening for Rachel Platten at an 96.5 TIC FM Acoustic Cafe radio show and for American Authors at a similar radio-sponsored event.^[6][7] Heller was honored with the 2016 American Songwriting Award in the Teen category for "Life on the Run", while "Wounded Soldier" was nominated in the Performance category.^[8][9]

2016-18: "Hope", the Hope Wall, and worldwide success

Heller planned for the release of her debut single, "Hope", in June 2016. "Hope" was co-written and produced by Jim McGorman at Sunset Sound Factory in Hollywood, California. After returning home, in the weeks leading up to her single, Lisa reached out to a few individuals going through particularly hard times in and around Connecticut. This led to the creation of the Hope Wall, on which people all over the world have submitted their stories of courage and bravery.^[10]

The release of "Hope" included a video where many people held up signs indicating what they were hoping for, such as a cure for cancer, a good life, and a world where all dogs have a home.^[2][10][11] The song and video achieved global success, trending in multiple countries including Canada, Australia, and much of Europe.^[2] The video for "Hope" has more than 1.6 million views on YouTube and trended to #1 in 7 different countries.^[11][12] Heller sang "Hope" to children with terminal illnesses in hospitals and homes, and a community connected surrounding the Hope Wall grew.^[4] Heller supported the release of "Hope" with a 4-month tour of Australia, where the song was popular.^[2][10] "Hope" was subsequently featured in the 2018 Lifetime TV movie The Perfect Mother.^[13][14]

In 2017, Heller released her follow-up single "Midnight", which caught the attention of online outlets such as HuffPost. "Midnight" was a continued collaboration with McGorman, and the song is about college hookup culture.^[2][12]

In late 2017 and into 2018, Heller was named as an ambassador for the #ICANHELP campaign and was invited to talk at the Nickelodeon HALO Awards and at Twitter Headquarters, where she spoke about the positive impact and leadership that she fostered online.^[15] Heller's "Light the Fire" supported the #ICANHELP project and was promoted by AWAL in numerous television campaigns including on E!, MTV, Netflix, Discovery, and A&E (though it is no longer available on music streaming services).^[15][16] Also in 2018, Heller performed at South by Southwest at the Saxon Pub and released another single, "Quicksand".^[15][17]

2019-21: EPs and touring

Following this success and after graduating from Colgate, Heller moved to Los Angeles. Within a month, she was approached by a Nashville-based music manager who ran an independent label, Concept Haus, and for much of 2019, Heller worked under the label. The label pushed Heller to record electronic dance music and tried to re-image her in new makeup, clothes, and hairstyles. The song "Ghost" was released in early 2019, and dance remixes of it and "Hope" were released through the summer of 2019.^[18]

After Heller cut ties with the label, she returned to her piano and to singer-songwriting.^[19] With a renewed focus on her songwriting, Heller wrote the EP The Lisa Heller Project, which released in early 2020.^[18] In addition to three singles from her first EP, Heller released two more non-album tracks by the end of the year.

In 2021, Heller released her second EP, is anyone listening?, and its six-tracks remain her largest album to date. In writing the album, Heller felt like she was questioning her own existence, particularly in light of her experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.^[20] Heller rounded out 2021 by releasing three more new non-album tracks. In 2022, she released four new songs and opened for a USA tour co-headlined by Harbour and Wingtip.^[21]

In 2023, released two EPs, SADIE in April and DAMAGE CONTROL in August, and one new album track later in the year. She also supported Andi Mitchell's Rule Book Tour, Transviolet's Body the Tour, and Christian French's The Space Between Tour.^[22][23][24] In 2024, Heller released three new non-album tracks. Heller also embarked on her first tour as direct support for a headlining act for Echosmith's Cool Kids: The Decade Tour.^[25]

Musical style and influences

Heller's first memories of music were listening to Dave Matthews Band and Five for Fighting on family road trips. Heller has cited Christina Perri, Demi Lovato, and Rachel Platten as major influences on her songwriting and style.^[10]

Discography

Extended plays

Title	Details
The Lisa Heller Project	Released: April 17, 2020 Label: Lisa Heller Music Format: Streaming
is anyone listening?	Released: July 15, 2021 Label: Lisa Heller Music Format: Streaming
SADIE	Released: April 7, 2023 Label: Lisa Heller Music Format: Streaming
DAMAGE CONTROL	Released: August 25, 2023 Label: Lisa Heller Music Format: Streaming

Singles

Year	Single	Album
2016	"Hope"	Non-album track
2017	"Midnight"
2018	"Light the Fire"
	"Quicksand"
2019	"Ghost"
2020	"Figure It Out"	The Lisa Heller Project
	"Pulling Away"
	"Closure"
	"Wings"	Non-album track
	"I Feel Like I'm Going Crazy"
2021	"red flags"	is anyone listening?
	"18"
	"pity party"
	"fall for u"	Non-album track
	"drive me home"
	"so fixed"
2022	"cheetos n coke"
	"GDFL"
	"Shut Ur Mouth"
	"blue"
2023	"brown paper bag"	SADIE
	"you were the worst part of my life"
	"hollow"
	"DOWNER"	DAMAGE CONTROL
	"pretend"
	"rock bottom"
	"Come Back to Me"	Non-album track
2024	"Crushing on Straight Girls"
	"LOSER!"
	"U LIKE THAT"

Concert tours

Opening act

• Cool Kids: The Decade Tour (2024) (Echosmith)^[25]

Supporting act

• USA Tour (2022) (Harbour and Wingtip, co-headliners)^[21]
• Rule Book Tour (2023) (Andi Mitchell)^[22]
• Body the Tour (2023) (Transviolet)^[23]
• The Space Between Tour (2023) (Christian French)^[24]

Filmography

Music videos

Year	Title	Director
2016	"Hope"	Kurt J. Zendzian
2018	"Quicksand"	Sean Boyd
2019	"Ghost"	Doltyn Snedden
2020	"Figure It Out"	Jamal Wade
	"Pulling Away"
2021	"pity party"	Charissa Clark, Cheska Zaide, and Lisa Heller

Awards and nominations

Award	Year	Category	Nominated Work	Result
American Songwriting Awards	2014	Performance	"Apocalypse"	Nominated[5]
			"Close Your Eyes"	Finalist[5]
	2016	Teen	"Life on the Run"	Won[8]
		Performance	"Wounded Soldier"	Nominated[9]
Songdoor International Songwriting Competition	2014	Pop	"The First Day We Met"	Nominated[26]
			"Life on the Run"
			"Whispers"
			"Wounded Soldier"

References

1. "Simsbury Teen Places Among Top 5 in American Songwriting Awards Competition". Hartford Courant. Simsbury, Connecticut. November 26, 2014. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
2. Heller, Lisa (August 1, 2016). "Lisa Heller: Songwriter Interviews". Songfacts (Interview). Interviewed by Carl Wiser. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
3. Heller, Lisa [@lisaheller] (April 16, 2020). "we're just here for the cake..." Connecticut. Retrieved December 13, 2024 – via Instagram.
4. Oliva, Melanie (March 2, 2017). "Amplifying Her Voice". Colgate University News. Retrieved July 8, 2017.
5. "2014 Nominees and Finalists". American Songwriting Awards. Archived from the original on April 1, 2019.
6. "Simsbury Singer-Songwriter To Release New Music". Hartford Courant. Simsbury, Connecticut. June 17, 2016. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
7. "On June 24, Acclaimed Songwriter Lisa Heller Gives 'Hope' to the World". 18/88. June 2, 2016. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
8. "2016 Award Winners". American Songwriting Awards. Archived from the original on April 1, 2019.
9. "2016 Nominees and Finalists". American Songwriting Awards. Archived from the original on April 1, 2019.
10. Heller, Lisa (June 28, 2016). "On the Rise: Lisa Heller On Her Creative Journey, New Music and Much More!". Icon vs. Icon (Interview). Interviewed by Jason Price. Retrieved February 24, 2019.
11. Zendzian, Kurt J. (June 24, 2016). Lisa Heller - Hope (Official Music Video) (Video). Retrieved December 13, 2024.
12. Karras, Steven (July 10, 2017). "Lisa Heller - Midnight and Beyond". Huffington Post. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
13. Heller, Lisa [@lisaheller] (November 11, 2018). "Ahh thank you so much to @lifetimetv..." Archived from the original on December 11, 2024 – via Instagram. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; December 12, 2024 suggested (help)
14. "The Perfect Mother - Soundtracks". IMDb.
15. "Lisa Heller". South by Southwest. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
16. Heller, Lisa (March 8, 2018). "Exclusive Video Premiere: Lisa Heller's #ICANHELP Anthem 'Light the Fire'". Celeb Mix (Interview). Interviewed by Annemarie Cutruzzola. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
17. "Lisa Heller releases new single 'Quicksand'". Music Matters Magazine. April 28, 2018. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
18. Heller, Lisa (January 3, 2020). "Exclusive: Lisa Heller is going to 'Figure It Out' independently". The Feature Story (Interview). Interviewed by Marian Tuin. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
19. Heller, Lisa [@lisaheller] (January 2, 2020). "I finally feel free..." Los Angeles, California. Retrieved December 13, 2024 – via Instagram.
20. Scott, Jason (April 12, 2021). "Lisa Heller Flies 'red flags' to Own Her Flaws". American Songwriter. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
21. Nauman, Sydney (November 27, 2022). "Dynamic Duo: Harbour and Wingtip ae coming to DC9 Nightclub". WMUC. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
22. Heller, Lisa [@lisaheller] (January 14, 2023). "with with special guests...Lisa Heller". Retrieved December 16, 2024 – via Instagram.
23. Heller, Lisa [@lisaheller] (April 14, 2023). "with with special guests...Lisa Heller". Retrieved December 16, 2024 – via Instagram.
24. French, Christian [@christianfrench] (September 5, 2023). "with support from...Lisa Heller". Retrieved December 16, 2024 – via Instagram.
25. Heller, Lisa [@lisaheller] (July 29, 2024). "Can't wait to be joining @echosmith on their Cool Kids: The Decade Tour..." Retrieved December 16, 2024 – via Instagram.
26. "Songdoor 2014 Honorable Mentions". Songdoor. Archived from the original on July 12, 2015.

External links

• lisaheller.com