Lisa Torres
Nashville, Tennessee, United States | SELF
Music
Press
Lisa Torres Named October “Best Vocalist Of The Month," With Her Song “Alive”
By Dale Kawashima
Lisa Torres, a promising country singer & songwriter based in Nashville, TN, has won the October SingerUniverse “Best Vocalist Of The Month” Competition, for her performance of her song “Alive” (which was co-written by Arlis Albritton, who is signed with EMI Publishing and has had cuts with Diamond Rio). Torres is pursuing an artist and writing career in Nashville, and “Alive” will be a key song on her upcoming CD project. In addition, she has signed a co-publishing deal for “Alive” with Nashville publisher Bruce Burch.
Lisa Torres
Lisa Torres
“Alive” is an appealing, big ballad, which has an excellent melody, and is highlighted by a strong, hooky chorus. This recording is a terrific showcase for Torres’ expressive, energetic vocals. She is equally adept at singing the lower notes in the verse melody, as she is soaring into a higher range in the choruses. Also, Torres and Albritton capably produced this demo, which features pro studio musicians in Nashville.
Torres grew up in Castaic, CA (about 40 miles north of Los Angeles), where she sang at a young age in choirs, and later performed in musicals and talent shows during high school. Her family wasn’t into country music, but when Torres was nine, she was exposed to country music by a friend, whose family loved country. She quickly became a fan of such artists as Garth Brooks, Martina McBride and Trisha Yearwood. Following high school, Torres moved to Orange County (CA) to attend Orange Coast Community College.
After two years she returned to Castaic, where she formed a country band. Torres toured throughout California, playing clubs and festivals. Then in 2000, she began writing songs and working with a producer, which led to the release of her CD Take A Chance on her own label, Big Sister Records. Torres wrote four of the 12 songs on the CD, which received airplay on local stations.
Jeffrey Steele & Lisa Torres
Lisa Torres with hit songwriter Jeffrey Steele
It was in 2004 that Torres decided to take an important step, moving to Nashville to aggressively further her career. “I first attended the Durango Songwriting Expo in Colorado, where I met some amazing people and established contacts,” she recalled. “Then in June 2004 there was a terrific Durango conference in Santa Barbara that I also attended. These conferences inspired me to take a trip and consider moving to Nashville. Soon after, when I went to Nashville, I immediately felt at home.”
Torres moved to Nashville in January 2005, where she quickly built new contacts and began collaborating with talented writers. “It’s been great working in Nashville,” she said. “I’m writing with an up-and-coming songwriter named Ken Johnson (who is signed to Windswept Pacific Publishing), and I’ve met top pros like Jeffrey Steele, who have been very friendly and helpful to me. My goal is to write as many songs as possible. I’m writing songs for my next CD, and I’d also like to place songs with established artists.”
Top Five Vocalists Of The Month
Here are the Top Five Vocal Performances which were submitted for this month's competition, with the songwriter credits, plus their e-mail and website links.
"Best Vocalist Of The Month" Winner
"Alive". Performed by Lisa Torres of Nashville, TN. Written by Lisa Torres & Arlis Albritton.
E-mail: lisa@lisatorres.com.
Website: www.lisatorres.com
- Singer Universe Magazine
Castiac resident sings national anthem during community night at Dodger Stadium. Its getting harder and harder to find a singer with enough confidence, self-esteem and talent to be able to perform the national anthem as it should be performed. So many "artists" want to make it their own, but its an anthem, not a blues ballad or a pop song. Lisa Torres impressed a crowd of 50,000 with her beautiful rendition of our anthem. Her warm, soulful voice gave the audience chills as she ignited their emotions. She's not very big but she's got a gigantic voice and beautiful delivery, thus the title here: Perfect Pitch. Thank you Lisa for restoring my faith in this beautiful song. - Castaic Signal
For the second year in a row, our local artist, Lisa Torres, and her talented band, wowed the audience at the Valley's Western Days event this past weekend. Lisa puts on a show that keeps everyone on the dance floor all night. Once again we have received numerous letters about the awesome entertainment for the event and we plan to ask Lisa back next year. We hear rumors that we'll have to get her here all the way from Nashville, but if she'll make the trip, we'd love to have her. - Castaic Chamber News
The 4th of July Spectacular at Castaic Lake has grown to be one of the top ten 4th of July events in the county of Los Angeles and we think that the entertainment has much to do with that. Lisa Torres, a county employee, and her band have entertained the crowds at this event for the past two years and each time the audience just won't let her leave the stage. They are entralled with her energy and extreme talent. She has a talent for engaging her fans so that they aren't interested in anything other than Lisa. We heard people calling out requests as Lisa tossed out free red, white and blue bandannas stamped with her website address. Every comment our PIO has received about the entertainment has been very positive. - County of Los Angeles, RecLiner
Discography
Lisa has released two cd/s called "On My Way", and most recently, "Just Right". She released her first single, "Car That Runs", from her new album to radio, with her second single being released to radio Spring 2013.
Photos
Bio
There are rules in country music. You fight hard, you fall down and pull yourself back up, and you follow the formula. You say, yes sir and no ma’am and you smile through your teeth when they close the door on your dreams, but you don’t quit. No way. Not ever. And you never, ever under any circumstances ask radio to play your music unless you have a label doing the asking. No, you never run a song on up the charts without “the man”.
Lisa Torres is breaking the rules. 40,000 spins, 26 weeks and 3,000 miles later, Car That Runs, her first single to radio, climbed all the way to #2 without a label, without a bankroll, without a chorus. She’s doing it her way: honest and passionate with no apologies.
From intimate acoustic venues and house concerts to a crowd of 50,000 at Dodgers stadium, Lisa never leaves an audience without a piece of her heart and an ache to hear more. She moves easy on stage, like it’s home somehow, sashaying effortlessly to the rhythm with moves somewhere between a two-step and a tango, voice slipping over the melody like honey.
It’s a voice you know. You’ve heard it weaving harmony behind songs by Jason Aldean, Trace Adkins, Josh Thompson, Frankie Ballard and others. Lisa avoids labeling her music but describes it as "country with a little soul." Growing up in a well-traveled family who loved music, she picked up her mother's beautiful voice and her dad's Latin passion and together they serve the audience well. She honed her skills on her parents' music, crossing all genres. It was a little later when she met up with country music and she was smitten. Sitting in the audience at a country concert, Lisa knew Nashville and the big stage were in her future, so on Elvis' birthday, she loaded up her truck and hit the road in the pouring rain and hasn't looked back.
Intoxicating, fun and charismatic, Lisa's personality flies off the stage when she sings, with her show ranging from sexy, sultry ballads to rockin’ up-tempo tunes. Many major artists have enjoyed her edgy stage shows when she opened for them, including Montgomery Gentry, Randy Houser, Daryl Worley, Keith Anderson and more.
Not one to be an observer, Lisa immerses herself in life and weaves her encounters and adventures into catchy and relatable songs. Her songwriting has been recognized by the industry, awarding her placement in four major songwriting competitions, and her music is now being played on radio stations across the country, in Europe and Australia.
Lisa says, “When I leave the stage I want to know that people had a good time, that they felt something and that they'll be back. The best response I can get from my audience is, ‘Where are you playing next?’”
Links
