Lisa Mitchell
Lisa Mitchell | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 22, 1990 Canterbury, England |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, musician |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Known for | Australian Idol contestant, albums Wonder, Bless This Mess, Warriors |
Lisa Helen Mitchell (born 22 March 1990) is a singer, songwriter, and musician from Australia, originally hailing from Albury, New South Wales. Now residing in Melbourne, she is in the process of creating her fourth studio album. Mitchell first rose to prominence by placing sixth in the 2006 season of Australian Idol. Her initial EP, Said One to the Other (released 4 August 2007), reached the top position on Australian iTunes charts and secured her a publishing contract with Little Victories, a Sony/ATV subsidiary based in London. By 2008, she had moved to the UK to record her debut full-length album, Wonder (31 July 2009), which climbed to No. 6 on the ARIA Albums Chart and earned the $30,000 2009 Australian Music Prize. After returning to Melbourne, she released her sophomore album, Bless This Mess (12 October 2012), which reached No. 7. Her third album, Warriors (16 October 2016), entered the ARIA Top 10 upon release. In March 2015, electronic group Seekae remixed her single "Wah Ha".
Early years
Lisa Helen Mitchell was born on 22 March 1990 in Canterbury, England. Her parents, Angus and Ruth, both practice medicine. When she was three years old, the family relocated to Australia and settled on a farm near Albury, New South Wales. She attended The Scots School Albury, began learning guitar at age 12, and developed an affinity for folk and rock music styles. A significant influence came from watching Missy Higgins perform "Scar" on television, inspiring her to pursue a musical career.
Mitchell gained experience performing locally at cafes and as part of a cover band named Chrome with friends. Her musical inspirations include Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens, Neil Young—favored by her father—as well as Patti Smith, Regina Spektor, Clare Bowditch, Joanna Newsom, Lou Reed, and Velvet Underground. She also formed a folk duo with Katherine Green that performed colonial folk songs at various Australian festivals. Throughout her career, Mitchell has lived in Sydney, London, and Melbourne.
2006–2008: Australian Idol and early releases
Between August and October 2006, Lisa Mitchell attracted national attention as a contestant on the fourth season of Australian Idol, where she performed cover songs alongside two original compositions: "See It in Your Eyes" and "Too Far Gone". Auditioning at age 16 in Albury, she advanced to the final six before being eliminated in mid-October. Reflecting in June 2009 on the experience, Mitchell described it as formative despite some compromises and highlighted her passion for music over returning to formal education.
Four years later, The Sydney Morning Herald noted her atypical journey from being an Australian Idol contestant who did not fit the mold to becoming a respected folk artist, suggesting that participation in the show might have conflicted with her folk music ambitions.
In March 2007, Mitchell launched live performances through her MySpace page, attracting an audience of around 10,000 viewers for her inaugural online gig. On 13 April that year, she performed at a National Youth Week event in Parkes, supporting The Lees—a family band including fellow contestant Raechel Lee. She presented eight original songs and joined The Lees for several additional numbers.
Throughout 2007, she supported tours for artists including Old Man River, The Hampdens, Bob Evans, Ben Lee and Evermore. On 4 August she independently released her debut EP Said One to the Other, produced by Dann Hume of Evermore; it debuted at No. 27 on the ARIA Singles Chart. Distributed through Scorpio and Warner Music, it reached No. 1 on iTunes' Top Albums chart. The song "Incomplete Lullaby", co-written with Hume, was featured on the Australian edition of So You Think You Can Dance.
On 5 January 2008 Mitchell appeared solo and alongside Quan Yeomans on SBS-TV's music quiz show RocKwiz. The following month she embarked on a second headline tour supported by Ashleigh Mannix and Leroy Lee. She began writing material for her debut album with Ben Lee, Bob Evans and Clare Bowditch; however, these songs were ultimately not included. Her second EP Welcome to the Afternoon was released on 31 May and followed by singles "Neopolitan Dreams" and "See You When You Get Here". "Neopolitan Dreams" received extensive airplay on Australian radio stations such as Triple J, ranking No. 91 in the Triple J Hottest 100, 2008.
In April 2008 Mitchell moved to London to collaborate with producers Ant Whiting, Ed Harcourt and Sacha Skarbek on her debut album. The video for "Neopolitan Dreams" premiered on 5 September with a digital re-release of the single the next day. The track served as the theme for the online series The MySpace Road Tour, appeared on the soundtrack of Packed to the Rafters, and was featured in international advertisements for brands including Hutchison 3G, Surf Detergent, Deutsche Telekom and Spain’s El Corte Inglés. Another song from Welcome to the Afternoon, "Far Far Far Away", was used to promote an Olympic-themed episode of Home and Away.
In October 2008 Paul Lester of The Guardian named Mitchell New Band of the Day, praising her unique vocal style as ill-suited for reality television but ideal for folk music. After spending six months in London she returned home for a national tour running from October through November that year beginning in Canberra and concluding in Perth.
2009–2011: Wonder
In the aftermath of the Black Saturday bushfires in February 2009, Lisa Mitchell participated in benefit concerts, delivering solo acoustic performances and supporting Tex Perkins in Melbourne. By April, she was opening for Jason Mraz and embarked on tours with Andy Bull and Vanessa Jade. June saw her take the stage at the Glastonbury Festival, sharing the lineup with fellow Australian artists such as The Temper Trap.
Her first full-length album, Wonder, debuted in July 2009 and reached a peak position of No. 6 on the ARIA Albums Chart. To promote the release, Mitchell toured extensively throughout Australia and Europe. Critics commended the album’s songwriting craftsmanship and production quality, largely overseen by Dann Hume at The Stables Recording Studio in Victoria, although several tracks were recorded in London with notable contributors including Ed Harcourt.
By the close of 2010, Wonder had achieved platinum certification from ARIA for shipping 70,000 units. The album yielded three singles: "Coin Laundry" (which climbed to No. 28 on the ARIA Singles Chart), "Clean White Love" (which did not chart), and "Oh! Hark!" (which entered the Top 100). Notably, "Coin Laundry" was featured in a Bell Canada commercial promoting the Palm Pre smartphone, while "Neopolitan Dreams" was included in the 2009 video game LittleBigPlanet and used by Chilean telecommunications company VTR.
In October 2009, Mitchell supported Newton Faulkner during his tour across the UK and Ireland. At that year’s ARIA Music Awards, she earned three nominations: Best Female Artist, Breakthrough Artist – Album for Wonder, and Breakthrough Artist – Single for "Coin Laundry". The latter track was also ranked No. 7 on Triple J’s Hottest 100 countdown for 2009.
January 2010 saw Mitchell perform at Australia’s Big Day Out festival alongside other prominent local musicians. Her song "Pirouette" was selected for an advertisement promoting Bondi Rescue’s 2010 season. In March, Lena Meyer-Landrut covered "Neopolitan Dreams" during Germany’s Eurovision selection contest, propelling Mitchell’s original version to No. 33 on the German Singles Chart.
Between April and May 2010, Mitchell conducted a national tour supported by Georgia Fair and Boy & Bear, performing to audiences exceeding 18,000 people. That May, "Neopolitan Dreams" was featured on Showtime’s television series The United States of Tara, while "Clean White Love" appeared in the Australian film Red Dog released in 2011.
In May 2011, she lent her vocals to Georgia Fair’s single "Marrianne", collaborating with members of Boy & Bear. Later that year, Mitchell returned to Hume’s countryside studio to commence work on her sophomore album, valuing the creative inspiration drawn from the rural environment.
2012–2013: "Spiritus" and Bless This Mess
On 27 March 2012, Lisa Mitchell released the single "Spiritus", followed by a nationwide tour titled Heavenly Sounds that took place in church venues and featured Georgia Fair as support. The music video for "Spiritus" portrayed Georgia Fair's Wilson as her romantic interest. The single reached number 91 on the charts. In May of that year, she released the Spiritus EP containing five tracks; it peaked at No. 17 on the ARIA Australian Artists Singles Chart and No. 66 on the overall ARIA Singles Chart.
Her second studio album, Bless This Mess, was launched on 12 October 2012 and attained a peak position of No. 7 on the ARIA Albums Chart. Recorded once again at The Stables Recording Studio with Dann Hume producing, this album was supported by a national tour featuring Alpine and Danco (Hume). Reviewers noted Mitchell’s lyrical focus on social themes such as societal fragmentation and financial influence while maintaining an overall hopeful tone. The title track was issued as a single in September prior to the album’s release, which was made available for full streaming ahead of its official launch.
In early 2013, Mitchell performed at Melbourne Zoo in support of wildlife conservation efforts. Subsequently, she joined Neil Finn and Paul Kelly as a supporting act during their Going Your Way Tour throughout Australia. In May, she discussed her songwriting approach during an interview with ABC News 24’s program One Plus One, highlighting her preference for using straightforward demo software like GarageBand to preserve artistic control.
2014–2017: "Wah Ha" and Warriors
On 28 September 2014, Lisa Mitchell offered "Wah Ha" as a complimentary limited download, premiering the track on Richard Kingsmill's program on triple j. She followed this with a music video created alongside collaborator Kirrilee Bailey and performed at sold-out shows in London. The single received airplay in the UK from BBC Radio 2 presenters Jo Whiley and Lauren Laverne, as well as on the US public radio station KCRW, where Mitchell also gave a live performance in late 2014. A remix by the Sydney-based electronic group Seekae was unveiled in February 2015.
Mitchell released "The Boys," the first single from her third album, Warriors, on 2 August 2016. The accompanying video, filmed in her hometown of Albury, portrayed her reflections on male friendship through lighthearted scenes. The full album Warriors was launched on 16 October 2016, with an official UK release following in April 2017. Later that year, in September 2017, she introduced her fourth EP, When They Play That Song, which includes covers of songs from the 1990s.
On 31 July 2020, Mitchell issued a rendition of Gillian Welch's "Everything is Free".
2021–present: A Place to Fall Apart
Lisa Mitchell returned to the music scene with the release of "Zombie" on 29 September 2021, serving as the lead single for her forthcoming album. She announced this development through Instagram, signaling a deliberate re-entry into the industry. Subsequently, on 28 January 2022, she revealed her fourth studio album titled A Place to Fall Apart, further expanding her artistic portfolio.
Discography
- Wonder (2009)
- Bless This Mess (2012)
- Warriors (2016)
- A Place to Fall Apart (2022)
APRA Awards
Since 1982, the APRA Awards, hosted annually by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA), honor outstanding achievements in songwriting.
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| rowspan="2"|2010 || Lisa Mitchell || Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year || ||
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| "Coin Laundry" || Song of the Year || ||
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ARIA Awards
The ARIA Music Awards, organized each year since 1987 by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), have acknowledged Lisa Mitchell with five nominations.
| 2009 | "Coin Laundry" | Breakthrough Artist – Single | Template:Nom |
| Wonder | Breakthrough Artist – Album | Template:Nom | |
| Best Female Artist | Template:Nom | ||
| 2010 | "Oh! Hark!" | Best Female Artist | Template:Nom |
| Lisa Mitchell | Most Popular Australian Artist | Template:Nom |
Australian Music Prize
In 2009, Lisa Mitchell received the Australian Music Prize for her album Wonder.
| Year | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Australian Music Prize – Wonder | Template:Won |
J Award
The J Awards, initiated by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Triple J station in 2005, nominated Wonder for Australian Album of the Year in 2009.
| 2009 |
Wonder |
Australian Album of the Year | Template:Nom |