Episode 14: A Conversation with Lisset Diaz

Every musician sacrifices something to do what they do. For most, it’s money. I mean, unless you’re already a huge star, the chances of making money in this industry is slim to none. But few artists have sacrificed quite as much as Lisset Diaz and her rock-and-roll band, the Sweet Lizzy Project. Lisset and her bandmates emigrated to Nashville from Havana, Cuba, in 2017. So even before the pandemic, going back home was no easy task. They came here to make a new album after being featured in a PBS special called “Havana Time Machine.” Recording Technicolor took longer than expected, and the band waited for the perfect time to release it—February 2020. We all know what happened next. On this episode of For Songs, Lisset discusses three songs from Technicolor—“Turn Up the Radio,” “Tu Libertad,” and “December 31”—and the band’s newest single, “Sticky Situations.” She discusses the sacrifices it took to get here, the differences of recording in the US and Cuba, and the frustration of not being able to tour in support of their new album. Lisset also talks about the band’s new EP, a collection of Christmas songs, released in late November 2020. So settle in and turn up the radio!