Album Notes

ABOUT HOME BEFORE DARK

Liz Painter Band's debut EP, "Home Before Dark" demonstrates eight original songs with sweeping theatrical grooves, Liz weaves richly textured tales featuring surprising melodies and dramatic vocals. The Liz Painter Band creates a powerful orchestration featuring a masterful rock & roll rhythm section, guitars, and keys.

"It makes sense to learn that Painter claims Broadway as her earliest child­hood influence, because her vocals in particular are infused with that dramatic, theatrical style...
Painter has a clear alto, at times strident, like a folkier Linda Perry (4 Non Blondes) and phrasing akin to Texas songstress Terri Hendrix. The eight originals feature mellow rock arrangements with a 1970s vibe, and Painter’s vocals are front and center, supported by her acoustic guitar and piano.
“Witch Song” includes some nice winding guitars as well as backing vocals, which add a welcome texture to Painter’s mostly lone vocals on the record. There are also satisfying touches of mandolin and banjo, and overall the electric guitar and bass licks satisfy.
There’s a sense of melancholy on “Home Before Dark,” which hints at lost love and the struggle to find one’s way in the world. Faith seems to be a theme on this EP, and Painter even duplicates a line on two songs, which one can assume means we’re sup­posed to pay attention. “If faith saves. If faith saves. Oh faith saves.” comes up twice, on “Applesauce” and “That Girl,” which also includes the line “If you don’t think too much, you might smile more.” Good advice for all of us." --Deonne Kahler, The Taos News

ABOUT LIZ PAINTER

Liz Painter's dramatic melodies can be traced back to her earliest childhood influence: Broadway! Liz grew up in New York, and wrote her first song at the of age of eight after she had learned a few basic guitar chords. She composed and recorded a collection of songs in her teens titled Earthsong. These poetic, folk-songs had a ecological, earth – conscience spin and were expressed as a solo voice and guitar. She honed her craft studying music at the University of Arizona while delving deeper into songwriting and performing , this time working through her experience as a single mom. She met Chris Burton (guitars and co-producer of Home Before Dark) who immediately saw her gift as a singer –songwriter. The two had a musical chemistry and soon formed a Tucson based band, The Gallery. Liz’s gift for musical, poetic lyrics and rich melodies continued to be a life path for her. After graduation, she relocated to Taos, New Mexico and taught band and chorus at the middle and high schools. Painter and Burton soon reunited in Taos and renewed an intention to record a CD. The 2007 release of Home Before Dark is the realization of that intention and the launch Painter’s career as a singer/songwriter .
Liz blends rock and roll with her dramatic theatrical style, and continues to compose new songs painted in cinematic textures drawn from the high desert above Taos, New Mexico where she resides.