The age-old term ‘opposites attract’ really does make sense sometimes, especially in the case of Calgary musical duo jocelyn & lisa.
“We have these different kinds of strengths and confidences in different areas,” said Lisa Jacobs, “It has been such a fun adventure together because we’ve been able to see old things become new through the other person’s eyes. It is this fabulous balance.”
They both laugh as they recall their first interview together, a strength of Jocelyn Alice’s who had done many in her career and the first time they toured as a duo, something Jacobs had been doing for a decade.
Alice agreed, adding that the core values at the heart of who the two are are actually very similar, despite their different paths in the music industry.
“It is not easy to allow someone so different into your life and to kind of shake up the way you see things, but I think that is the way real growth happens. I think I’ve grown more with Lisa than I ever imagined,” said Alice.
Alice grew up in the world of music competitions and was a runner-up on Canada’s Pop Stars when she was 16. Her songs have been played on television shows, such as One Tree Hill and Pretty Little Liars.
Jacobs grew up playing bass in her family band, at church, festivals and in smoke-filled bars. She has toured across North America and internationally and shared the stage with Bedouin Soundclash, Theory of a Deadman, Los Lobos, Emerson Drive and more.
Alice said she had been ‘dying’ to work with Jacobs and the two collaborated in 2011 writing a song together in what she described as ‘one of those magical moments that kind of changed both of us.’
A year later they decided to make it official and form a band as jocelyn & lisa.
“Even though we took totally different routes in the music world, we both started really young and strove for different things at a really young age, so when we met each other we had both had different kinds of experiences,” said Jacobs.
But it worked, with the duo making a name for themselves in Calgary, where it is hard to find a community event they haven’t been invited to play.
December 2012 marked the release of their EP Weary Warrior, which charted at number two and five on CJSW Radio and they were featured artists on CBC Radio, CTV, Shaw TV, Global TV and City TV.
In 2013, jocelyn & lisa were featured in the “Right Here” – a Destination Calgary video that promoted the city.
Alice said part of the appeal of the collaborative project is their ability as a duo to play a large room and fill that up with a strong sound, especially with only bass and vocals.
“I think Lisa leaves that breath and room for people to contemplate and to feel. I think people usually leave our shows feeling pretty opened up and pretty raw. We’re willing to go there emotionally,” said Alice.
And the two are also willing to support each other in their solo endeavours as artists.
Alice is currently working on a solo album to be released in the spring and Jacobs still works as a touring musician just coming off a tour with Michael Bernard Fitzgerald.
They pointed out that the whole time they have been together, they have always been supportive of each other’s careers.
“It’s rare to find people that can be in a project together and then also value each other as individuals. Jocelyn has always offered that to me. We’ve had to make some pretty big decisions together for both of our careers. It has always been a really supportive environment that way,” said Jacobs.
You can see jocelyn & lisa perform at Legacy Guitar and Coffee House Jan. 24.
