Meet Licity Collins

Today we’d like to introduce you to Licity Collins.

Singer-songwriter-diarist, Licity Collins takes a unique approach to her music and shows. By blending sounds and formats from folk music to classic rock, songs and spoken word prose, Licity breaks through traditional genres to reach her audiences at an emotional core. Profiled by both the liberal NPR, and conservative Fox News, in this time of intense divisions among people, Licity is bridging audiences by grabbing hearts. Her new live album LOVE COURAGE YES came out in June.

Licity, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I guess  the story breaks down into three parts. 1) Folk. Stories are powerful. I believe everyone can sing. I believe our world can change for the better.—This makes me cut out to be a folk singer. 2) Rock. People tell me I am raw and fearless. I love electric guitar solos that rip my face off and drums that give me a headache. That makes me cry in a good way.—This makes me cut out to be a rock and roller. 3) Write. I hate secrets. I love words.—This makes me cut out to be a writer. So. I do all three. That’s how I got here.

I wrote my first song when I was in seventh grade. It was called “Face Me” which pretty much tells you what I do. I love to look at intimate truths and help you look at them too. Then we both have permission to feel a lot more, which is good.

I am passionate about emotions. I have been since I was very young. As a teenager, I used to pull my friends aside into empty classrooms and say, “You look like you need to cry.” I’d sit with them until they let it out. When I look at troubling situations or look at people’s bad behaviors, I have noticed that the behaviors they are doing which are harming other people—underneath those behaviors is usually some unattended emotion. Something they haven’t expressed, or some way they feel neglected by the world. I am fascinated by this. A lot of turmoil right now has developed because people’s emotions are not being addressed. I believe we can heal so many of our ills by honestly fessing up to our feelings.

The folk and classic rock that reached into my isolation gave me a sense of company and courage and helped me to honor my feelings when they were being dismissed by the world around me. The music and writing I create is designed to help other people have that company and courage too.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Well, I’m “different.” That’s what people say about my music. They say that about my shows. They say that about my writing. Actually people have been saying that about me since I was born.

I combine disparate things. This can take people a while to digest. “Why are you singing so quietly and intimately and then an electric guitar comes roaring in?” But to me, feelings are both so quiet and roaring at the same time. It’s like having that need to cry outrageously and then sink into a deep reflective silence after the tears have stopped, then you might laugh, or feel a huge need to smile. My music kind of depicts that process—the tension and freedom that comes with feeling deeply.

Contradiction and contrast is part of what makes human life so challenging. I like to explore that as vividly as I can. I am so fascinated by what we all go through as people—and what we put each other through. I try to depict that through both the music and words. Sometimes I think when people call me different, what they are really saying is “I had a lot of feelings when I listened to your music and I didn’t quite know what to do with all of them.”

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I hug a lot of people. I want us all to feel more, build love, and have permission to be courageous.

One of the things I do that people have pointed out as unique is, I make eye contact with my audience during my shows. And my audiences love that. I try not to perform in front of people. Instead, I create an experience in partnership with the audience. My audience has people of all types—but they are usually intense people. That’s what we have in common. I love that. I feel like we are creating a growing expansive movement—of people who aren’t afraid to look each other in the eye.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
A new live album called LOVE COURAGE YES just came out. It’s a song plus spoken word album which also has a series of videos on YouTube and my website. It’s tender. It rocks. It’s funny sometimes, heartbreaking others. I’m really happy to share it with people.

And…I am so excited to announce that I am launching a membership program for people who want to be part of this journey. The members are an incredible part of creating what I make. Their support actually helps make it happen. I am calling it THE LOVE CIRCLE. It is a space that connects us on a deep level. I create a themed offering every month, select and share music from my collection, deliver a new prose piece,  and give a personal behind-the-scenes scoop. Members get first look and listen at everything. But most of all, we stay close. What I do, really, is music, writing, and relationships. Love Circle members know how I am and I know how they are and we walk this path of life together.

Folks can sign up at licitycollins.com/membership.

Contact Info:

• Website: licitycollins.com
• Email: [email protected]

Image Credit:
Wide angles: Bernie Larsen (Underground Exchange) close up profile: Steve Newkirk

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