Lydia Liza

Lydia Liza got her start in the group Bomba de Luz, composed of five young Twin Cities musicians. The group started taking shape when lead singer Lydia Liza began teaching herself the guitar at age 14. After composing a handful of original songs, Liza enlisted the help of fellow high school sophomores Evan Slack (electric guitar), Gavin Taylor (bass), John Blanda (keys), and Jonas Taghavi/Judah McCoy (drums), and Bomba de Luz was born.

Armed with an array of varied but mutual musical interests, the group won a battle of the bands in 2010, when they were all just 15. The prize, 24 hours of studio time at McNally Smith College of Music, resulted in the band’s 7-song, self-titled EP. One year later they re-entered the McNally Smith studios to record their first full-length album, What a Heavy Weight. Bomba de Luz ended in 2016, with the members deciding to follow other passions.

After gaining extensive Twin Cities notoriety as a band to watch via appearances on NPR, Consequence of Sound, and 89.3 The Current, Bomba De Luz was invited to play First Avenue’s Best New Bands showcase in 2012. The following summer the group was asked to perform alongside national acts like Matchbox Twenty, The Goo Goo Dolls, and Minnesota favorites Cloud Cult at the 2013 Basilica Block Party. Lydia Liza has also shared stages directly with artists like The Goo Goo Dolls, Jake Bugg, P.O.S, Atmosphere, No Bird Sing, Dessa, Frankie Lee, J.E Sunde, Dead Man Winter, Dem AtlaS, Dave Simonett of Trampled By Turtles, Kimya Dawson, Jeremy Messersmith, Al Church, Caroline Smith, Family of The Year, Astronautalis, Chastity Brown, and many others.

Lydia Liza received a 4 year, full-ride scholarship for songwriting and composition to McNally Smith College of Music after she was recognized as a promising new artist through her many features and collaborations. Some collaborations of note are her work with Toki Wright & Big Cats, Eric Mayson, Xela, Slack, Homeless & Big Cats, Dem AtlaS, many Rhymesayers artists, Jeremy Messersmith and other various artists from the Twin Cities and the Midwest area.

In 2016, Lydia Liza and her boyfriend, Josiah Lemanski, went globally viral for a re-write of "Baby It’s Cold Outside". The two were featured on 89.3 The Current, CNN, Time Magazine, People Magazine, Billboard, and FOX news to name a few. The song got extensive radio-play and became number 1 on Spotify. The two donated the proceeds to The Sexual Violence Center of Minnesota and RAINN.

Your Friend, Lydia Liza is the new outfit of her own, on which she is joined by her friends. Members include Jessica Anderson of Enemy Planes on drums, Jimmy Osterholt of Savage Moods, Jillian Rae and Gospel Machine on bass, and Kelly Blau of Rachel Hanson and various jazz groups on electric guitar, and Evan Slack, who produces under the name SLACK also on electric guitar. The new group aims to write and record new original material together.