This spring, folk singer Liz Simmons traveled to Plum Island to film a music video for her original song “When the Waters Rise”, co-written by Sarah Yanni and featured as the opening track on Simmons’ recent solo album release “Poets”. The song and video share the desire to bear witness to our receding shorelines, mourn the change and loss of what we once knew, celebrate the beauty, and vow to do all we can to protect our coastal ecosystems.
The music video was produced, shot and edited by Harvard Street Productions of Groveland and Newburyport, MA. The song features the musical talents of Flynn Cohen, Andy Hall, Corey DiMario, and Gabe Bradshaw, and is mixed and mastered by Ben Savage and Nick Cooke, respectively.
Liz Simmons spent her early childhood traveling through the wilds of North America in a sky blue VW bus. Her parents were itinerant, moving from California to Oregon, then to Ketchikan, Alaska where they played regular gigs in the pubs for the locals. Liz and her sisters’ lullabies were traditional songs, and by day their soundtrack was the rock and roll and New Orleans brass music their parents played in their band.
Once the family settled in rural New Hampshire, Liz received classical musical training, but as her teen years drew to a close she found her way back to folk music. She was particularly drawn to the intersections of traditional music, and how they connect with contemporary sounds. In 2005, Liz received a BA from Goddard College where she studied American vernacular music of the 1920s and 30s. She then went on to found Folk/Roots band Low Lily with her husband Flynn Cohen, as well as perform alongside Long Time Courting, Hannah Sanders, EVA, Livingston Taylor, Tom Chapin, and Melanie.
Website: lizsimmons.net
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LizSimmonsvox
Twitter: twitter.com/LowLilyBand
Instagram: www.instagram.com/lizsimmonsvox