How It All Began...

Recently, I discovered inside a folder in a folder in a folder on my Mac, a folder full of our very first recordings. It's been so much fun, rediscovering our 'older' songs, some of which I've uploaded to our Soundcloud account.

This was us, back in 2001! When Roland and I met in 1998, we collaborated on a studio R&B project together, but were getting nowhere fast. It was actually 9/11 that changed the way we lived our lives, and how we made music...

After that tragic event, Roland and I walked around in a daze, like everybody. The only way we knew how to cope with our grief, anger and frustration, was to make music.

Roland grabbed a guitar that had been gathering dust in the corner of the living room (despite being a multi-instrumentalist, it was the only instrument he'd never played before). We wrote and recorded this song the very next day...
"Don't Let People Walk Away"
It's been exactly ten years, and we've been through some serious highs and lows since then. I remember how good it felt, that we found a way to communicate through heart and soul, which has always been our goal as musicians, and as a family.

Rediscovering our musical past has been a journey back in time - I've been reminiscing about the people we touched, the awesome venues and tours we played and, of course, the music we made.

We've come a long way, and our musical past is very much a part of who we are now - I can't wait for you to hear it.

Download any of these tracks free on Soundcloud!

Take Her Home 
Rosie's Cafe 
Suddenly 
Any Day Now 
Never Mind

Because We Love You...

Here's a Valentine's Day gift for you!
Download FREE the lullaby for lovers, 'Wake Up and Dream' from our EP The Orcas Sessions! This romantic duet is just the song to surprise the one you love on February 14th. Enjoy!

February Give-Away!
Every month, we dedicate the title track of our debut album 'Won't Give Up' to an especially inspiring person or organization that teaches us the meaning of never giving up when it comes to making dreams come true and changing the world.
Now, we are asking YOU: Who would you dedicate 'Won't Give Up' to?
Who or what inspires you to never give up reaching for the stars and achieving goals?
Tell us who teaches you to never give up and why, and you could win a personalized video performance of your favorite This is lizzard song!
Come on, let's inspire each other!! You can send us an e-mail, or tell us on our Facebook page.
The winner will be announced on February 29th.

This month, This is lizzard dedicates 'Won't Give Up' to War Child, an organization that helps change the lives of children all over the world. Dutch Radio 538 has started a musical campaign in collaboration with War Child that we support 100%!



Help This is lizzard Reach the World!

Our Sponsume campaign to reach thousands of new listeners with our music will be closing in a few weeks, so if you want to be instrumental in helping us reach the world, go have a look at our project now! In exchange for a donation, you will receive free music, video performances and more, not to mention our eternal gratitude and credit here on the site! 




Thanks so much for your support and love! You rock!
Lizanne & Roland
This is lizzard

366 Days

We all get a gift in 2012 - an extra day. That's right, folks, it's a leap year this year, which not only means anyone who was born on February 29th actually gets to celebrate their birthday, it also means we all get one whole extra day to fulfill our dreams!

Help This is lizzard Reach the World

Our dream this year is to reach lots and lots and LOTS of new listeners with our music. Making music is the best thing ever, but knowing other people are hearing it and enjoying it is even better.
But reaching new listeners costs money, which is why we started a project on Sponsume last month to raise funds for a promotion campaign called Help This is lizzard Reach the World! You can read all about the project here and by donating money, you're not only being instrumental in helping our music reach thousands of new listeners, you'll also be rewarded!

For any donation made, you'll receive anything from MP3 downloads to signed copies of the album(s) to a personalized video performance by This is lizzard! The project will run through February 2012 and your support would be greatly, hugely, massively appreciated!

Two Voices - One Message
We about to embark on a very exciting project in collaboration with singer/songwriter Inge and her band - a mini-tour entitled 'Two Voices - One Message', the message being whatever the listener chooses to interpret!
Inge and I met on Facebook, and we realized we had more in common than we thought - we both live in Zeeland, the south of Holland, we both have a new CD out and we both live for music! Both Inge and I sing (in English) about a lot of the same themes, but in our own unique and original way.

Dates & venues t.b.a - watch this space or head to our Facebook page for the latest news!

It's Here!

*ahem*
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. We are proud as punch to announce the arrival of our latest musical achievement...   The Orcas Sessions!

This brand new 6-track unplugged EP is now available on bandcamp and iTunes.

When you download the EP on bandcamp, you receive the official album artwork + lyrics as PDF + the "Christmas in Summertime" video, all for only $5.99!

A huge massive thank you to our dear friend and musical soul-mate, Gene Nery for making this EP possible - it just wouldn't be the Orcas Sessions without him.

The album is dedicated to and inspired by the lasting friendships we've made on Orcas Island, our home away from home. We hope you love listening to it as much as we loved making it!

Order a physical copy of the limited edition digipak EP for only €7,50 (not including shipping) here!


Christmas in Summertime Video
 Watch the official Christmas in Summertime video clip!


Handicap This! Won't Give Up
Each month, we dedicate the title track of our debut album, "Won't Give Up" to an especially inspiring person or organization that shows us what never giving up really means. This month it's Handicap This!, an empowering theater group that travels the country conquering society's judgments about people who live with limitations, using positive energy and powerful drama. Hats off to them for never giving up!

*For our fans in the Netherlands: don't miss our live performance on December 14th at the Christmas market in Westdorpe! We'll be playing at 16.30, 17.30, 18.30 and finally at 19.45.


Happy holidays from This is lizzard!

One Week to Go!

With one week to go, This is lizzard is getting ultra excited about the release of the new EP, 'The Orcas Sessions'. This transcontinental production in collaboration with third member of the band, Orcas Island local and awesome multi-instrumentalist, Gene Nery, will be available next week!!

After working 13 years on our debut album 'Won't Give Up', we decided not to wait too long with a second. Actually, the idea to record these songs was a spontaneous one. We were rehearsing for a gig in Gene's living room last Summer when we said to each other: "We should've recorded that!" So we got together and did just that. And more. Gene sent additional recordings over the internet to Roland, who put it all together, then mixed and mastered the whole thing here in Stolk Music Studio.

We just can't wait to share it with you!

One week left to listen to the sneak preview track 'Wake Up and Dream' here!

Christmas Single

Next week is also the unveiling of our original holiday song, "Christmas in Summertime" (which is also included in the EP). It's an unplugged Christmas song in our unique style, which focuses on one of our main themes - being far away from the ones we love.
(Our fans down under should get a kick out of it too, as they really do get to spend Christmas in the summertime!)
We'll be releasing it together with an awesome new video clip next week!

Upcoming Performance
December 14, Westdorpe Christmas Market
Times t.b.a.
We will also have copies of 'Won't Give Up' and the brand new EP 'The Orcas Sessions' for sale - come on by, enjoy the market and the music!
It's Not Easy Being Green
We are still going green in support of Greenpeace Nederland this month, and would like to pay special attention to their latest action against the building of a second nuclear power plant in the south of Holland and burying the waste under the ground... They sure know how to get their point across! Here's to Greenpeace for never giving up!

This is lizzard Goes Green!

This month, This is lizzard is going green in support of the number one environmental organization, Greenpeace! And in particular, our very own Greenpeace Nederland.
When it comes to protecting our Earth, they don't know the meaning of giving up!
We dedicate "Won't Give Up" to them - thank you for never giving up!

We're performing at the Rainbow Warrior Festival on November 4th in Amsterdam, if you're in the city, come see us live at 2pm on the festival grounds on Java Eiland, where the Rainbow Warrior III itself is moored.
Don't forget to download your very own copy of the single "Won't Give Up" for the price of a mere e-mail address on NoiseTrade!
By downloading "Won't Give Up", you'll also get two more free tracks off the album, and you'll receive our monthly newsletter - plus our solemn promise that we won't spam you!


The Orcas Sessions
The days are getting darker and This is lizzard's new unplugged album, "The Orcas Sessions" is in the final stages of production! The EP will be available online in December, just in time for Christmas!

"The Orcas Sessions" is an unplugged, trans-continental production, in collaboration with awesome multi-instrumentalist and third member of the band, Gene Nery. Anyone who knows us, knows Orcas is our home away from home, and the album is dedicated to the lasting friendships and musical inspiration we have there.

We'll be uploading a sneak preview track straight off the album very soon so, join the mailing list, follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook to be the first to know!


Award Spotlight
November 17th is the Hollywood Music in Media Award Ceremony and This is lizzard is one of the nominees for best Pop song! It's going to be a killer event - our US promoter will be on the scene so we will keep you posted on this star-studded red-carpet event!

This is lizzard has also been nominated for the Starliners Radio Indie Award - cast your vote now!

The Waiting...

...is the hardest part.

As most of you know, we performed yesterday on WhoTune's Live Stage and what a blast it was! Lots of our fans made the effort to tune in, despite the crazy time-difference, which means the world to us. Thank you!

Now, we wait. The other competing bands, Refuse the Fall and The Red List, did their thing on Live Stage as well, which we unfortunately couldn't watch, due to - yet again - the crazy time difference. As much as I love to know what my fellow musicians are up to, I just can't get up at 3am to watch their performance. (Especially not when my kids will be up a few hours later!) I hope their shows went well, that they rocked to the very best of their ability, and may the best band win this thing! (Although, I really really hope it's us...)

When we find out who won, I don't know. I am ready for a 6-month marketing campaign, boy, am I ever. We've been working so long to get our music where it is today, a good dose of promotion is the next logical step for us. We don't want to be kept secret anymore - we're more than ready to get This is lizzard out into the world!

A new site was a step in the right direction - we'd love to know what you think of it! Talk to us! Leave comments here, on our WhoTune profile (and while you're there, go ahead and vote for our track 'Where My Heart Lies' to keep us at the top of the Top 50 chart), or on our Facebook Page, or via Twitter - your feedback is what keeps us going!

As we wait for the contest results, we've got some great stuff coming up:
next Thursday @12noon PST: interview on OC Talk Radio, The Momz Rock the House Show
and coming soon... the worldwide premiere of awesome new station, Radio Waves!

'It might take forever and a day... you know you can't rush time...'

This is lizzard performs LIVE on WhoTune!

Thanks to all our awesome fans around the world, we held steady in 2nd place for WhoTune's 'Promote Me Like a Rockstar' contest, and even held the number one spot on the Top 50 chart! We are that much closer to winning the grand prize, a 6-month global marketing campaign, thanks to YOU!

We will be performing LIVE via WhoTune's Live Stage 
on Friday September 9th at 9:15am CET (which is 12:15 midnight PST Thursday night for our West-Coast fans, 8:15am for our UK fans, and around 5pm for our Aussie fans) 
and we want you to be there!

Go to the WhoTune website, log in, then click on 'Live Stage' to tune in to our performance
from wherever you are in the world!


Your support means everything to us! Knowing our music is reaching you makes it all worth it!

Culture Shock

We've been back in Holland for three days now, and talk about culture shock! I was sure getting used to life in the States, after almost five months! But it's good to be back, and we're excited about all the new projects we've got planned...

So what to do while you're getting over jet-lag...? How about: write a Christmas song?! I've always wanted to write one, a cool one, not one of these sappy, corny, cheesy ones that make you nauseous. An awesome one, with strong melodies and mind-blowing harmonies and NO chimes. We'll probably include one on the new EP, due for release this Christmas. Although it's a challenge to think about Christmas stuff while I'm wearing sandals, batting mosquitos and watching the kids run around in their undies all day, I think we'll be able to pull it off.

I've been car-listening to the new album and really like what I hear so far. It's sometimes tough to listen to your own voice objectively, but these tunes are so genuine, I actually catch myself getting goose-bumps now and then! That's crazy! But I can only share with the world what rocks my own world - it wouldn't be real otherwise...

Next to the album, we're planning on performing again - just as soon as the jet-lag is over that is... If you know any good venues you'd like us to come play at, let us know! Also, I am going to start vocal coaching to people of any age who have a desire to find their voice. Let me know if you're interested - I can coach via internet as well! I've developed a method to not only help improve singing abilities, but also public speaking - it's all about control and presence. Control and presence. My mantra.

Finally got the latest newsletter finished and am in the process of sending it out over the next few days - if you can't wait for it to arrive in your mailbox, check it out here!

Ok, now this Mama singer is ready for a nap...

Adieu, Adieu, to You and You and You

In exactly one week, Roland and I will be hauling ourselves, our kids and our multitude of suitcases back to Holland. After an amazing 4 1/2 months in the US, it's time to go back home.

This trip was all about exploration, performance and promotion, and I think we managed to achieve all three of those objectives. We explored avenues for our music and developed a new sound with our good friend Gene, the result of which will be the acoustic EP, due for release this Christmas!

We performed till we were weak in the knees in and around Orcas Island, in new venues and in familiar ones. We reached new people with our music, and touched their hearts.

We released the album in June and are already being broadcast on various national radio, featured on blogs and working with folks on music liscencing.

So all in all, it's been a very productive few months.

It still remains a sort of mystery, as to whether or not our music and words are reaching the ears of everyone we want it to. All we can do is continue the 'mission' of sharing 'Won't Give Up as well as writing lots of new music, or breathing new life into older songs we've written (I think my little lyric book has about 40 songs in it!) Either way, we've got lots of music still in us, just dying to come out!

The next week will be a whirlwind of performing, organizing, celebrating and saying goodbye. This place is our home away from home, and it always will be, but I am looking forward to getting back to Europe and trying to get our music on the airwaves over there! Curious what the folks on 'the Continent' will think...

So while we're here, we'll treasure every minute of the sea, the air, the people and the vibe. It's a very very good one, you see. One we'll miss like crazy when we're gone. But hey, I figure, it's all good stuff to write music about.