Here at Soundscape Magazine we try our best to introduce you to as much new, local talent as we possibly can.
Lisa Marie Hopkins is a talented singer/songwriter from South Wales and was the singer for popular local band The Starting Point.
But since the band split earlier this year she has been plying her acoustic wares around venues such as Gwidihw and Buffalo bar supporting the likes of Hark! A Shark among others.
Lisa has also recently been featured in a session and interview on Radio Cardiff, so with all that in mind we asked her to answer a few questions for us.
Who are you and what do you do?  My Name is Lisa Marie Hopkins and I play music and write songs.
How did you get started?  I started off in a band called The Starting Point in 2010, unfortunately we split up a few months back. Whilst still in the band, I decided to do a solo acoustic gig just so I would get used to performing in front of an audience, and it just picked up from there. At my second gig I was offered to perform on Radio Cardiff, which I did so in June. Everything seems to be coming together nicely right now.
What have you got going on at the moment?  Right now I only have a few gigs booked, but during the time that I haven’t got gigs, I’m going to write some new songs ready to record for a possible E.P! Also, sometime next year I MIGHT be heading over to the U.S to record at Nick Diener’s [The Swellers vocalist] studio!
Favourite music and why?  I have a really mixed taste in music! I grew up listening to bands like The Specials [due to them being my mums favourite band!] and when I got to a certain age, I started exploring different genre’s and stuff. Bands like You Me At Six,  All Time Low and City and Colour are my personal favourites though.
Favourite film and why? Â Probably Finding Nemo, just because I love Nemo and Dory!
Best experience in the business?  Performing on Radio Cardiff and just playing with awesome bands and artists in general.
Why should Soundscape readers care? Â Soundscape readers should care because when I write my songs, I write them from the heart, I don’t think I’ve ever wrote a song that didn’t mean anything to me.
Tell our readers an interesting fact about yourself?  Ummm, Lisa Marie Hopkins isn’t my real name! and not a lot of people actually know it!
What’s your writing and recording process?  I usually write lyrics first, and try to come up with a suitable tune to it on guitar. As soon as I’ve come up with parts that fit, I record it on my phone just so I wont forget it at all haha. Hopefully I’ll be having my songs recorded professionally sometime soon.
What inspires you?  A lot of things! I usually write songs based on feelings or experiences. The only good thing about bad situations is that you can always write a song out of it. I seem to get more inspired at night though! Leaving me with a ridiculous sleeping pattern haha!
Best thing about coming from Wales? Â There are so many amazing local bands/artists to play with/watch here!
Who are your role models and idols?  Definitely You Me At Six. I love pretty much every song they’ve written, and every album just gets better! They’ve been one of my favourite bands for years, and are one of the main reasons I started writing for myself, along with All Time Low.
You can check out Lisa’s music page here –>  http://www.facebook.com/lisamariehopkinsmusic , and make sure you follow her on twitter here —> http://www.Twitter.com/lisagoesrawr.
