While you might not have heard of Lisa Bouchelle yet, she’s shared a stage with some of the biggest artists in rock history. First hitting the scene as a singer-songwriter in the mid-2000s, by the time the 2010s rolled around, she was opening for the likes of Meat Loaf, Blues Traveler, and more.
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Now, she and her band—The Bleu—are gearing up to debut a new full-length Jump In! on August 27. The first single (the title track) drops on Friday, July 23.
“I actually wrote this song on my first big tour,” Bouchelle said, recounting the story. “I was opening solo acoustic for Blues Traveler—I had no budget, no crew, and no band, but I really wanted to do the shows. So, I loaded up my car with canned goods and blankets and set out. When I walked into the dressing room, John Popper was shocked that this petite girl was out there all by herself. ‘We’re gonna find you dead on the side of the road!’ he said.”
From there, the tour went swimmingly well—night after night, Bouchelle got to cut her chops on big venues and big crowds… which led her to write some new material. “Doing a solo acoustic set when the crowd doesn’t know you requires you to start out with something exciting to get their attention,” she explained. “So, I started jamming on a groove that I thought would be a great way to kick off the show. I was feeling a need for bravery in order to tour like that, to just be myself and take some chances musically… and in my life in general. The lyrics came as a really energetic, positive message and perfectly fit the high-energy groove I was playing.”
In the end, Bouchelle’s “Jump In!” is an infectious ditty sharing an invaluable message of positivity and uplifting inspiration. The new version of it recorded with The Bleu even boasts a chorus clad with a whistle riff that’ll get stuck in your head for days. Looking back, Bouchelle sees the song as an enduring testament to her great leap of faith into being a committed-for-life songwriter and performer.
“This song is about taking a chance, making that decision to pursue your dreams without second-guessing yourself,” she said. “I still use it as a sort of mantra when I need to be brave and just go for it—it’s perfect for any situation that requires me to trust my instincts, take charge and be the one who makes things happen. So, I hope others can use it as a sort of mantra too. Get out there, take that leap of faith, do what your soul tells you to do, overcome your fears and go for it—jump in!”
Lisa Bouchelle & The Bleu’s new single “Jump In!” is available now—watch the premiere of the music video below:
