Lizdelise frontperson Elizabeth de Lise soundtracks ‘Material Feels’ podcast; listen to “The Ceremony”

Singer-songwriter and guitarist Elizabeth de Lise has always had a lot of creative pursuits going at once. In addition to fronting the arty indie pop band Lizdelise for the past six years, they’ve doubled as a professional soundscaper of sorts, scoring theatrical productions in New York and Philly and more recently working on a podcast with longtime friend Catherine Monahon.

The podcast is called Material Feels, and it explores the relationships between artists and the materials of their medium; as de Lise tells us over email, its purpose is “to remind people that creativity is a human right!” The show wraps its second season this Friday, January 14th, and this season once again featured de Lise composing one song per episode inspired by the life experiences and wisdom of the guests.

This season’s guests included a paper artist, paint maker, glassblower, oral storyteller, and ritualist, and the songs will be featured on Material Feels: Songs for the Podcast (Season Two), the same day as the new season wraps. Today, we’re excited to debut “The Ceremony,” a moving and minimal song dipped in a drum machine pulse and dreamy atmospheres. de Lise tells us over email that the song comes from the episode about ritual, and draws on their own personal experience with loss and interpersonal relationships.

“The Ceremony” came to life in pursuit of definition and deep meaning in spaces in my life where there had previously been none. I focused on the death of my grandparents, both of whom passed recently, and with whom my mom and I had complex relationships. 

Listen to “The Ceremony” below and subscribe to Material Feels here. For more, listen to de Lise talk about composing music for season one in an episode from November of last year.