Young singer with an "old soul," Lucy Schwartz has released the music video for her single "Graveyard," the lead track from the Los Angeles indie pop artist's sophomore album "Life in Letters," which was released in September. The first thing you might notice upon watching Schwartz is that she is utterly charming. The second thing you might notice is that visually and aurally, she calls to mind a bit of Sara Bareilles. And that's a good thing, in our opinion; Schwartz's command of piano and voice is impressive, wrapping boldly around clever lyrics in a way that causes her songs to work their way into your head and stay there."Graveyard" is a great song; ultra-catchy and infinitely singable. Don't be surprised to find yourself swaying to the beat and mouthing lyrics that you're already starting to learn by the time you reach your second listen. This tune would be perfect for a dinner party or road trip mix. While conceiving the Claire Carre-directed video, Schwartz, who has studied dance and movement, happened to be watching an episode of the show "So You Think You Can Dance," marveling at the work of choreographer Sonya Tayeh. The next day she wrote Tayeh, a complete stranger, and asked her to work on "Graveyard." She accepted, and now Schwartz uses her moves in the clip, twirling and jumping through a smoke-machine haze. "I like to have everything just the way I'd imagined it, from the artwork to the visuals to the songs," she admits. "You might call me an artiste," she proclaims in a haughty French accent, before dissolving into laughter.
Taking her songwriting talents to a deeper and more personal level with her "Life in Letters" establishes Schwartz as a major talent, big and bright and bursting with energy. LA Weekly called her arrangements "smart; she brings a spectacular whimsy to everything she does, adding ukulele or a capella harmonies where you'd least expect them, cranking up every emotion into surround sound. There's so much joie de vivre in her music, she's written no less than two songs - "Graveyard" and "Shadow Man" - about what it takes to feel truly alive." Schwartz is an emerging artist who uses her imagination to deeply engage with the world. And "Life in Letters" challenges that world to engage with her the same way.
Although the 20 year-old face of Schwartz may be new to some, many already know her voice. How could anyone forget it? Rich and dreamy and all lit up in Technicolor, it's graced movie theaters and TV sets across the country. She achieved more in her short career than many have who been in the industry for decades. "I did a lot of theater growing up," says the effervescent Schwartz, "so I like the idea of escaping into a character and becoming someone else." Things are definitely looking up for Schwartz, the brunette beauty, still only 20 years old, has already toured with Lilith Fair and performed on "The Tonight Show." Her "Graveyard" video just won "The Freshmen" at mtvU, and the New York Post has predicted that shell be a Grammy contender for "Best New Artist" in 2011 for her new album.
