Fiddler and singer Lissa Schneckenburger made a name for herself playing her own brand of traditional New England ballads and dance tunes with a catalog of recordings and years of hitting the road on tours around the globe. Now Schneckenburger is back with a new recording of a completely different nature. "Covers", released on June 4th 2013, is a mix of beloved pop songs from the 1950s to today. Co produced with Aoife O'Donovan (of Crooked Still and The Goat Rodeo Sessions), the album reinterprets classics by artists like Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon, Nelly, Weezer, The Magnetic Fields, Dire Straits, and many more. "Covers" came together over a period of almost a year as O'Donovan and Schneckenburger met in various home studios and honed the arrangements, playing fiddle, ukulele, guitar, piano, organ, and glockenspiel between the two of them. The instruments blend together to create a delicate tapestry that nestles around Schneckenburger's warm voice, and highlights the simple beauty of each song. Working with material that would already be familiar to most listeners gave the musicians more creative freedom than when presenting original or traditional music for the first time. On a few selections, friends were brought in to fill out the sound with double bass, percussion, cello, hammer dulcimer, or harmony vocals, and the album took shape. When reflecting on the repertoire, Schneckenburger said "I tend to associate music with people. Listening back to my favorite songs can be like turning the pages of an old photo album, recalling friends and family. 'Covers' is a collection of some of my favorite songs, but it's also by association, a collection of my favorite memories." Many folk fans already know Schneckenburger for her beautiful interpretations of traditional melodies, and will be delighted with this fresh injection to her repertoire. Schneckenburger explained, "To me, folk music is anything that creates a feeling of community. Music that people want to sing along to, dance to, fall in love to…. music that brings people together. These songs are part of all of us, and it's an honor to have had the chance to record them". Lissa continued, "I still remember lying on the rug in front of my parent's stereo system listening to records as a kid, and I remember my dad's smile when we shared a Paul Simon obsession. I remember getting mix tapes from friends in the mail as a teenager, and how Dire Straits is equated with first love in my mind because of the boyfriend who first played me their album. There are songs that will always remind me of the California coast, walking on Trinity Street in Dublin, the silly dance my son does when he's happy, or of the time I borrowed a friend's car and she left her ipod in the passenger seat. And of course in this line of work, there is an endless list of music that I first heard in the car with band-mates on long drives to far off gigs. This album is a collection of some of my favorite songs, but it's also by association a collection of my favorite memories. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it. Here's a toast to having music and people we love in our lives, and to many memories to come." www.lissafiddle.com for bookings, older recordings, and more information