Hurts to Purr
“Hurts to Purr's music is dense and confessional, taking influence from the weight of the stories and experiences Pappademas captures with her words.
The album is speckled with field recordings done while the band was mixing their record in Los Angeles with Brian Kehew, co-producer of Fiona Apple's latest release. From copy machines to trains at Union Station, the album combines a clean, polished production with the gritty, organic sounds from the streets of L.A.” - NPR
Liz with Tom Benton (bass) and Jeremy Bruch (drums).
“...an album so confident and assuredly cool that it seems to have sprung from seasoned vets. Vocalist and pianist Liz Pappademas’ songs gleam with uncanny originality (“Mr. Atom,” the wisely cynical “Six Months,” the hypnotic “Stop Blowing Your House Down”). Her voice has a charming, dusky timbre, while her playing channels everyone from Randy Newman to Paul Bley. If you’ve haven’t caught them, do so quickly.” - Texas Monthly
Recorded and produced in 2005 with Kevin Ryan and mixed by Brian Kehew at OFR in North Hollywood, Hurts to Purr was created as Ryan and Kehew put the finishing touches on their massive tome, Recording the Beatles: The Studio Equipment & Techniques Used to Create Their Classic Albums.
Kevin, Liz, Jeremy and Tom outside The Rainbow Bar n Grill during mixing of Hurts to Purr.
LIZ PAPPADEMAS
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ABOUT
Liz Pappademas is an American singer songwriter, pianist, and educator.
Born in a New York City Checker taxicab and raised in San Francisco, Liz graduated from Berklee College of Music where she won the SESAC Award for songwriting and a John Lennon Songwriting Contest scholarship.
Touring both solo and as a member of various bands, Liz began her professional career in Austin, Texas with her trio Hurts to Purr. She has performed three times at the South by Southwest music festival and has been featured on local radio and NPR’s All Songs Considered.
Known for poetic lyrics with affecting melodies, Liz is influenced by songwriters and film composers who share her interest in telling stories: Randy Newman, Ennio Morricone, Tom Waits, Aimee Mann, Joni Mitchell, and others.
In 2012, Liz returned to school to study special education at California State University, Northridge. Her master’s thesis explored parallels between academic homework and music practice and the inherent challenges in both for students with learning disabilities. She became K-12 Director of Learning Services at Sequoyah School in Pasadena in 2022. She lives in Los Angeles.
Liz Pappademas is an American singer songwriter, pianist, and educator.
Born in a New York City Checker taxicab and raised in San Francisco, Liz graduated from Berklee College of Music where she won the SESAC Award for songwriting and a John Lennon Songwriting Contest scholarship.
Touring both solo and as a member of various bands, Liz began her professional career in Austin, Texas with her trio Hurts to Purr. She has performed three times at the South by Southwest music festival and has been featured on local radio and NPR’s All Songs Considered.
Known for poetic lyrics with affecting melodies, Liz is influenced by songwriters and film composers who share her interest in telling stories: Randy Newman, Ennio Morricone, Tom Waits, Aimee Mann, Joni Mitchell, and others.
In 2012, Liz returned to school to study special education at California State University, Northridge. Her master’s thesis explored parallels between academic homework and music practice and the inherent challenges in both for students with learning disabilities. She became K-12 Director of Learning Services at Sequoyah School in Pasadena in 2022. She lives in Los Angeles.