There are not a lot of famous singer-songwriters from Alaska. The first singer that comes to mind is Jewel who was raised in Homer, Alaska so it is with great pleasure that Noteworthy introduces a new folk-rock-pop artist hailing from the last frontier – Liokness (pronounced 'Lioness'). At this time, Liokness is establishing her music home-base in LA and Portland, but she comes from the northern town of Soldotna, Alaska. Hot off our playlist is Liokness’s new pop-rock, inspirational single titled, “Play Until Your Fingers Bleed.” This song is sure to warm up your spirits and kick your ambitions and self-determination into high gear.
“Play Until Your Fingers Bleed” starts with a solo guitar finger-picking pattern and a string section that captures the mixed feelings of pain and pleasure described in the song; these are the feelings everyone experiences when they are pursuing their passions. Liokness sings, “Play until your fingers bleed, that’s the way that you’ll succeed, there’s nothin’ in this world you need but a little discipline and love you’ll see, oh….” At once, the song gives us a picture of the hard work it takes to succeed while offering strong words of encouragement. One can’t help but relate to the idea of your fingers bleeding as a metaphor for all the hours of practice it takes to be the best and rise to the top.
Liokness writes in a style that is self-reflective, honest and straight-forward – she is genuine and her authenticity makes her words easy to relate to.“I know it looks like I have it all but trust me, it wasn’t always like this. I used to trip and fall. I had to work for it.” In this line, Liokness is sharing her own personal story stating that the end result is often not as easy as it seems. Throughout the song, several key messages are highlighted – work hard, be disciplined, trust in yourself, have courage and be who you want to be. Liokness is walking alongside her listeners, like a friend, and saying you can do whatever you want to do and go wherever you want to go, all it takes is “a little discipline and love you’ll see…” Because Liokness has experienced this journey herself, she is able to put a lot of passion and emotion into her singing. Her voice is strong and confident with a clear tone; she delivers every note as if she is singing in the moment. This passion combined with the lyrics are powerful. One moment which is particularly moving is when Liokness sings, “I try so hard just to lose again, I love and sin, but I never seem to win.” This idea of falling off your bike and getting back on, of wanting to give up after a fall, but pushing forward to persevere is found throughout the song and always followed by words of wisdom – “There’s nothing in this world you need, but music and love and ecstasy.” "Play Until Your Fingers Bleed" is not just about music; it's about life and living to the fullest. It is a universal message. In her video, Liokness shows many different types of people, all ages and abilities, with different dreams and obstacles, striving to be who they want to be.
If you are looking for a song that will motivate, inspire and help you stay the course and go for your dreams, then "Play Until Your Fingers Bleed" is a great choice. Liokness has written a song that will stand the test of time because we all have challenges along the way and songs like “Play Until Your Fingers Bleed” serve a purpose - they pick us up and keep us going when we need someone to have our back. Liokness’s music can be purchased on iTunes. To learn more about Liokness, visit her website.