written by Stirling Myles | photo by Chimera Van Ornum

Singer Liz Vice will win you over in one of two ways. If you like dynamic, soulful vocals and a deep-rooted sense of R&B, her tunes will enrapture you. If (somehow) you aren’t swayed by that, the undeniable feeling of hope that runs through all of her lyrics is sure to put you in her camp. A spiritual upbringing and a childhood love for singing along to pop songs on the radio led Vice to blend gospel and pop music in her own take on spirituality and personal narrative. She writes songs that are emotional and personally driven, often alluding to obstacles in her past.

Vice suffered from kidney failure in college and underwent a transplant in 2005. Now in her “bonus life,” as she refers to it, she sings a positive message that religious and secular listeners alike can rally around. In her first album, There’s a Light, her voice exudes a rawness, confidence and clarity in a present yet timeless act of embracing what is good and elemental about life.