This is New Wisco Weekend. I'm Lisa Hale. Do you remember when a song left you feeling
full of joy and hope? Many artists try to put those feelings into their music, but we're
lucky to find one right here, at least for now. The Andra Marie is a perfect example.
The Appleton-based musician joins our Terry Bar to explain what her joy includes. Here's
Terry Bar with the musician and the story.
This is how it goes. No one knows I suppose. I'm just moving forward.
You were listening to Deandra Marie and her song Moving Forward. Deandra, we are so fortunate
to have you join us today. Thank you, first of all, and what can you tell us about this
gorgeous song?
Thank you so much for having me, Terry. I'm honored to be here, be a part of this program.
Moving Forward was actually inspired by a really bad heartbreak. We all go through grief
in different ways in different seasons. I think our family and friends during this time,
they try to be supportive and they often say things like, just get over it. Better luck
next time. Just move on. As I was dealing with the grief, I realized sometimes you just
can't move on from things, right? Like they impact us and shape our lives. So it's kind
of like an anthem of hope during a heartbreak. Do you find putting a lot of yourself into
your music in that same way?
Absolutely. Yeah, I think a lot of my music is inspired by trials, waiting seasons, things
that we don't understand. Maybe we're trying to get clarity on. It's my therapy. It's
my healing, my escape. It's the closure that I need. When somebody doesn't fully understand
me, I know that those 88 black and white keys will.
You describe yourself as an artist with a heart beating expression of the soul. That's
really deep. What does that mean to you?
Yeah. Thank you for asking. I've often been described by people as somebody who's very
deep and introspective, and music comes from within. I mean, God designed us as human
beings with a soul. It's never just a song or a lyric or a chord. It is sunlight reflecting
off water. It's somebody's heart beating. It's the aroma of things we get lost in when
the seasons change. Like it is an expression of art that I'm trying to describe and put
into music. Tell me a little bit about your history then. When did you decide music would
be a part of your life? I learned the piano. My mom is a teacher. I didn't always want
to read the notes. She must stuck me not wanting to read for being lazy, but really I'm
what you call an auditory learner. So I can play my ear. I'd hear a song on the radio
and I'd come home and I'd play it instead of playing the notes on the page. So once
she learned that that was how I was retaining things and processing, she was able to help
embrace my gifts and encourage them. I grew up singing in the church, heavily involved
in my youth group. I have a passion and heart for worship, but I always had a dream of writing
my own songs and really a heart for people. A heart for people that are in broken places
that feel like maybe they're misunderstood or nobody gets them and I just want to be
able to relate and bring them home. We're all a mess, but we're just trying to figure
this thing out. There is joy in your sound. Even if you're talking about a broken heart
or broken relationship, whatever it may be, there's still that underlying joy. Where does
that come from? That absolutely comes from the Lord Jesus himself to sing and praise
and be able to share gifts that were so freely given to me. I am talking with musicians,
singers, songwriter, Deandra Marie, and of course Deandra is based in the Appleton area.
What would you like to say could be your hopes for what happens with your music in the future?
Starting that journey now is I'm starting to play more live shows and I have a song on
the radio here locally now. So there's exciting things happening and I'm dreaming big.
We are going to leave with your new release, Scary Close. There's a lot happening in
this song, but why don't you tell us about it?
Yeah, Scary Close is very special to me. I was hurting pretty bad when I wrote it. It
really just kind of came out as a prayer and I remember specifically praying, God, if I
can just be scary close to you. I actually just had this moment where I just ran to the piano
and it just came out. It was so incredible. It references getting lost in someone's aroma,
burying your face and their shoulder. All the things that we crave as human beings to be that
close to someone. So that's really the gist of the song, Deandra. Thank you so much for being
here with us. Here's your song now, Scary Close.
Some voice over a million seconds.
Too late back and feel you breathing. Your heart beating.
I'm on more. Can you take me there? Only I could bear. I just want to be scary close to you.
You give it all up and down at will. I just want to be scary close to you.
All this love has made me better. Now we need to stay here.
Where I'm caught up in your veins. And now I'm lost in your home.
There be my face in your shoulder. I don't want to leave this place.
Thank you for being a part of New Wisco Weekend. You're look at the stories and issues facing Northeast Wisconsin.
New Wisco Weekend is produced and written by Terry Barron, Lisa Hale, our executive producer
is Todd Michaels, directed by Lisa Hale. Our lead correspondent is Terry Barron with features
by Conrad Krieger, Brittany Merlot, Pete Schwabba, and Melissa Kaye. Special appearances this week
by Jim Schmidt and John Mino. If you have a story you'd like to hear covered, please feel
free to email anytime. Lisa.Hale at civicmedia.us. You can also communicate with us through our
civic media app. I'm civic media Northeast Wisconsin bureau chief Lisa Hale for WISS and WGBW News.
Be unstoppable.
