Lisa Humber struggles to escape The Space Between hope and reality in her new single and video — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
The final song written and recorded for her recent debut EP of the same name, The Space Between’s lyrics reflect in some ways on her musical journey. The words speak to the struggle between one’s aspirations and one’s reality, capturing the pressure felt in making all of those tiny decisions that shape and shift who we become:
“I’ve been searching all the time
For this fragile heart of mine
To fill in the space between
Your aloofness and my dreams.”
Co-writer, guitarist and producer Justin Abedin crafted an uptempo accompaniment on acoustic guitar and a beat that captures the frenzied feeling of falling “between the cracks,” in the “space between her hell and back.” It’s the perfect centerpiece to her debut record.
Originally from Sudbury, Humber has worked behind the scenes in the theatre world for 20 years as a stage manager on most of the commercial musicals that have played in Toronto. It was the sudden cancellation of everything in the arts in 2020 that prompted Humber to finally climb out from behind the scenes and pursue her love of music, working towards releasing the album she’s always envisioned. “When it felt like everything else had been taken away,” says Lisa, “music and the stories I wanted to share through my own creations was the only thing that made sense.”
She and Abedin, whom she met while working backstage on the musical Come From Away, assembled a group of skilled musicians — Richard Evans and Scott Galloway on piano and keyboards, bassist Drew Birston, Kevin Fox on cello and Lyle Molzan and Davide Di Renzo on drums — and hit Toronto’s Toast + Jam Studios to lay down tracks.
The result is a collection of eight moving and personal songs, all written by Humber and Abedin, that run the gamut from indie pop to adult alternative. They include the hopeful melancholy of Not Worth Losing, the doomed relationship of Lucky 13, and the frustration of watching someone pretend to be someone else in Skin. Together, the collection highlights life in the space between the good, the bad and the messy.
Though it was the last song written by Lisa and Justin, The Space Between deftly ties it all together, documenting as it does Humber’s discovery of the blue sky behind the dark clouds. It just had to end up being the title song of the EP. “I really hope The Space Between inspires others to move towards the blue skies version of their lives,” Lisa adds.
Watch the video for The Space Between above, sample the EP below, and catch up with Lisa Humber at her website, Instagram and Twitter.
