Technicolor

Every debut album represents a journey, but few have come as far or struggled so tenaciously for the chance to be heard on their own terms as Cuba's Sweet Lizzy Project. The five-piece rock band built a strong following in its native Havana with scant resources or infrastructure to support them, in a cultural setting where they could never be entirely themselves. When American roots rockers The Mavericks' lead singer Raul Malo, whose parents emigrated from Cuba in 1960, got to know the band, he sponsored them for US work visas and signed them to their record company in late 2017. The band made the bold decision to move to Nashville, where they recorded Technicolor [out 2/21] at Blackbird Studios. The feisty, infectious album draws on several eras of rock and pop, adding subtle Latin undertones. "We've been outsiders from the start," says Lisset, lead singer. "In Cuba, we were swimming against the tide by singing rock'n'roll in English. It took us time to gain respect by the institutions that would let us play our music. And then we had a chance to come here, and we're outsiders again. But that's ok. We just want to play." The band has opened dates for Heart, Joan Jett, JOHNNYSWIM, and Jamey Johnson. More touring is expected in 2020.