LissiBe’s journey from secret diaries to 100,000 Streams.
It’s not every day you come across a musician who spends her mornings mentoring trauma therapists and her evenings writing songs that make people feel safe.
But LissiBe isn’t trying to fit into any one box.
The Norwegian singer-songwriter has been making music since she was twelve, when songwriting was just a private way to process life.
Now, at forty-six, she’s stepping into the spotlight with a sound that’s been described as “Sade with attitude,” warm, unfiltered, and carrying decades of lived experience behind it.
Her latest single, ‘Stronger,’ is out now, and it’s something of a quiet experiment.
Blending indie-folk with binaural beats designed to calm the nervous system, the track reflects her other life as a trauma therapist.
We caught up with LissiBe to talk about returning to music after a long hiatus, the twenty-year partnership that keeps her grounded, and what it feels like to watch her songs find their people.
HAPPY: What did you get done today?
LISSIBE: The day began exactly how I like it best: with coffee in bed. My partner has made a habit of it, and it remains one of the loveliest things I know – to wake up slowly, cup in hand, with no rush. It gives me space to just be before the world starts.
Then it was off to work. I spent the day mentoring other health professionals on how to sense our own nervous systems and remain attentive to the patient’s.
We used a simple bodily map related to the “window of tolerance” – days like these are so vital. They lead to beautiful, authentic encounters where I am constantly impressed by the reflections of others.
When we manage to create a space of sincerity together, it feels like something important is happening – something that becomes a part of all of us.
Back home, I lit the fireplace – it’s minus five degrees Celsius outside, and the flames feel good. As the warmth spread, I sat reflecting on the next single. Which song feels right now? It is often those quiet moments that show the way.
HAPPY: Tell us a bit about where you come from and what you love about it!
LISSIBE: I come from Oslo, the capital of Norway – one of the greenest capitals in Europe. It’s a big city that still feels intimate and small in the very best way.
The cultural life is vibrant, yet everything is close. On one side, you have the “Marka” forest with ski trails and hiking paths right outside your door: on the other, the fjord with boating and salt water. You can literally fish in the heart of the capital and still be in the center of the city – I find that quite magical.
I grew up here, so I have a safe and tight-knit network of people who mean the world to me. Oslo gives me both the energy of the city and the serenity of nature – that balance is something I appreciate every single day. It’s a city that allows you to breathe deeply, even when life feels full.
HAPPY: Congratulations on the new single, ‘Stronger’! Can you take us through the moment you realised this exact song had to be written?
LISSIBE: Thank you so much! ‘Stronger’ is a song I’ve wanted to write for a long time, but I didn’t quite have it in me until now. It was born after a meeting that left a profound impression on me.
I had been listening to someone describing how the past still kept their body in a state of high alert, even though the danger had been over for a long time. I wasn’t able to give the support I truly wished to give in that moment, and it stayed with me.
Later that evening, Sara and I were playing together on another track where I wasn’t quite happy with the lyrics. Suddenly, ‘Stronger’ came to me – finally.
It felt like something that had to come out, a necessary song to share with everyone carrying similar traces. Language alone doesn’t always reach through, but music can sometimes reach into the body in a different way.
My hope is that ‘Stronger’ isn’t just a track, but a small tool – a reminder that the pain happened, but it is over now.
HAPPY: You mention the song uses binaural beats to help regulate the nervous system. Can you describe for someone listening at home why this is important?
LISSIBE: ‘Stronger’ is a warm and intimate singer-songwriter track with acoustic guitar, a beautiful fiddle, and binaural beats (alpha waves), designed to help the body land safely in the “here and now.”
It is written especially for those of us carrying old wounds – a gentle reminder that the pain happened, but it is over.
When you listen with headphones, the binaural beats (slightly different frequencies in each ear) create a pulsating effect in the brain. The theory is that this can help activate the vagus nerve and promote calm in the body.
While science isn’t entirely unanimous on the strength of the effect, many experience it as soothing and grounding. To me, it felt like a meaningful little gesture to include it – a small tool wrapped in music, an invitation to find safety in the moment, right here, right now.
HAPPY: You have a long-standing musical partnership with Sara Andersson. How does that 20-year friendship and trust help your creativity flourish?
LISSIBE: Sara and I have played together for over 20 years now. She has a very special place in my life – like my “musical wife,” in a sense.
It’s simply fun to be together in our own musical universe. We share a language there that I don’t share with many others; we understand each other without having to explain everything.
LISSIBE: At the same time, our relationship is a safe haven. I believe we all become better versions of ourselves when we feel safe enough – safe enough to share pain, joy, disagreements, and to cheer each other on.
Sara is my musical family, and we share a deep love and passion for music and the creative force. That trust gives creativity room to breathe freely – we can try, fail, and succeed together, without fear. There is enough space for all of it.
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HAPPY: Your previous singles ‘Need’ and ‘Passion’ have nearly 100,000 streams combined. Did the success of those tracks change your approach when recording “Stronger”?
LISSIBE: “Success?” Well, thank you, that certainly warms my heart! 😊
What has perhaps come out of it most is a stronger muscle – the ability to clear time and actually continue releasing songs.
When ‘Need’ and ‘Passion’ find their people, it boosts my confidence in a quiet way. I can hardly take it all in, but it’s like a friendly little nod from the world: “Just do it.”
The path is made by walking. Now, I have plans to record three new songs with Rune, my producer. He lives in another city, so it becomes more natural to find space for those sessions when my music is being heard by others.
Bit by bit, with a little more trust each time. And when I am lucky enough to combine music with sharing knowledge about themes I truly believe in – then I’ve achieved something I never previously dared to dream of. It’s a kind of quiet victory, I think.
HAPPY: You lead a creative music group for people with trauma experiences. Have you ever played ‘Stronger’ for that group, and what was their reaction?
LISSIBE: No, I actually haven’t played ‘Stronger’ for the music group yet. There, the focus is on the participants writing their own lyrics – we create the songs together from scratch.
However, several people within and outside the group have heard that I’ve released a song for people carrying trauma histories, and the feedback has been incredibly moving.
One wrote: “Hi Lise, I wanted to congratulate you on your new song. I’ve heard it and it’s absolutely beautiful :) The meaning behind the song means so much. Thank you for writing it, and extra thanks for releasing it so we can hear it <3”
Another said: “Thank you for this song! <3 You convey hope and trust that it is possible to find safety here and now.” A user organisation for trauma survivors also shared the track with its members.
It makes me so proud and humble – that it creates recognition. Then I’ve achieved what I wanted. They are my best teachers. It is through their unique experiences that I grow and understand more – as a professional, a musician, and a fellow human being. Thank you!
HAPPY: You’ve played everything from intimate clubs to festivals. Is there a certain type of venue or audience that feels like the “right” home for LissiBe’s music?
LISSIBE: Intimate clubs or small stages often feel most like home. There is a closeness there – I can see people’s eyes, hear their breath, and it becomes a genuine exchange.
Festivals are fantastic for the energy and the sense of community, but it’s in the small rooms that the songs truly land. When the audience is open and present, and it becomes quiet between the tracks – that’s when it feels right.
HAPPY: ‘Stronger’ will be used to launch a new Norwegian textbook on trauma treatment. How surreal is it to experience your art becoming a tool in academic literature?
LISSIBE: It is quite surreal – in a good way. I started making music as a personal vent, and now it’s being used in a textbook launch at the House of Literature. It feels like the circle is closing.
I am humbled by it. It shows that art can be so much more than entertainment – it can actually help someone find peace. I am grateful that someone sees the value in that: it gives extra meaning to my work.
HAPPY: Finally, what makes you happy? :-)
LISSIBE: Small things that mean a lot: coffee in bed in the morning, a good conversation with someone I love, hearing a new melody fall into place, the flames in the fireplace on a cold evening, and moments where I notice that my music has touched someone.
And not least – knowing that I still have more to say, and that it’s okay to take all the time it needs.
With love, LissiBe
