by Andrew Leahey Hailing from the blue-collar, riverside town of Rock Island, IL, songwriter Lissie Maurus draws upon her Midwestern origins while shaping her indie folk music. After dropping out of high school during her senior year, Lissie headed west and eventually settled in Los Angeles, where she became a fixture on the coffeehouse circuit and landed a national tour opening for Lenny Kravitz. A tour alongside Ray LaMontagne followed in 2009, as did the release of her debut EP, Why You Runnin’.