Meet Lianne Mcconnell | Lead Singer & A Whole Vibe

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lianne Mcconnell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lianne, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I was born and raised in the boogie down Bronx. It is really a concrete jungle out there. Growing up I was definitely the odd one out in anything that was going on. I never meshed with anyone, got bullied a lot. My mom was super strict and I was in a bubble from the outside world.

I remember finding music. Music was my escape. Music said all the things I wasn’t allowed to say growing up. You remember those places like Columbia House that did 12 CDs for $1(shows my age) I looked forward to every month getting one of those damn things.

One day I’m flipping through channels and it’s a music video where a guy is screaming and it seems like he’s hanging from the ceiling like a vampire. It was Linkin Park One Step Closer on Fuse Network.

After that video I immediately went to checkout the rest of their music. Hybrid Theory became the album that was my life and changed my life forever. I started getting into the rest of the YouTube suggestions and absolutely fell in love with rock music. It was loud, meaningful, it was beautiful.

My mom didn’t understand it. She and everyone thought that I worshipped the devil. She forbid me to listen to it and tried to get me into rap and motown.

Growing up a black girl in the bronx who loves rock music was definitely a challenge. This was back in the 90s we didn’t have the freedom to be ourselves like we do now.

I definitely feel like I had to fight my whole life to be who I am. It was definitely hard at times. People made fun of me, I couldn’t make friends, felt like my family hated me and I yearned at time to not be who I was.

When I got to high school, I was fortunate enough to make friends with a group of people who liked the same music and same things I was into. By this point I was still into alt and radio rock but soon I would be introduced to emo, pop punk and metal. Fall Out Boy, Opeth, From First to Last; my music was changing, becoming heavier while helping me explore and experience the angsty teenager I was. High School wasn’t easy, there was a lot of drama at home, I still was bullied but this time around I had people in my corner, and I didn’t feel so alone.

You know how some people say that life after high school is some of your best years? That wasn’t the case for me. I’m very open about my experiences because I want others to learn from my mistakes, also without them I wouldn’t be the person that I am today. I was kicked at a 17 and stayed with my boyfriend at the time. I was working while going to college full-time, when he became abusive, I dropped out and became a recluse. I stayed in that situation a while, your mindset in that situation you can’t see any solutions to your situation. It took me getting cancer to realize that if I died this would be my legacy; everyone knew my situation, something inside me woke up. I always knew/felt that I was destined for something greater, I beat the cancer, and then I got out of the situation.

To reflect on who I am and what I’ve been through its crazy for me to see where I am and who I am. I refer to myself as a Warrior, a Survivor, a Wanderer, an Advocate and Inspiration for the voiceless.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

I’m lead singer of a progressive rock band called Tulpa. We are based out of Fort Walton Beach and are a 5 piece. The band consists of Jax R, Gabe W, Will R, and Derek M, all of them bring their own unique vibe to the band and are super talented. We have played a couple of shows in our local area, have shows scheduled for early 2023, and our first single “Payload” should be dropping January 2023.

I’ve been singing for as long as I could remember, it was a creative outlet for me to say the things I wanted to say without hurting anyone’s feelings. I’ve always dreamed about singing on stage but outside of karaoke I never thought I would be out here in the world performing and making my own music.

Through the years I’ve sang in various bars and sketchy karaoke places, little did I know after the Summer of 2022 things would never be the same. A friend had gone out with me to karaoke and told me she had a coworker who was a guitarist in a rock band, and they were looking for a lead singer. I told her I was a karaoke singer, and I didn’t have my own voice there’s no way that I could be a front woman. She encouraged me to meetup with them and at least see what the dynamic was.

I’ll never forget being scared as hell going to Moe’s meeting these 3 guys, little did I know they would become some of the most important people in my life. After we got over the awkward phase of meeting new people, we just vibed. They showed me a setlist of songs that were thinking of covering, within the next week I showed up to practice and Tulpa was born.

I did struggle at first. I was used to singing more pop and rnb songs whereas in my own opinion rock vocals have a different structure. All the guys were super patient with me and encouraged me to take me time, sing comfortably, be myself and most of all have fun. After a couple of practices, I could tell that the guys had some serious talent, I told myself that I would work hard and be the best that I could be in the band because I wanted to shine right along with them.

A couple of months ago we added our 5^th member to the band, and we have the joy of still having the same awesome dynamic between all of us. Where I am at in my life now it is great to be a part of something so great, building these genuine connections. I’m lucky to not only have them as my bandmates, but my family.

The world is about to see a Black Female Fronted Rock band make waves on the scene.

Lastly, I want people to know that no matter where you come from, that will NEVER EVER determine where you are going. You are going to have obstacles, which will be lessons that you need to learn to perfect your craft. Never give up.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’d pick my best friend up from the airport and we would drive over to Destin, Fl. Just a 30 minute drive away from where I live. We would go eat at FatBoys, it is delicious there, their burgers are to die for!

After that we would bar hop and visit Ajs or Coyote Ugly. Who doesn’t love to watch hot girls dance on the bar or be the hot girl dancing on the bar.
We would also visit the Harborwalk just to see the people and events that are going on.

We would also visit Pensacola and go to McGuire’s. We would also try to find a venue to watch some of the local talent. There is so much talent here it is insane.

30A and the beautiful beaches and fancy restaurants out there!

As far as people there is such a sense of community here. I can always go somewhere and there is someone that I know. I’ve also made some of the best friends here so I would make sure I introduced everybody.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have so many people in my life that I could give a shout-out too.

My mom and family for raising me. We definitely had our wars but I have a good head on my shoulders.

The friends that I have had through the years, I’ve learned so much from each and everyone of you.

The random people that I have met and dropped advice that I needed to hear that I didn’t know I needed at that time.

My enemies and people that have hurt me. You taught me lessons that I will never forget.

Myself. From all the things you’ve been through at times I’m surprised you’re still going. Your positivity and energy is contagious and I can’t wait for the world to see you.

Instagram: Rogue_enigmatic

Facebook: TulpaFwb

Image Credits
Image Credits to David Reiling Dee Dee Kohl Photography Hunts Moory Photography