Catchy melodies and literate lyrics in original songs from acoustic folk to all-out rock, along with a few surprising covers.

Mary Lyn Maiscott grew up—in West Virginia and Missouri—with a love of words and a love of music. Her mother dreamed of writing a book (though she never did), and her father collected drums, maracas, and record albums of

Catchy melodies and literate lyrics in original songs from acoustic folk to all-out rock, along with a few surprising covers.

Mary Lyn Maiscott grew up—in West Virginia and Missouri—with a love of words and a love of music. Her mother dreamed of writing a book (though she never did), and her father collected drums, maracas, and record albums of nearly every type. Mary Lyn switched from poetry to songs in her 20s, developing a style of thoughtful lyrics wed to catchy melodies. She’s played such clubs as CBGB’s, the Bitter End, and the legendary Folk City. She’s also continued to write, including music pieces for “Vanity Fair,” personal essays for “The Village Voice,” an interview with Sheryl Crow for StarPolish.com, and a “24-hour play” at the Atlantic Theatre in New York. For her CD, “Blue Lights,” she culled the best tracks from various recording sessions and added a couple of new recordings, including “Midnight in California,” produced by Terence Dover (Céline Dion, Avril Lavigne). That song was inspired by a visit to Mallorca, as was her short story “Pueblo Piedra,” which appeared in the Winter 2008 issue of “The Portland Review.” Mary Lyn has also worked as an editor, most notably for the John Lennon bio “Nowhere Man,” by Robert Rosen, whom she married in 2001. (She sang the Beatles’ “You Can’t Do That,” also on the CD, at the book’s publication party at Don Hill’s in New York.) Coming full circle, the CD’s title song is about her parents—their wartime romance at Christmas.