Lisa Loeb on motherhood and life after ‘Stay’

• Lisa Loeb

Lisa Loeb’s 1994 song “Stay (I Missed You)” was the first U.S. single to ever become a No. 1 hit by an unsigned artist. Loeb has persistently hung onto her craft ever since, writing nine albums in almost two decades. This includes two surprisingly listenable kid’s albums - her childlike voice and charming persona lend themselves well to the genre - and, most recently, her 2013 adult contemporary album No Fairy Tale. Her style could be called conventional, but her tenacity is not. A woman in her 40’s with two young children (Lyla Rose, 3 and Emet, 8 months), she continues to work in an industry saturated by ephemeral expression and youth. Her band Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories plays the Variety Playhouse on Saturday, March 16.

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Is it difficult to return to the music industry after having kids?
Is it hard to return to. Well, I didn’t really leave it, so it was sort of a continuation. And it’s hard to say, because when you get pregnant, life changes gradually. I haven’t gotten it together yet to do a creative project on my own; you know, most of the creative projects I’ve done since my kids were born were more about collaborations.

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Other than when they’re sleeping, you know, there’s no beginning or end. I might be home, and I’m with a great nanny who helps take care of the kids a lot. But if I’m home, and the kids are up and getting ready for school or getting ready for bed, or eating, or whatever we’re doing when we’re not sleeping, it’s hard for me to just say, “Alright, great, here’s the kids,” and then go into another room and start writing.