Today we’d like to introduce you to Lacey Kay Levi.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My parents were/are both musicians. My mom a gifted self taught pianist and poet, my father a percussionist and sound engineer. I grew up in church and in bars in San Angelo, Texas, and started playing violin in elementary school. I got my first real guitar when I was 12. I helped in my family’s upholstery business, restoring antiques. My childhood and adolescence was a lot of fun, but tumultuous, and dramatic.
Due to a troubled home life, I got married when I was 15, and I had my first child right at 16, our second child came along when I was 20. That relationship dissolved about a year later. Life as a young parent without a formal education was difficult, but music was always a source of comfort.
In 2010 I graduated from school and started doing hair. I moved to Austin in 2014, and started on a real path to finding my place as an artist and musician.
After my own struggles with mental health and escapism (usually with alcohol), I felt like I finally “found myself” in 2017. 2 years later I met my husband, Chace Levi, who is a very talented bass player and sound engineer. We are in a few bands together, have a sound company, and a really wonderful family life (with three amazing kiddos ages 16, 18, and 23).
In 2022, I underwent a routine gallbladder surgery that resulted in injury to my liver due to negligence. I ended up having 60% of my liver removed (thank goodness that organ grows back) along with a myriad of other complications because of that injury. I was in and out of the hospital for 18 months, and still have at least one surgery to go. A little side note …while I was waiting to have my liver surgery, we were trying to finish a single for our band My Mistress. I wasn’t sure how the surgery would go, so it almost felt like that would be my last mark regarding music or leaving something behind. I am so glad I came out on the other side, and the single turned out great.
During that time I lost my job, my health insurance, we almost lost our home, our cars, just everything. My husband held it all together while working with HAAM to ensure I had medical care.
After that experience, I doubled down on life. Im not 100% healthy, but I managed to hike 12 miles in Zion this last summer, and paddled 10 miles in the Grand Canyon. We are gigging again (all the time), and recording a new album.
To give back, I started “Time To Thrive”, a non profit organization curating events to raise money for HAAM, so others can receive the same help that I have.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Hahaha, nothing great ever comes easy. My father was an alcoholic, and my mother has substance abuse and mental health struggles. My little brother, an incredibly gifted musician, has unfortunately shared those same struggles.
I feel like in a lot of ways I’ve always been on my own and/or taking care of everyone else, because nobody else was gonna do it. This was hard, but without being self sufficient and having a level unrelenting tenacity, I survived, and now thrive.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I play guitar in Hazard Hounds, My Mistress, and Velvet Koozie.
Chace Levi and I own a sound company called The Austin Levi’s Sound Comoany. We help organize events for local businesses, supply PA systems, sound engineers, and curate music acts.
Time To Thrive, organization bringing awareness and helping raise funds for local non profits.
I also work as a stylist, specializing in short/precision and alternative cuts and color.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
Diversify your skill set.
Image Credits
Mileena Flores (picture 1), Kevin Hardmann (picture 3), Lacey Kay Levi (pictures 2&4)
