Lisa Walker is the offspring of several generations of Kentucky missionaries, preachers, bootleggers and dirt-track racers. She grew up singing in church, like most of her relatives. Walker was heavily influenced early-on by 1960s British and American pop and psychedelia, which blended with other childhood influences that include Appalachian folk tunes sung by her grandmother, a vast knowledge of Gospel hymns and her dad’s Hindustani classical records.

She formed her first band, Wussy, with Chuck Cleaver (of Cincinnati band Ass Ponys) in 2001, the result of an impromptu duo performance to help Cleaver combat a brief period of stage fright.

The Magic Words came about shortly afterwards, formed as a solo recording project in 2004 - primarily created as a means to develop song ideas. Recorded as off-the-cuff takes in bedroom and living room settings from 2004-09, many of these songs would eventually make their way onto future Wussy LPs. However, the sparse, catchy arrangements of the original Magic Words demos allow more space for Walker’s writing and vocal talents to shine through the fuzzy haze of driven delayed guitar, bubbling effects and drum machines, conveying “a sense of mystery and immediacy, much like PJ Harvey's amazing 4-Track Demos” (Mike Breen, Cincinnati CityBeat).