Lia Ices

Tuning into the wild and the sacred with Lia Ices

American singer-songwriter Lia Ices lives with her husband Scribe Winery co-founder Andrew Mariani and their two young children in Sonoma, California. Lia’s music-making, personal style and approach to living embody a natural, unforced, and graceful state of being. Lia can often be found on the beautiful grounds of sustainably farmed Scribe Winery in Sonoma Valley, deep in the celebrated winemaking country of northern California.  As Lia explains for Minding Nature, she is nourished and inspired in so many ways by the power and beauty of the natural world.

What’s your favourite thing to do in nature?

Recently, I have found so much peace being in the garden. Harvesting the fruit, flowers, vegetables, and herbs we grow is meditative and rewarding. I love the everyday function of the garden: grabbing herbs for dinner, getting an apple for an afternoon snack. Its constant evolution is the kindest reminder of time passing. 

Describe your connection to nature: what positives does it bring to your life? 

When I’m fully immersed in nature, I find myself in moments of pure awe: I can disappear and connect to the essence of things. It’s an amazing check on the ego to feel so taken by the power and beauty of nature.  As a songwriter, I constantly seek this state of being.  Music and the natural world are the places where I feel spiritual, where I feel real freedom to create new worlds for myself and my family. 

What are your fondest memories of spending time in nature?

I have been going to Martha's Vineyard—a little island off the coast of Massachusetts—with my family since I was little.  We spend all day at the beach swimming in the Atlantic waves, and then cook beautiful meals from island produce and fresh fish.  At night we sit on the porch and look at the immense sky and constellations. They are beautifully simple days where we can connect and relax, and relish the full sensory experience of that magical place. 

Many of us are time-poor, and might not get out into nature as much as we’d like. Any suggestions for a quick nature-based pick-me up? Something sensory, experiential…? 

I’ve always relied heavily on the power of scent to alter my mood and trigger memory. I love essential oils in the bath or diffuser, or even just a dab on my wrist: lemon, eucalyptus, rose or orange blossom, depending on the day. I can close my eyes and it’s both transportive and deeply reassuring. Another one is lighting candles at the dinner table. It’s such a simple way to make mealtime sacred, and to connect—even subtly—to the primal flame within each of us. 

You can find out more about Lia’s music and where she lives at https://www.liaices.com and https://scribewinery.com.