Born in Ontario, Canada, Liis grew up in the suburbs of Toronto. Piano lessons started at 5-years of age and voice lessons at 13. Her home town of Mississauga was not a happening jazz spot, so the musical initiation was all classical, and her upbringing was standard suburban.

Moving to Vancouver, BC, in 1996, Liis took a job bartending at O’Doul’s Restaurant and Bar - one of Vancouver’s premiere jazz venues. The job not only paid the bills but gave her exposure to some of Vancouver’s best jazz musicians in performance, resulting in her meeting and studying with notable international jazz musicians, including Jennifer Scott, Kate Hammett-Vaughan, Ross Taggart, Sheila Jordan, Jay Clayton, Joani Taylor, Randy Halberstadt, Darren Radtke and Bob Murphy.

Liis moved to Seattle in 2007, with plans to continue developing as a jazz singer. Her repertoire includes standards and blues, as well as tunes from off the beaten path. Her voice ranges from an intimate style with a rich, smoky tone, to a brassy blues shout.