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It's all about that voice. It's the voice that draws you in, that makes your
soul ache, your heart soar, your woes fade. This is a voice that can only be
described as stunning, honest, pure. It can float evocatively and flutter
Björk-like, it can growl, it can glow. It can bounce joyously across
happy-go-lucky ditties and ooze langoriously through haunting ballads.
It's a voice that has been likened to Joni Mitchell's, Laura Nyro and Grace
Slick's; and has won her tour support slots with the likes of John Martyn,
Ani diFranco, Courtney Pine and Dexy's Midnight Runners. It's floated across
fields at many a UK festival. It's been discovered as far as Greece, India
and Paris. And Leftfield's Neil Barnes and pop maestro David Grey, alongside
hip hop stalwarts DJ Skitz and Rodney P, have clamoured to work with it.
This is Eva Abraham's voice. And with the release of second solo album 'Full
Circle' - featuring collaborations with organist Mick Talbot (Style
Council/Dexy's Midnight Runners), trumpeter Byron Wallen, Zero 7 drummer
Crispin Taylor and guitarist Mark Vandergught of Galliano - you're about to
get much, much closer to it.
Born and bred in London to a Hungarian father and a Polish mother,
singer-songwriter Eva Abraham was a performer from the off. "I was always
singing harmonies to anything and everything. You know, the whole hairbrush
routine, standing on the coffee table imagining an audience when no one was
looking!" At just 16 she began singing covers with a mate and ended up with
a weekly residence in East Barnet, performing covers from Billie Holiday's
'Lover Man' to Fleetwood Mac's 'Dreams', always ending with their own warped
version of 'Summer Loving' from Grease.
With her first acoustic guitar she taught herself two or three chords, wrote
a handful of songs, practised loads and decided to go solo. A debut gig at
the Mean Fiddler and a second-hand four-track later, she was on her way. A
friend tipped her in the direction of the famed 'floorspot' nights at The
Troubadour Coffee House on London's Old Brompton Road and "I was off,
totally taken by the whole Folk scene". A world of discovery had opened up.
Next Eva went through her band phase: first with Evalution, whose albums
'Soul Glide' and and 'I Turn Away' released on their own label 'Sunflower'
led to sell-out performances at The Jazz Café, Ronnie Scotts and Dingwalls.
They rode the festival circuit too - Glastonbury as well as Phoenix and
Cambridge. And then it was the turn of Evika, a four-piece on a rockier
vibe. Things were going well. Very well. That is, until Evika's guitarist
and Eva's good friend and mentor Jim Thomas fell seriously ill with
leukemia. He died on Friday 13 March 1998.
It was a devastating blow to Eva. But it was also, perhaps, the making of
her too. Grieving and closing in on herself, she set up her first home
studio and began writing - "good and bad". Slowly, surely, her evocative
debut solo album 'Shadow Gazing' took shape. Produced by Niven Garland
(Portishead), and featuring strings by Instrumental and Zero 7¹s Crispin
Taylor on drums, the lushly orchestrated 'Shadow Gazing' was a serious
contender for a Mercury nomination. After a stint signed to the wonderfully
eclectic but sadly doomed City Rockers label run by DJ Damian Lazarus in
2001, it was released on Big Chill recordings to rapturous acclaim in 2005.
And now? Well, as Eva says herself, she feels she's come 'Full Circle', with
more "wisdom and maturity". Where 'Shadow Gazing' was an introspective
affair wrought out of grief, second album 'Full Circle' is borne out of
sheer joy. "It's easy to write dark," maintains Eva, "But the real challenge
is to write happy." With 'Full Circle' she's certainly met that challenge
head-on. It's an album that blends all Eva's influences - gospel, pop,
blues, folk and jazz - into a heady punch that'll make you giddy with a
grin. "I wanted to celebrate music again!" smiles Eva.
As well as partnering up with Instrumental's Andy Waterworth on production
duties for 'Full Circle', the two of them have joined forces and created
Hamworth music. As a duo they already have pieces in three British films -
horror movie 'The Children' released December 2008 and two due for release
in early 2009 - 'Bronson' and 'Dogging A Love Story'. Looks like it's going
to be difficult to avoid Eva Abraham in 2009.
With 'Full Circle' Eva has truly matured as an artist. Recording took some
two years to complete, stretching her as a musician, writer, composer,
producer and performer. ³I feel I'm better than than ever.² Her willingness
to open up to new influences is key to Eva¹s appeal. From lapping up
Hungarian and Polish Folk music at home as a small child, to discovering
devotional music more recently, Eva is constantly learning, exploring,
evolving. "It may be a cliche, but I feel I'm on a journey. And why should
it ever end? I'll do it till the day I die."
Written By: Susanna Glaser
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FULL CIRCLE
Listen to clips from Eva's latest album "Full Circle" due for release soon! |
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SHADOW GAZING
Listen to clips from Eva’s critically acclaimed album "Shadow Gazing” released in 2002. |
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EVA REMIXED
Listen to clips from remixes of Eva’s tracks and collaborations with other folk... |
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FILM MUSIC
Listen to clips from the Eva’s songs on new Bronson Movie and other film music. |
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JOIN MAILING LIST
Join Eva’s mailing list for news and updates of live shows, releases and more. |
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EVA ON MYSPACE
View Eva’s Myspace page, send her a message or listen to latest song postings. |
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EVA PRESS PACK
Download the Eva Abraham press pack. Includes biog, photos and more... |
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