One for sorrow

After two years of writing and producing during lockdown, Evie Eve is now joined by a six-piece band, performing and selling out shows around Manchester.

1.Tell us a little bit about yourself?

Hi I’m Evie Eve, I’m a singer-songwriter currently based in Manchester but I’m originally from Swansea. I’d best describe myself as an indie-folk musician; most of my songs are centred around an acoustic layered sound that explores themes of melancholia, mysticism in nature, and relationships/love. I moved up to Manchester three years ago to study music at university, which is where I was lucky enough to meet the five other members of my band. We’ve been playing gigs and recording my songs together for the past six months.

2.Your new single has elements of jazz and folk in it but where do you draw your inspiration from ?

The basis for most of my songs is usually folk inspired; the initial process of writing the song with just myself and guitar highlights the influence of some of my favourite artists, such as Laura Marling, Fleet Foxes, Elliot Smith, and First Aid Kit. After the basis of the song is complete, collaborating with my band and the various instruments involved can develop the sound stylistically, allowing the music to bend into indie, pop and jazz genres. Lyrically, I love playing with themes of romantic relationships and their impact on an individual’s self-growth, ‘One for Sorrow’ does this through the guise of a sombre story of loneliness.

3.There’s a great layered feel to ‘one for sorrow’ with the backing vocals used prominently in a style reminiscent of Kate Bush - it seems like great timing with her recent No.1?

I love Kate Bush and feel like her vocal style is timeless. I can understand why there might be apparent similarities between our voices; her use of a higher register, the ethereal sound and her memorable melodic movements are all elements I enjoy incorporating into my own music. 

4.We know that your dad plays in a local ukulele band, is this where your love of music comes from?

Yes he does, amongst a few other musical ventures. I would definitely say that my family’s appreciation of many types of music has allowed me to absorb different forms of creating an interesting, memorable tune, which is where the passion and love lies for me. Listening to the various acoustic based bands my Dad has performed in has for sure played a role in my love for that type of sound world.

5.What next for Evie Eve?

Releasing ‘One for Sorrow’ has been a long time coming!  We’ve been performing it at gigs amongst many other unreleased tracks for the past few months, and it’s been getting a great reception so I can’t wait for people to hear the recorded version. We have plenty of gigs lined up for the Autumn and are hoping to release an EP in the next few months. We’re going to be supporting Huw and the Greater Good on a few stops of their UK tour, as well as headlining some shows in Manchester.

The latest release by singer-songwriter Evie Eve is ‘One For Sorrow’ and she’s an artist that I know very little about and, I guess, that does give me a fresh perspective.

The track opens with a very delicate sounding arpeggio on the acoustic guitar in (I believe) 3/4 timing, it gives the impression of each note in the chord stumbling into the next, like dancers drunkenly entwined in a waltz - then, like a rising sun, a vocal line comes in with a winding melody that floats ethereally upon the steady base of the softly arpeggiated chords.

The verse is very pretty, with harmonies that sit nicely against the lead vocal line. The whole thing is rather romantic and grand.

The lead and backing vocal lines are reminiscent to me of (I know she's a hot topic at the moment) Kate Bush, especially the ghostly backing vocals towards the end of the song, just before the final chorus.

(Stay with me, I will talk about those vocals in just a little while)

The whole thing sounds really alive, and the interplay of the instrumentation is really phenomenal. I love the use of brass.

Also, the use of dynamics is fantastic, everything building to a crescendo in the chorus. Most importantly, the lyrics are very well written!

That "I'm alone at the edge of my sea" line, I really like that line. It makes me think of the famous Caspar David Fredrich painting 'The Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog'. In fact the whole song is almost evocative of his work, solitary figures stood against overwhelming, contemplative and dramatic scenery. Like the solitary musings of this song's protagonist against the grand musical backing of this wonderful  piece.



Now I really hope I didn't mishear her singing "I'm alone on the edge of my seat", that would be a shame (Like the time I found out the opening line for my own band's song Industrial Lights was "Summer vibes on the first day of spring" and not "Summer lies upon the first day of spring".)

I could sing the song's praises all day, but I wont. I'm sure you have more important things to do than read this review right now; I can only hope that while you do them, you listen to Evie Eve.

Evan Rowe