Eva.

The era you grow up in rather rubs off on you.

In my case, the 1980’s and early 90’s were key initial cultural periods. What you saw on Top of the Pops on a Thursday evening set your parameters for what music was. Even if, you’d realise later, it really wasn’t.

So, all those musical and visual cues rather stay with you - they’re hard wired in. I’m not sure if this has come to the fore with my music so far, but I realised it had with this new track, Eva.

But first, there was an experiment.

I don’t sing. Well, I do in a ‘larky Dad’ way, but I don’t sing-sing. I wanted to add a new texture to what I was doing so thought I’d add some Thom Yorke style wordless textures by a bit of a la-la-ing into my phone (yep, my phone) and then chopping it up, adding some sauce and seeing what I got. So that’s what you’re hearing. And - to me - it does sound a bit Thom-y, and thankfully less like me in the shower doing ‘I Will Survive’.

All this set a bit of direction with the mashed up vocals textures giving off a ‘Sympathy for the Devil’ vibe, which suggested a beat, and I went from there.

But back to the 80’s influences. Somewhere along the production road, I started adding sounds, synths and guitars which stank of the period. In particular, as a reference, I would say the finished article reeks of later Roxy Music and ‘Boys and Girls / Bete Noire’ period Bryan Ferry - albums which were rather sniffed at by my generation at the time, but have insane class and production values, with absolutely amazing musos on them.

In a funny sort of way, Eva felt like it sat with those records and era. The mood, the production, the vibe. I even added a few Johnny Marr style guitar parts for flourish.

With that all polished off, I decided the video needed a bit of a tounge in check nod to this 80’s sophisti-pop behaviour, but having a visual concept straight out of the period. I’m sure you’ll agree that the exotic ladies covered in gold leaf, waif’s in woodland and mildly goth like creatures writhing about certainly gives decade-of-greed energy. I stopped short of one of them playing cello in the rain however - I’m not a monster.

So, that’s Eva - an semi-instrumental 80’s pop banger which sounds like Radiohead working with Roxy to cover the Stones, with a video where Simon Le Bon could turn up at any minute.

I make no excuses - you are your influences.

Graeme