Eliza on swapping twee for a sultry sound

Last year, the West London musician Eliza slinked onto the stage at London’s Kentish Town Forum. Her back was turned to the audience as she swung her hips left and right, extending her arms to the tune of her sultry tune Straight Talking, blaring out behind her. Suddenly, she swung around to reveal a crop-top and a six month baby bump. The crowd erupted.

“It was the best way to share the news, which is in person,” Eliza says of her grand entrance that day. ​“In some way, the people who connect with my music career see the world in a similar way to me. I was almost brought to tears straight away; the emotions were on another level.”

It’s been almost a year since that concert. Now, Eliza is at the tail end of a small break from gigs as she gears up for her set at the Jazz Cafe Festival. Taking over Burgess Park in South London on 15^th September, the festival lineup includes Earl Sweatshirt, Nils Frahm and Habibi Funk curated by legendary venue The Jazz Cafe in Camden.

“Obviously, I’m totally babied up to the max right now but I’m going to stick some rehearsals in the diary and I’m sure it will all come together in time”, she smiles. And will her son make an appearance at Burgess Park? ​“Definitely. We can put the big headphones on him.”

Growing up alongside nine (!) siblings – all musical –, Eliza started her career as Eliza Doolittle, a cheerful pop artist with a long, curly mane who was responsible for hits like Pack Up and Skinny Genes, back when everyone was wearing American Apparel and getting moustachioed finger tattoos. A time everyone, not least Eliza, is grateful to have moved on from.

Over the last six years, then, she’s reinvented herself. In 2018, Eliza released A Real Romantic, a sensual R&B record made to soundtrack 2 am lighter clicks and nightcaps, swapping the whistling and bright clothing of Eliza Doolittle in favour of Gotham-core music videos and dark lipstick. We’re looking forward to seeing her return to the stage.

You recently re-released your A Real Romantic on vinyl. What are your favourite tracks from the album?

I think Livid. It just felt so exciting and when I was writing it with Fin, who was my partner on this project, it just really felt like I was finding something that I hadn’t expected to find – an independence, a joy and freedom. I knew that there was something within myself that I could hear in the music that I loved, that I hadn’t quite grasped at that point in my writing.

You once released an album called A Sky Without Stars. Was that title inspired by London?

Yeah, because we can never see the stars in the city. I’m hoping that that can be changed at some point – maybe we could turn the lights off from two to four in the morning and you can choose to go out and see the stars…

What’s the best skyscape you’ve ever seen?

I remember going to the Italian countryside in August at a time where shooting stars were really prominent. There were no lights at all and it was pitch black, but the sky was just breathtaking. I couldn’t believe it, it’s almost shocking that we choose to veil ourselves from it because it’s just one of the most beautiful things that we have in this life.

Stars aside, what would you do if you were mayor for the day?

The first thing would be to destroy all weapons and just make sure no one can hurt anyone with anything. Second thing would be to pay everyone to plant seeds everywhere and thirdly, it would be to take away all the advertising from the walls, so that we’re not bombarded with adverts everywhere you look. And then in the evening I’d probably spike everyone with some kind of ecstasy, so we’d all just love each other.

What’s your desert island album?

Voodoo by D’Angelo. He’s always been my favourite artist.

What’s something you want but don’t have?

Time.

What music did you listen to growing up?

I grew up in a theatrical family. My dad’s a theatre director, so at home he would always play a lot of classical music, [particularly] Mozart’s Serenade No. 13 on piano.

What keeps you up at night?

At the moment Rex, my baby!

What’s a bad habit you’re trying to kick?

Being on my phone. I am actually going to delete all the apps from my phone today except for iMessage. I’m even deleting WhatsApp. Nowadays you need it for maps and booking a bike or whatnot and we are modern creatures that need these things now to live in the civilisation that we’ve created, but I do want to get rid of the stuff that’s just bullshit. I do wish that we were more in real life with each other.

Is there anything that you think unites all musicians?

They say that the voice is your truth – that’s your truth chakra. So I think all authentic singers are united by truth, especially when you can really feel that coming from someone’s voice.