“I'm excited to be at a festival or any live gig right now because it’s a little sign that we might be edging back to the old days."
Singer-songwriter artist Eloise can't wait to get on stage on the opening weekend of All Points East on Friday (August 27).
Across the four days will be acts including Jorja Smith, London Grammar, Jamie XX, Tom Misch, Bombay Bicycle Club and Foals.
Eloise said that while the pandemic stopped her playing live, it gave her the time to put together her record Somewhere In-Between.
“I spent three years on tour from around 2017/18 through to 2021, and basically throughout that time I didn’t have a lot of time to write," she said. "I was playing old songs and when I got back and lockdown hit, I had a lot of time to compartmentalise and figure out the feelings I’d had over the three years.
"So the mini album I put out was an accumulation of all the things I’d felt and it was an instant release.”
The album was released in May and Eloise describes it as “like bedroom thoughts, late night thoughts that sound prettier than they feel".
"I guess that’s the only way I can describe it," she said. "It’s like I put feelings under the microscope a lot late at night and very early in the morning and they’re kind of blown up”.
She added “I’ll get one specific feeling and I’ll blow it up so lyrically it’s kind of this microscopic thing, and musically it just sounds like you’ve gone into a fairy, Alice in Wonderland place.
"So I guess it’s a contradiction in my music. It’s like the saddest songs and the prettiest”.
Born in Archway and now living in London Fields, does she see advantages to playing a festival on her doorstep?
“I’m so excited! I love that it’s around the corner because it’s rare you can get your mates to come to a festival. My favourite part of live performance is sharing it with pals and family.”
She says living in London influences her music, saying of the city: "It’s got grit and it’s got an edge. There’s kind of a pulse here that you can’t get anywhere else.”
Eloise will be performing at All Points East festival on Friday, August 27. She’ll also be playing at Heaven Nightclub on November 26.
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