We got the chance to catch up with the brilliant duo, “The Eves.” They discussed their start-up, their dream gig venues and what they kept busy with in Lockdown.
If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
To encourage, promote and reward unsigned talent – in the form of national radio stations getting behind emerging, homegrown talent, and streaming sites revising their streaming models to reward artists fairly.
What or who got you into music?
Marissa – I’ve always loved music from a very young age, and went on to study flute and saxophone at University. However, a big turning point for me was discovering Alicia Keys – at that point I knew I wanted to play piano and sing. Her music just took my breath away. I started to focus more on performing music as a vocalist and went on to sing and play in various band set-ups over the years.
Caroline – Like Marissa, I loved listening to music when I was young as I was brought up in a household that always had music playing in some shape or form. I was given the opportunity at High School to learn to play the saxophone, and from then on in I found my tribe and was always hanging around the music department. Alanis Morissette’s ‘Jagged Little Pill’ album inspired me to start writing my own music and I started to teach myself how to play guitar at that point.
If you could have 3 musicians headline a festival, dead or alive, who would it be?
Oooh! If we make it a combination of who we both love…Fleetwood Mac, Joseph and Alicia Keys (can we also sneak in Stevie Wonder?!)
What is your dream gig venue?
There are so many to choose from! After Covid we’d be happy to play in any venue but we would love to play in Radio City Music Hall, New York.
If you had to describe Scottish gig culture in 3 words, what would they be?
Really sticky floors
Who would you most like to collaborate with?
It would be amazing to do something with Jack Savoretti or Coldplay. We love their writing styles.
How did The Eves start up?
Caroline: We’d known about each other for years on the local music scene in Edinburgh, despite never having had the opportunity to actually meet! I was previously a solo artist, and Marissa had been in various band set-ups (including solo) over the years. We’d also played with a few of the same session musicians too.
Marissa: I contacted Caroline early in 2016 to ask if she’d be interested in writing together. She initially turned me down! She was a bit too busy with her own EP release at the time, but fast forward to a couple of months later and we finally met up for a coffee.
Caroline: We really hit it off and it felt like we had known each other for years. We started working on a song which then developed into several songs and the energy was really flowing. We started out gigging together playing mainly covers in bars/hotels etc, sneakily slotting in some of our own songs in between. We then decided to focus on our own original material and officially became The Eves in 2018.
What plans do you have for any new releases such as videos or gigs?
We have a new single ‘Brand New Day’ out on 23rd April, and plan to release a few more before the year is out. We’re so excited to share this new material with everyone.
What did you get up to during Lockdown?
We kept busy otherwise we’d have gone insane. We decided to continue writing and recording, and so started working remotely with producer Lewis Gardiner (Prides, Ellie Goulding) during the first lockdown. We recorded 10 songs in total, so we were really pleased with our output. We also did a few online performances, the most notable one was being invited by Levi’s to be part of their online sessions called ‘Stay Home, Stay Connected’.
Outside of music, we worked really hard on creating and launching a website for a dog rescue called Pico’s Pack that we’re involved with. We are part of the UK Support Team, actively fundraising each month to save abandoned and abused dogs in Serbia.
What is the first thing you’re going to do when you’re out of Lockdown?
Both: Visit our family and friends! That’s top of the list.
Marissa: I have a new nephew I haven’t seen in person yet so I’m desperate to see him.
Caroline: I also miss going to book shops and art galleries. I’m excited to just potter around and experience other creative outlets again.
What are some of your favourite up and coming bands from Scotland?
We really love Lucia and the Best Boys, Swim School and an incredible solo artist called Tamzene.
What’s a few songs that you listen to and think “God, I wish I wrote this”?
Caroline: Pretty much any hit song from the 80s! It was definitely an era for hit pop songs that are still with us to this day, standing the test of time. Probably ‘The Whole of the Moon’ by The Waterboys or ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas’ by Band Aid.
Marissa: It has to be Fallin’ by Alicia Keys, and pretty much any song by Carole King.
How do you think the gig scene in Scotland is going to look in 2021?
It’s really hard to say at this point in time, but hopefully by the time most of us have had our vaccines, we’ll be able to resume full capacity gigs and festivals. In the meantime, we may have to produce some sort of vaccine proof before being able to perform or attend a gig. There may still be social distancing in smaller venues which may feel strange to begin with, but we all just have to adapt and make the best of things. It may also be tricky to get gig bookings for a while as artists and bands will be queuing up to play.
For those who aren’t familiar with your music, how would you describe it?
Anthemic pop tunes with loads of harmony!
What is the best musical advice you’ve ever been given?
Always listen to the sound engineer when they tell you to put your fingers in your ears ☺
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