| Eliza Blue: Mother Earth |
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| Written by Andrea Myers | |
| Thursday, October 11, 2007 at 02:37 AM | |
 Eliza Blue - Photo by Lucia Bonacci Eventually, the cat returns, fur matted from the rain, and the mood of the house relaxes. The cats and two dogs circle the area of the kitchen where we are meeting, waiting expectantly for food and attention, as the smell of chicken casserole fills the air and Eliza offers more than once to feed me. A long, wild mane of blond hair flows down her back and her gaze is calming, and more than once during our interview I glean a "Mother Earth" vibe off the young woman and her home's warm ambiance. Much like her new banjo-soaked folk album, Screen Doors and Back Doors, Blue is cosmic, welcoming and forthcoming. "I'm basically always trying to feed people," she laughs, pouring me a glass of wine. We chat about her album and songwriting process, and it's clear that Blue's innate ability to create a warm, friendly ambiance at home is integral to the way she crafts intimate, personal folk songs. "I was always singing, and making up my own songs," she explains. "I liked singing so much, and I wanted to be able to play an instrument that I could also sing and play." After learning a few chords on acoustic guitar, Blue started writing her own lyrics and trying to accompany herself. "It was a big challenge," she admits, as her love for singing overtook her desire to learn more complex patterns on the guitar. Though she played violin for years, it wasn't until she picked up the banjo last year the she was really able to open up as an acoustic songwriter. "I just love it," she says of the banjo. "It's such a great instrument. And I was practicing it so much that my rhythm just got better." Screen Doors and Back Doors is heavy on guitar and banjo, and Blue's simple vocal melodies and melancholy lyrics are punctuated perfectly by the simplicity of her plucked string instrumentation. With major influences that include Gillian Welch and Leonard Cohen, it's no surprise that Blue is drawn to a no-frills style of songwriting that is more poetic than technical. She says of Cohen that she "aspires to write songs like him more than anybody else. I love that he was a poet first... I think that's maybe why I ignored the guitar at first, too. I was just like, if you have great lyrics, that's the most important thing. I really connected to that more." Her latest album, which is arguably either her first or second full-length ("I'm not really an album person," she laughs, explaining that her first recording was more of a way of getting songs out into the ether than unleashing a finished product to the public), is a delicate, lyrically mature delving into thoughtful acoustic songwriting. Alternating between more traditional banjo-laden tunes and her own heartstring-grasping, somber folk storytelling, Screen Doors and Back Doors is a glimpse into a world of songwriting that is continually developing. Honest and heartfelt, Blue's album is a lovely offering from one of the Cities' most promising up-and-coming folk singers. Eliza Blue website Eliza Blue MySpace page UP NEXT: Eliza Blue plays a CD release show at the 7th Street Entry with Roma di Luna and Unguided this Friday, October 12. 8 p.m. $6. 21+. |
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| Last Updated: Thursday, October 11, 2007 at 10:12 AM |
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