Eloise Viola Talks Debut Album, Her Voice And More

London-based singer, songwriter and vocal powerhouse Eloise Viola will release her debut album ‘Glasshouse’ on 10th May 2024. She kindly chatted to JLTT about the new record, her voice and more:

 Your debut album ‘Glasshouse’ is released on May 10th 2024. How did you want to approach the making of the album?

I started writing the songs for Glasshouse a couple of years ago, although at the time I didn’t know I was writing songs for an album. Looking back, I can now see how these separate, unconnected ideas with their own stories and lessons came together to form what is now the album.

I wrote the song ‘Delicate’ first. I loved how that song was written, the storytelling in the verses and the empowering choruses, as well as the 80s synth feel with modern dance spin on it. ‘Delicate’ set a new bar for my songs, I then decided that every song had to give me that same feeling or I wasn’t going to release it. I then had six or seven songs together and we knew it was time to put them together into an album.

Where did you record the album and who produced it?

I wrote Glasshouse with a huge number of people, producing, writing and recording across London, LA and Nashville, which is something that feels really exciting.

Creating an album has been a totally new experience for me, and one that has brought a whole load of new challenges. One of them has been making sure the songs sound different and each tell a different story, but also making sure that the record sounds like a cohesive body of work. I think we’ve managed to do this and I feel really lucky to have worked with and learned from such a range of people. I think this is one of the reasons why this album has been so special is that it involves such a diverse range of collaborators, with so many different background, experiences and approaches to their creativity.

 Who did you collaborate with on the album?

I am genuinely so grateful for how many different people I worked with on this album, particularly those who helped me to develop my vision and then also implement it. I learnt so much along the way.

You are given the opportunity to write the score for a film adaptation of a novel that you enjoy. Which novel is it and why?

I love this question! I really love reading and have felt so inspired by stories and so this would definitely be a dream of mine. I think I would choose “‘Sorrow and Bliss” by Meg Mason. It’s one of those books I wish I could read again for the first time. I think it’s really a story about self-exploration, unpacking traumatic experiences, working to understand yourself and your way of thinking and I think it’s something that’s not spoken about a lot and I really resonate with. This has inspired me, maybe I will write about this next!

Do you have any favoured stage instruments, effects, pedals, microphones etc?

I started using a wireless mic a couple of years ago and it was a real game changer. It has meant I am able to move so much more on stage and this had led to a complete change in how I perform and I now I will never go back.

Where is your hometown and could you please describe it in five words?

Home “town” is generous. I grew up outside of a tiny village of a just thousand population in West Sussex. The five words I would use are: small, countryside, home and very English.

Do you have any interesting, funny or memorable stories from the album recording sessions?

I think working with so many people, and a lot of people I hadn’t ever met before writing particular songs has meant there are so many interesting perspectives and funny things that have happened. You will have to listen to my podcast to hear them…

Do you have any plans for live shows in Europe/UK in 2024?

Yes! My album launch party is going to be in London in early May which I am really excited about. We’ve worked really hard to create a real ‘show’ and get over the meaning of the songs through the live production and set up, not just through the lyrics, so this is something I am very much looking forward to as it feels like a true demonstration of the album. I have other dates but I can’t share this yet so watch this space!

You have released your new single ‘Delicate’. What is the inspiration/story behind the song?

The writing process of ‘Delicate’ was a different one. I feel like this career is so intwined with who I am, I don’t feel I can separate the two and so when music isn’t going well, I really feel it. I wrote ‘Delicate’ in LA and at the time I was going through a complete crisis of confidence and for the first time, genuinely considering giving up music. I feel like I wrote so authentically about what I was going through that the process kick started my healing and I left feeling like I can’t give up on myself now, I’ve put too much into this and I owe it to myself to continue and push through. This song is about that – to remind yourself keep going especially when things get tough.

Which of your new album tracks hear you at your a) happiest, b) angriest and c) most reflective?

Happiest is ‘Electricity’. This song is about that feeling when there is just something in the air. Its that feeling of elation, like when the sun is out and you’re surrounded by your friends and you’re just feeling… electric.

Angriest is definitely ‘Hunger’. This song is about feeling so exhausted and angry with the constant pressure to look a certain way, and the huge toll this takes on many people’s everyday thinking and feeling so negatively about themselves. I think that even when people don’t have a diagnosed problem, we all know someone (if not ourselves), who have been constantly horrible to themselves, or maybe obsessive around food or exercise. Brands are constantly trying to sell us new ways to lose weight. It’s so pervasive and invasive. It’s not our fault we feel this way and it’s mostly down to corporate greed. I’m tired of it.

Reflective is ‘Easy’. This song takes you to two different moments in my life. The opening lyric ‘silent screaming underwater’ always puts me right back to my lowest points and immediately reminds me of that darkness. The chorus is then the point of making a decision to do something different to pull myself out of it. The opening verse really describes how I felt at that time, and I reflect immediately on how far I’ve come and what I did to change my thinking: go a bit easier on myself.

Was it a difficult album to write?

The album describes a lot of the lessons I’ve learnt and stories throughout my twenties. I also feel like it is an accumulation of everything I’ve built with my entire music career; how to song write, how I write best and what works for me, what I want to say with my lyrics, building my confidence in my songwriting and being able to ask for what I want in the production, and understanding who I am and what I want to say. So in short – yes!

How do you look after your voice?

I have a pretty rigorous vocal workout. I’ve designed it so I warm up but also workout my voice every time, I have found building this to combine the two is a good way to ensure I work out my voice as well as just warm it up, as life often gets in the way and pushing my voice with exercises always seems to be the bottom of the priority list. I also have sprays, a steamer, teas and a vocal straw… I pretty much have everything you can think of to make sure I don’t damage or lose my voice, as it can be completely debilitating and take a very long time to recover!

Who are some of your musical influences? Do you have any recommendations?

I have found I am influenced by anything I hear that moves me. It’s not very rock and roll and sounds very business-like, but I now kind of organise these in my mind as influences for different parts of my project; so I may have influences on my voice, and different ones for songwriting and then more for production. I try and separate to try and pinpoint exactly what’s really inspiring me.

The album will be accompanied by a multi-episode podcast ‘Glasshouse: Laid Bare’. Could you please tell us what the podcast will discuss in terms of themes/topics?

My goal with the podcast is to go against all the content we are bombarded with online, which seems to be encouraging ultra-short attention spans and has evolved to be so top line it often feels devout of any meaning or depth. I often feel like I can’t fully explain my songs online, as thirty seconds or a minute is just not long enough to explore all the issues involved, and that’s why I’ve created Glasshouse; Laid Bare.

My hope is to give listeners a glance behind the curtain of what it’s like being an independent artist, by discussing the process and meanings of all the songs with producers and writers on the album, including a billboard number one songwriter. The songs touch on a lot of issues I’ve experienced, and I think a lot of other people experience on a day-to-day basis, including body image, building confidence and the pressures associated with constantly being online. The podcast explores these issues in context of Glasshouse, with experts that have unique insights into these issues including a dietician, eating disorders counsellor and celebrity red carpet stylist.

What makes Eloise Viola happy and what makes you unhappy?

Sourdough toast with a ‘do you want some toast with that’ amount of butter, and the term heroin chic.

Feature Image Photo Credit: Supplied By Wilful Publicity

Eloise Viola’s debut album ‘Glasshouse’ is released on Friday 10th May 2024 and will be available digitally and on Vinyl.

Digital Pre Order: https://onerpm.link/Glasshouse-Eloise-Viola 

Vinyl Pre-Order: https://www.diggersfactory.com/vinyl/315101/eloise-viola-glasshouse

The single ‘Delicate’ is out now. Stream/Download here: https://lnk.to/EVDelicate 

In addition, Eloise Viola will perform a full-band album launch show on Thursday 2nd May 2024 at The Slaughtered Lamb, London, United Kingdom.

Tickets are onsale now here: https://www.eventim.co.uk/event/eloise-viola-album-launch-show-the-slaughtered-lamb-18364396/?affiliate=LA1

For more information visit her official website: https://www.eloiseviola.com/