A fascinating new artist whose music redefines the crossover genre. Drawing influence from myth, legend, and fantasy, as well as our own human nature; she will transport you into another world… From an idyllic, leafy Yorkshire upbringing and a lifetime dedicated to classical training. Her sound resonates from London painting a classically beautiful melody for the ears of the listener.
Interview Meikee Magnetic
What part of the world were you born and where do you reside today?
I was born in a beautiful historic town called York in North Yorkshire (England), and I stayed in that area until I left to go to The Royal Academy of Music in London when I was nineteen. For several years after that I was just living in London, but now I split my time between London and a very picturesque village called Dedham in East Anglia. Being in the big city is always very exciting, but my heart belongs to the countryside so I love to escape there every so often…
At what age did you discover your musical gift and tell us about that moment?
There wasn’t really a specific moment. I think it was obvious to my parents from the age of three that I loved music, and singing and dancing, and they encouraged that supported me right from the start. I actually started to attend a local performing arts school, Kirkham Henry Performing Arts, when I was four years old, and some of my earliest memories as a very young girl are of feeling intense jealousy for the older girls who were taking the lead parts in the various productions I performed in; I couldn’t wait until it was my turn!
What inspires you to do what you do?
I don’t know how to describe it; it’s almost elemental. Sometimes it feels like I can’t help but write music. For me it’s the most natural conduit for the wellspring of emotions that I feel, and nothing gives me a greater thrill than making a strong connection with my fans. My recent hit on YouTube with ‘Song Of Durin’ provoked some very passionate responses, and this sort of feedback for an artist like myself is a huge inspiration in itself.
You Draw influence from myth, legend, and fantasy, as well as our own human nature. What draws you to this realm?
To me, myths and legends are a distillation of human experiences and aspirations. They are inspired by great and dastardly deeds, and tales of love lost and won. They lend themselves beautifully as a source of inspiration for all forms of art and also real life actions.Somehow, we all want these stories to continue forever, and my music is part of that process. There is also the aspect of escapism, and in these difficult times, we all occasionally need to be transported to another place, or simply provided with hope, solace or joy. As an artist, if I can achieve, even in a small way, any of these things, then I will have succeeded.
The sound of Eurielle has echoes of other worldly royalty, it’s soothing and romantic. I sense years of work that went into formatting this sound. Has it been a struggle from day one or has the ride been of a more uplifting nature?
My debut album, which I’m currently preparing to release, was written and produced over a period of three years, so yes, it took a lot of time and experimenting to find the right sound for each song! Some of them, like City Of The Dead, went through several different versions before finally shaping up into a sound that we were happy with, whereas others, like Carry Me, were much easier to write. All of them though took a long time to record and produce because of the sheer amount and intricacy of the vocals and instrumentation! The whole process was one of the most thrilling things I’ve ever experienced. Now, I’m just praying that I get the opportunity to produce more albums in future, but that will come if I successfully continue to grow my audience.
Tell us about your past relationship with your mentor Chris Evans (EMI Classical, Polygram):
I was only very young when I knew Chris, but he really made a lasting impression on me. He was such a charismatic man, but he was also kind and patient. Sadly, my time with him was cut short when he passed away after a long illness, but I still think of him every so often and remember how supportive he was of my dreams. He would have been so excited and proud to see me come this far; I really miss him.
Your song ‘I’ll Be Waiting’ from your EP “The Incarnation” caught my ear immediately. I love the subtle trip hop beat and ambient romanticism you conjure for it. Can we expect more of this musical direction from you?
Yes, definitely! I’ll Be Waiting is one of my personal favorites on my album, and it’s quite unique among the rest of my songs for the fact that it does have quite a prominent percussion element to it. Funnily enough, this was one of the songs that was hardest to write; it took more than a year from its inception to being completed! I think Ryan (my producer) and I both learned a lot from it though in terms of understanding just how far we can push the boundaries of my sound, so I’m sure the next time we attempt something similar, it’ll be a bit easier.
At age 13 you were approached by Sony Music yet you turned them down to continue your musical studies. Was this a difficult decision for you to make at such a young age?
To a thirteen year old, this was always going to be a very exciting proposition, but wisdom had to prevail. My journey since then has given me a much broader skill set; my time at The Royal Academy of Music, also working with my producer then going on to write and produce my own music, has resulted in me having far greater control and autonomy over everything that I do. The entertainment industry today is dramatically different from what it was a decade ago. Without these extra skills, I wouldn’t be equipped for this modern era where its possible for an independent artist to build a fan base directly through social media.
If you could pick any artist living or deceased to work with who would that be?
From a musical perspective, that would probably have to be Michael Jackson or Mozart, but if we widen the net a little, I’d love to include Alexander McQueen who could have taken my style to a whole new level! And while we’re indulging my fantasies, could I also have Tim Burton directing my next video, and Maddie Ziegler (because she is incredible in Sia’s videos) and Sergei Polunin starring as the lead cast members please?
For your live performance what elements are you working with? Laptop? Synths? Musicians? Visuals?
I’ve nearly finished scoring all of my songs for a four-piece band and two backing singers. I’m planning to combine these live elements with the stems from my studio recordings so that I can re-create the full sound of my music in live performance. Visually, I’d like to make my performances very immersive and atmospheric with moody lighting and a combination of video backdrop, and dancers and wonderful costumes.Eventually though, I’m hoping to get to a stage where I can perform with an orchestra and a choir of backing singers. I’d love to also be able to work with the likes of Cirque du Soleil to really bring the visual side of my music to life!
On a given day what music are you listening to?
That changes all the time because there is so much new music out there to discover, but recently I’ve been really enjoying some songs by Vancouver Sleep Clinic, Tame Impala, and there’s an amazing young girl from Norway called Aurora as well. I actually saw her performing live at The Great Escape festival a fortnight ago and she was absolutely electric!Every so often though I like to dip back into some of my old favorites like Queen and Evanescence; somehow they never seem to sound old to me.
Tell us about your upcoming musical plans and preparations?
I’m busier now than I’ve ever been before; I’ve got quite a few things going on over the next few months…The main thing I’m working towards is the release of my debut album. I’m still not certain whether this will happen via a record label or independently, but either way, I’m planning to put it out within the next three months. It’s been such a roller coaster ride to get to this stage, but I’ve been gathering a lot of momentum and getting some very exciting opportunities in the past few months, so the time feels right to release it now.I’m in the middle of organizing another big video shoot as well and I’m aiming to film several different videos all in one weekend so I’ll soon have a lot of new material to release on YouTube to support my album. I’m going to be doing some quite challenging things with these next videos so I’m a little bit nervous, but the results should look really stunning if it all goes well!I’ve also got a really exciting YouTube collaboration coming up with another singer called Peter Hollens who has an amazing following. His fans connected us by requesting him to make a cover of my ‘Song Of Durin’ which he’s going to be releasing on 12th June, but we decided that it’d be great fun to do a collaboration too. We are both classically trained so our voices should work really well together. My first official sync is going to be made public soon! It’s on the 2nd trailer for a forthcoming feature film adaptation of Macbeth starring Sean Bean, Charles Dance and Rupert Grint, so I can’t wait for that. There’s a good chance that I’ll be collaborating with composer/producer, Chris Cooper on the soundtrack for the main film too which I’m very excited about! So this year holds a lot of potential for me.
What does Dark Beauty mean to you?
Dark Beauty is very much in line with the dark side of Eurielle. To me, it’s about Gothic glamour, strong character and an individual sense of style. I think it represents those who don’t follow the crowd, and who have an insouciant approach to conventional fashion. I love it for its fabulously indulgent visuals, and as a treasure trove of inspiration and discovery.
MORE INFO:
http://eurielle.com
