Born and raised in rural Massachusetts and currently living in Brooklyn, NY, Eliza Edens weaves disparate influences of people and place into her work to create mesmerizing sonic tapestries with guitar and voice. With a love for tinkering with alternate tunings à la Nick Drake, a curious harmonic ear from years of childhood classical piano lessons, and an ever-expanding affinity for words and stories, Edens’ songs build a kaleidoscopic world that documents the parallels between hope and heartbreak.
The resulting sound is a diverse palette of guitar-based, experimental folk-rock centered around Edens gently cradled voice and brimming at the edges with pockets of sonic whimsy. After cutting her teeth touring the DIY and folk circuits around the Northeast for the past few years, Edens is due to release her sophomore album We’ll Become the Flowers on October 14th.
Edens’ new song “I Needed You” is a crooked, tantalizing take on Americana. In our interview, Edens talks
Name a perfect song and tell us why you feel that way.
“I Remember Everything” by John Prine is a perfect song to me. It blends narrative and abstract songwriting really well, and also just has a gorgeous melody. The line “swimming pools of butterflies” just gets me in its whimsy and absurd imagery.
Explain the title of your album.
We’ll Become the Flowers (out Oct. 14) is truly what the words mean exactly – we’ll all go back into the dirt one day and then hopefully grow into something else beautiful. A metaphor for rebirth and holding onto hope.
How do you feel your coming out journey plays into your music?
As I’ve become more comfortable in my queer identity, I’m also becoming more comfortable in my body and occupying space on stage. The music feels less self-serious and less trying to be pretty and just more honest.
Recent release you cannot stop listening to?
Dijon’s Absolutely.
Sadurn’s Radiator.
Also a piano pandemic album that I’ve been listening to for the past two years is Shelter by Thomas Bartlett.
Is there a professional “bucket list” item you would love to check off?
Selling out Bowery Ballroom in NYC