In the spotlight – Ederlezi

In the spotlight – Ederlezi

London (UK) based duo Ederlezi consists of two artists who each have a busy career of their own as well: guitarist/bass player/singer David Page, who plays with Jonathan Jeremiah and Young Gun Silver Fox to name a few, and singer/piano player Hannah Nicholson, who toured with Ellie Goulding – she even performed as a backing singer at Prince William’s wedding. The duo live aboard their beloved Dutch barge Ederlezi – hence their stage name – where they write, produce and record their music.

Do you remember the moment you decided you were going to pursue music as a career?

Hannah: “I starting taking part in regional and county singing competitions from a young age. The success led me to pursue a career in singing.”

David: “I grew up watching my dad play bass and sing in bands. He was always an inspiration to me. From this early introduction to all things music, my obsession with the guitar was born.”

Have you always written songs or is it a skill you’ve developed alongside playing in bands?

Hannah: “I started writing songs at University, my confidence grew, I found I had something to say, and a need to express myself.”

David: “Songwriting grew organically, from playing in bands and collaborating with other musicians and like minded people.”

You both have quite some experience in the music industry. What do you know now that you wish you would’ve known when you were starting off?

David: “I still feel the same as I did when I was younger, but there have been moments of worry about stability as the industry is notoriously fickle. My advice to a younger me, and to people starting out would be to ‘stay on the bus, don’t get off’.”

Hannah: “I would tell myself not to chase acclaim, make the music you really want to make and don’t deviate.”

What qualities do you admire in other artists?

Hannah: “In terms of songwriters, I admire strong melodic sensibility. I find the melodic development and form in the writing of Scott Walker and Roy Orbisson mesmerising. The golden age of songwriters like Rogers and Hammerstein also are a huge influence.”

David: “I admire a person’s interpretation through their instrument. Artists who can play with abandon and fearlessly be brave in the moment.”

What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?

“The character of our music is eclectic really, as a duo we both bring our own taste and influence.”

Hannah: “David brings psychedelic rock tendencies, and I bring a story telling element to the mix. Our sound is somewhere between Ennio Morricone and Lee Hazelwood with Nancy Sinatra possibly on a boat in 1968.”

Could you describe your creative processes? How do you usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song?

“We write separately sometimes and other times together. We take each other’s unfinished ideas and rework them, fine tune etc. Then come together to find the right soundscape.”

Do you draw inspiration from poems, music, film etc.?

Hannah: “I love poetry and spoken word. I do take inspiration from the likes of Dylan Thomas and Tomas Hardy. We both adore music from the 60’s, Jefferson Airplane, The Walker Brothers, Ennio Morricone and the old Western soundtracks which David grew up with.”

Let’s talk about your newest single ‘Buried Words’. What was the inspiration for this song?

“It was written as a protest song in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. There is also a personal element to the song, as our family have felt the effects of racism and discrimination.”

Where do you think you are happiest – in the studio recording new music, on stage performing or elsewhere – your boat maybe?

“Tough to answer that, we both find joy in many different areas of our lives. The boat has been a wonderful addition to our lives, the adventure of setting sail and heading off with everything we need is magical.”

“Neither of us could imagine life without performing! It’s what we love!”

What do you like to do when you’re not making music? Do you have any other creative talents?

“We love to travel, that’s why music and touring is so wonderful.”

Hannah: “I love to read and draw. David loves making music videos and playing music with various artists.”

If you could change one thing in the music industry, what would that be?

“I do think that it’s quite a corrupt industry, the streaming revenue for an artist is so poor and demoralising, it makes it incredibly difficult to make a living from music alone.”

You released your debut single ‘Run Run Run’ in January. Now that the year is almost over, how would you say that 2022 has treated you? What were some goals that you had for 2022?

“We wanted to put our music out into the world, and we have! We didn’t have any expectations really, other than to play our music live, and release it.”

As we look ahead to 2023, what can fans expect? Are we leading into potentially an EP or an album? What’s in store?

“We will be releasing an album and another single or two. We plan to get on with album two!”

“And so some more touring!”

What’s your favourite song from the Cool Top 20 and why?

“I like ‘Whisper in the Dark’ by Sophie Dorsten, beautiful sultry voice, and I’m a sucker for a 6/8 song.”

What song would you like to add as a bonus track and why?

“The artist we would like to add as a bonus track is: Later Youth – Nuclear Love.”

David: “A great friend and artist that Hannah has performed with for years. We’re big fans of his music.”

(Photos by Sarah Howells)

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