Eva Popov is a Melbourne musician who recently released her debut long player “Me, the Sea & Stars”. I had originally lined her up as part of my interview series of Australian musicians over on A Free Man. When I started to do some research for my interview, however, I realized that there was a lot more to Eva than just an Australian pop musician. She fell pregnant during the recording of her first EP and has since been mixing music with motherhood. In February she won the nationwide Triple J Fuse Festival Competition. Eva was kind enough to take the time to answer some questions about her music, her homeland and her Maysie.

AFM: I know you’ve had some classical training. How has that helped (or hindered) in the transition to popular music?

EP: It has helped me develop a range in terms of my guitar style and writing practice as playing piano forces you to experiment with different styles and eras – so I try and approach each song differently and stretch my range all the time. It also helped with using chords and fingerpicking which I fall back on a lot. It has hindered me I think by developing an attitude to music which often had a lot of stress in it – I was quite a stressed classical pianist and always wanted to impress people. It’s taken a bit of undoing to just let things be and trust that the music will come through in the form it needs to take.

AFM: You make frequent references to the sea in your music. What else inspires you to write songs?

EP: A lot of questions – these days I see writing songs as being a conversation with the undercurrents that push us to live in particular ways – looking at the causes behind things, the unspoken motivation. So whether that be relationships, spirituality, fear of death, I use songs as a way to cut through the every day and invite those things to come and explain themselves.

AFM: I love the strings in your music. Your violinist, Melisa Collins, seems to be able to switch at will from a classical style to Appalachian fiddling. Where did you find her?

EP: Mel is gold. I did a self management course for musicians and she was there learning how to manage her band “The Restless”. She had a harmonium and I liked that. It took us a couple of years to play together. She also does back up vocals and plays mandolin and generally keeps me on track. She is also a classically trained rebel and extremely intuitive and sensitive.

AFM: I recently became a father and am on a mission to find great music that my son actually likes. I know that you’ve a young child as well. What kind of music to you play for her?

EP: Little May, or Maisy is now a toddler. I play my own music to her and she’s learning the words, but she also enjoys Feist (and sings along) and Sweet Honey in the Rock (acapella women’s voices work well). Her face lights up when I put on music and she starts dancing, her taste is slightly more upbeat then mine.

AFM: Did your musical style change after you became a mother?

EP: Making music became a whole lot easier after becoming a mother. After creating and giving birth to a HUMAN, songs seemed like not such a big deal and started flowing more easily. It put me in touch with the creative process and let me trust it. I was working really hard before that when I didn’t need to be. Having said that I am writing a lot more three chord songs now because I don’t have hours and hours to practice guitar anymore. I have a feeling the next album will be a lot more based on arrangements and colour rather than the internal complexity of the songs.

AFM: Has Little May shown any musical inclinations?

EP: She loves music. She’s a great dancer and singer and she’s sixteen months old. She sings constantly.

AFM: How do you balance parenthood and working as a performing musician?

EP: With difficulty. I think childcare is the answer. Or sing while you push the pram. Or stay up late. A lot of my admin is done at one am. I think there’s better ways though.

AFM: You recently released your debut LP “Me, the Sea and the Stars”. What’s the reception been like? Any nibbles from record companies?

No record companies, but that would be helpful. The radio airplay for the album has been fantastic and has surprised me but because I am self managed and also a full time mother there’s only so much I can do and I am doing my best. I am also a lot more interested in the writing and singing than in the fame and fortune. So the progress that is being made is simultaneously fantastic and slow.

AFM: You won a nationwide competition to get a chance to play at the Fuse Festival in Adelaide in February. How did that go? We’re on our way down to make our home in Adelaide. What’s your impression of that city?

EP: That was a wonderful adventure. Three days of taxis, a hotel, a show, interview on Triple J (the main alternative radio station in Australia), VIP drinks, and listening to Music industry delegates give lots of wonderful independent musicians advice. Adelaide was fantastic when we were there. There is festival season in Adelaide and we were there then, and it was alive and arty and not too big and just felt vibrant. Dry though. Looks like it is suffering Australia’s changing climate.

AFM: What’s happening musically in Melbourne? What other artists from your hometown should we be paying attention to?

EP: Let’s see. Nick Huggins who produced the album is incredible and works with a wonderful collection of musicians. He is a songwriter, there’s Kid Sam, Hazel Brown, Manny Fox Hangman’s Club, Cilla Jane, Lamplight, Emma Tonkin, Sal Kimber is about to release a debut album. In the big league there’s Grand Salvo, Machine Translations, Laura Jean, Clare Bowditch, But Melbourne has SO MUCH MUSIC!

AFM: Fantasy time – if you could take over as the lead singer for any band, active or not, who would it be?EP: In my fantasy I am either . . .
A very high energy vocally versatile performer who can do what Harry Angus does (Cat Empire) –
Or someone like Erykah Badu. Or Lauren Hill. Like the Fugees.
Kind of far removed from what I do, but man would I like to be able to do that.

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Thanks, Eva, for talking the time for a virtual chat! If you like her music, you can order her new album, “Me, the Sea & Stars” from her MySpace page.

 
icon for podpress  Eva Popov - "Carry This Love" [5:41m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 
icon for podpress  Eva Popov - "Exit Door" [4:37m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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