Interview: Elisabeth Webb, Beyond The Valley.

 

Elisabeth Webb is a folk singer-songwriter brought up in The Valleys of South Wales, currently showcasing music from her debut extended play, Fly, which was released in January 2016. Before a run of upcoming gigs, and a performance on BBC Radio Wales.

Michael Eden caught up with Elisabeth to discuss her influences, her love of the guitar, her life experiences and how they have shaped her music.

Who were your biggest musical influences growing up?

I was brought up around music, mainly from my father, who taught me everything about folk music, and cemented my love for songwriters such as Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan and Cat Stevens.  Their music would be around me throughout my childhood. At the age of 14, I found a soprano voice and my dad taught me to play his guitar and told me to follow my dreams.

Tragedy was to hit Elisabeth’s life in February 2015 when her father passed away suddenly at the age of 65, and that heartache has played a part in influencing her music.

Your music deals with a lot of personal things from your life, do you find writing about it helps you?

Most definitely, getting your feelings out there, in song, stops you bottling things up. I always think the best ideas come from your own experiences. The song Vienna in particular, touches on my relationship with my father, his love of the city, and our plans to travel there together which we didn’t get to fulfil.

My music is driven by my father’s love of folk music and by my desire to keep his memory alive. I was left my fathers’ Simon & Patrick acoustic guitar and I love nothing more than to write songs with it in the surroundings of our family home in Abertillery, South Wales.

How are you influenced by these surroundings and where you were brought up?

I am so lucky to be surrounded by so much beauty, whenever I get the chance I take my guitar down to the lake and just play. I have written a lot of my songs that way, it’s a great way of emptying your mind of everything else that is going on.

Whenever I am away for any length of time, I am always drawn back here.

You also spend a lot of your time gigging in London and Cardiff.

Yes I split my time between the South Wales Valleys, Cardiff and London, where I often play at Proud Camden, a venue famous for hosting Amy Winehouse and other names such as Pete Doherty, Calvin Harris, Jessie J and the Stereophonics too!

Proud Camden is a fantastic place, I absolutely love performing there. Following in the footsteps of such great performers is a huge privilege.

You are constantly writing new songs are there plans on releasing more songs?

I am hoping to get some more of my music out there as soon as I can, alongside performing the songs that I have already released. Writing and performing my music is what I love to do.

Elisabeth is playing at the following venues in the next few weeks

Saturday 21^st May – Proud Camden, London www.proudcamden.com

Sunday 29^th May 2pm  Salt Bar Cardiff Bay

Sunday 29^th May 7pm  Nos Da Hotel and Bar, Cardiff

Sunday 5^th June  BBC Radio Wales, Cardiff

Listen to Elisabeth’s EP Fly on

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/elisabeth_webb

Apple Music: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/fly-ep/id1072014417

Interview and Photography by Michael Eden