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Featuring topics on family, spiritual-awakening and addiction recovery, London based songstress Espa recently dropped the ‘LG60′ EP. Her creative energy clearly spilled into all facets of the project. Soulful R&B vibes are exuded throughout the EP, however her sonic goodness was never confined by one musical style.
GroundSounds recently caught up with Espa to talk about her latest project, musical inspirations and more, check out the exclusive interview below.
For those just discovering Espa, can you tell us a little bit about your background and how you got started with music?
I was born into a dynasty of terrifyingly successful musicians. However, this didn’t stop me spending the first 14 years of my life resenting my family for the lifestyle that being a musician brought us all; late nights, touring, tiredness, premature growing up. Eventually I fell head over heels in love with the music of the Rat Pack and the big bands of the 50’s/60’s. It was a slippery slope from there on.
What do you enjoy most about London? What is one thing every visitor should see or do?
I love london’s dry humour, unapologetic ambition and eclectic art scene. There is amazing music, theatre, art and dance pouring out of every cobbled street and what seems to be a new strand of each medium popping up each week! It’s hard to keep up with it all. I would suggest that every visitor checks out the tate modern for art, The Voretx Jazz Club for some obscure local music and the Wild Food Cafe for unthinkably creative raw vegan food!
Can you tell us about working on and bringing your EP ‘LG60’ to fruition?
I never set out writing music with the intention of it being for a particular project or series. Each track came about with a different producers on different days, yet they seemed to gel well with each other whilst showcasing my influences from a variety of different genres. I’m constantly writing, either alone or with a collaborator, and therefore always curating playlists of my music, putting them into categories and on a timeline, it’s quite fun actually! That’s how LG60 came about, and that’s what will happen with all my future projects.
What made you decide on the EP name LG60?
LG60 (AKA Lower Ground 60) is the basement classroom which I spent my 4 years of college inhabiting, honing my craft and learning all sorts of life lessons. Although the Ep isn’t exclusively linked to my time at college, the four tracks are all stories from that chapter of my life.
Can you tell us about the writing and creative process involved with your track “Pray For Me?”
I arrived at this very dodgy, toilet-less, studio in the northest of north london to work with the talented Producer; ‘J Hoskins’, he’d previously sent me the beat and on the bus I hummed along to it and pretty much, the whole of the melody for Pray For Me fell out of my mouth in one go. The lyrics came just as quick. It was clearly a song that needed to be written, and I was only aware of it once it had happened. Writing and recording this tune was incredibly therapeutic for me, and it really shone light on a dark situation in my life. I truly believe that as artists we cannot take full credit for our work, we are simply a channel, its especially clear when writing a song that is super flowing, as this one was. Fun, and a bit spooky too!
What is it about the soulful R&B sound that attracts you to this sonic landscape?
I grew up on jazz music from the 40’s and 50’s, Dexter Godron, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinartra. These artists were my first love. It was a natural progression for me to move over to the ‘jazz’ of my day and age; loose, creative R&B (Erkykah, D’angelo, J Dilla, Thundercat, SZA). It’s a timeless and freeing sound. However, I won’t stay in the sound-world forever, but will always tip my hat to it.
What musicians/bands are you currently listening to?
Uk artist ‘Dornik’, signed to trend setting label PMR, he’s got a lush disco/r&b sound that will make you think of MJ’s more obscure tunes. Thundercat’s new stuff… and old stuff too. I will always spin TC, he blows my mind, there’s endless layers to his music to tap into! His work on Pimp a Butterfly is second to none, the man can do no wrong! I would looove to collaborate with him one day.
Can you tell us about the inspiration for your track “Four Walls?”
‘Four Walls’ is a nostalgic dedication to my childhood home. I have personified it in what could be interpreted as a kind of ‘break-up song’. The truth is, until my parents packed up and left one day, leaving me no chance to say ‘goodbye’, I didn’t consider that I would have any feeling attached to leaving a building behind! It’s a strange phenomenon to know that you’ll never again step in to the house that you became ‘you’ in. Production on this track comes from the fresh UK band, HUGH (soundcloud.com/hughlovehugh), they have such an inventive and unique sound, I adore the glittery mix of guitars and synths on this track.
What’s next for Espa, what can fans look forward to?
Some very exciting collaborations in the pipeline. One in particular with my long standing producer, Erick Arc Elliot, myself and an iconic UK rapper. Get ready for that one! out mid fall.
