Eva Prouse
Wellington musician Eva Prowse has just released her sophomore solo album Humid Nights. She talks to Mike Alexander.
Eva Prowse’s Humid Nights is inspired by the awkwardness of life and music software, growing up in the 80s, 90s and today, drunken fights in hot countries, small towns and big cities, bad decisions and instant regret.
Why did you choose Humid Nights as the title?
Because it’s the title of the first song which kinda sets the tone ... It also represents the transition that I was going through when most of the album was written – transitioning from living in London to attempting a more quiet suburbanish life back in New Zealand – travelling through southeast Asia (where the song is set) on the way home was the transition period between those two lives ... and I still feel I’m best suited somewhere between the two.
Many of the songs appear to have been inspired by your travels overseas?
Yeah, see above! I think I was pretty darn bored being back in New Zealand when I first got back and didn’t have much to do, so was pining after some more exciting times past, travelling through Asia, Russia – oh, and exciting times on TV – the shows The Wire and Game of Thrones both inspired songs on the album!
What makes you happy?
Humid Nights! Being the whitest girl alive I love being in hot weather where sunscreen is not required.
As a musician what comes first – the words or the music?
Music, then words that make no sense, then music, then a theme, then words that sort of make sense, then music again.
Love The Wannabe, your homage to the Spice Girls, what makes you uncool?
My taste in music ... I dunno, I guess being ‘uncool’ seems far more fun and interesting to me than being ‘cool’ – which seems to be about conforming here in New Zealand. The uncool kid in this song is totally used to not fitting in and has some sass about it: she would still rather be herself than the flash babe she is singing about.
Who was the artist who inspired Favourite Fan and what disappointed you about the album in question?
Oh gosh, well you see broadly speaking the song is about fan backlash: how we all completely adore a certain artist and listen to all their songs, watch all their movies and then backlash ensues – they become over saturated, the quality of the work seems lacking, we become sick of them and can’t stand them anymore and so along comes the next icon to replace them (just ask Anne Hathaway ... and Taylor Swift) ... but yeah, there are a few artists I think of in particular when I sing it.
What are your tour plans?
I’m not very good at touring ... But I have some loose plans to: I’ll be doing a hometown show in Wellington in November and then some shows over summer around the place. I’d like to head up to Auckland to play and see some mates, and then I want to go and play in Christchurch at the Space Academy because my delightful friends run it and I haven’t been there since it opened!