With musicianship reaching far from either side of middle C, Liz Davinci clearly thinks outside the proverbial box on the EP Contraband. The title track has a bit of an electronic Kraftwerk-ish feel, while “Black Is The Color” communicates more traditional music leanings. Meanwhile, the latest single from Davinci’s five song collection, “Said I Wanna,” is almost like a 3:37 rock suite complete with changing times and texture.
A singer, songwriter and pianist extraordinaire, Davinci’s voice is beautiful and edgy in almost an experimental Tori Amos meets Kate Bush kind of way. Other times, although complex, a pop music flavor tag may be in order. Originally released May 25th, 2019, Contraband reflects the California-raised, German-based musician’s intuition and ambition. Compared to 2017’s EEEEP, Contraband has a slightly bigger presence but is just as electronically inspired, if not more. Either way, composition and performance are the mainstays of Davinci’s style.
All things considered, Contraband probably falls under the headings of alternative, independent and progressive, but is not limited by just those descriptions. Listen closely for the wider-ranging use of instruments in Davinci’s music. Also, be sure to check out the artist’s YouTube mini-video projects of one minute or less.
An Interview with Liz Davinci
Musicinterviewmagazine.com spoke to Liz Davinci about listening to personal instinct, Contraband, EEEEP and other projects.
Tell us a bit about your background and training.
Liz Davinci: I started classical piano lessons at the age of eight and have always loved to sing. I studied piano performance and composition at the University of California and Music Conservatory in The Netherlands and have been writing pop songs for the past four years or so.
How much does intuition play a role in your music?
I would say that intuition is the driving force in my music. Through writing lots of songs, I have come to the conclusion that allowing the mind free whilst improvising has led to the best songs. That doesn’t mean I publish them literally as they intuitively arrive, but rather, the more songs I write, the better I get at capturing those magical moments that happen in an improvisation and preserving them in a song that I develop and reflect on.
The title track to Contraband has a bit of synth-wave moodiness, almost an electronic feel, compared to the current single, “Said I Wanna.” How do you see yourself musically?
“Contraband” and “Said I Wanna” are products of two totally different methods of songwriting for me and it is clearly audible that they are two different animals. I don’t subscribe nor limit myself to any style or genre. I see my music as an exploration and I love to follow inspiration. So, if rap is inspiring me immensely, I will try to go there in my songwriting, or if a piano solo piece is knocking on my mind, I will go there. That goes for any mood, genre or idea.
Piano rich with beautiful vocals and a traditional lyric, what was the inspiration including “Black Is The Color” in the Contraband collection?
At first I didn’t think that “Black is the Color” belonged on the EP Contraband because it is so pianistic and is a solo piece, but for exactly those reasons I changed my mind and put it on. My hope is that it provides some variety for the ear and an emotional experience as well.
We have to ask, what is the meaning to the recently re-released EP titled EEEEP?
EEEEP stands for Eclectic Electronic Excited EP. Prior to EEEEP I had mainly written and played solo piano songs and EEEEP was a place where I ventured into many different worlds of sound, collaboration, electronics and experimentation.
Word is you are working on a new album and maybe a video. Can you talk a little about the projects?
Yes, that’s exactly what I am doing. After having done several smaller releases I feel it is time to make a second album. I have already recorded three songs for the album, but it will be some time before the album releases. I have a number of side projects and collaborations going on, so I will still be active in the meantime.
As for the world of video, I have always made my own music videos and just recently it has become a lot more fun. The next video release will be for “Harvest Time” from the EP Contraband and then I think thereafter I will make videos for both “Contraband” and “I just,” so that each song from the EP has a video.
For more about Liz Davinci, please visit:
___________________________________________________________________
Paul Wolfle is the publisher of musicinterviewmagazine.com and a web-based journalist who has written for several popular sites. Paul has a passion for connecting with a diversity of musicians who are looking to grow a positive presence on the World Wide Web.
Music Interview Magazine® 