Listen Up: Elviin

By London_Phil Last edited 178 months ago
Listen Up: Elviin

Elviin
Elviin

The latest soul sensation to hit the airwaves, Elviin looks set to become one of 2009's success stories. Inspired by his St Lucian parents' Caribbean records, he counts Jack Penate as one of his friends and has been on tour supporting Gary Go and VV Brown recently. The Guardian named him as one of their new artist of the day, so fingers crossed he's not another artist destined to become bland background music.

We were fortunate enough to sit down with Elviin recently to let him introduce himself...

Hello Elviin. What are you up to at the moment?

Aside from gigging, I'm writing songs for other artists and going to do some collaborative tracks.

What do you reckon you sound like?

I think I sound like my last song.

On songwriting - how does it start for you? Lyrical concept? A riff? Turn of phrase? Or a drug fuelled orgy that results in a great song?

The person who partakes in a drug fuelled orgy and just so happens to be a songwriter would be onto a good thing! Can you imagine the video? In fact, forget imagining...I'm gonna organise one right now!

Before going on stage, do you have any rituals?

Just to relax really. I always see it as the calm before the storm. I do dance around a lot on stage despite being chained to a piano so makes sense to save all my energy for showtime.

Where are you from originally, and what does London do better?

My parents were born in St.Lucia I was born here. Londoners know who we are better! We're just doing our own thing if the world catches on...lucky them! Oh yeh and Indian food!

What London location has been the most significant in your musical career?

Each home my songs were written in - I've moved twice in 2 years so they have to be up there on that list.

What's your favourite London venue and why?

Hoxton Bar and Grill - great size venue and people songs seem to go down well every time I play there! But now I've jinxed that so...won't be playing there again. Oh yeh, they do amazing burgers there!!! :)

Can you think of a cool London location that would be amazing to do a gig at?

The place/balcony overlooking regent street where celebs switch on the lights from. Or a capsule on The London Eye.

What about somewhere a bit more grubby - have you ever busked?

I'd love to play where the buskers do on the tube! In fact that'll be my 'cool' location No.1

I haven't had to busk before but never say never - it's a scarily fragile industry right now.

And finally what's your London secret?

That down the road from me actually lives a Bernard Manning lookalike....and for some reason he can't stand me either! Strange.

Last Updated 24 May 2009