Anita Eccleston, a Vancouver musician, is pleased to announce the release of her new Christmas track 'Long Nights.' This production is a warm holiday ballad with a laid-back jazzy sound, is rich with nostalgia for family Christmases. Anita, like many musicians last year, used music and songwriting to escape the epidemic, battling through the noise and upheaval and attempting to stay sane. Weeks and months passed, and then it was Christmastime, abruptly and slowly. The tune was mixed by Kris Ruston (Death Mountain Sound) and mastered by Chris Gestrin (Public Alley 421). And Anita collaborated with Patrick Collins (Alwaysfurther Films, This End Up, Peaches) to create the music video for the song.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Hey Anita, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What have you been up to over the past year in this big old mess?
Thanks for having me. I have been keeping busy, laying low and writing. I kept up my garden, watched livestream concerts and tried not to fret about the state of things. I worked from home, teaching trumpet lessons online, and spent time with my family. The long stretches between gigs made the few that I have had quite memorable. It was very strange to take a step back from running between gigs, however I feel that I used the time as best I could and got a bunch of compositions complete and in the works. Like many people, I have been hanging in there, trying to stay positive for the future.
Describe your favorite and least favorite part about being a musician.
My favorite thing about being a musician is that music makes me feel happy, no matter which aspect I’m working on, be it playing, singing, writing, recording, engineering, arranging or studying theory and analysis.The absolute bonus is that I simply love music and the journey it’s taking me on. When I’m not doing the above activities I am constantly listening to music. I always like to have something playing and there is so much out there to explore and enjoy.
One challenge of being a musician is managing your own production, hauling gear, that kind of thing. The office computer work can be exhausting too and draining creatively, so finding a balance has been key for me.
Your latest song is 'Long Nights'. Can you share with us the background of its creation and did any unusual things happen during its creation?
It popped out really fast. I hadn't ever considered doing any holiday music, however I love Christmas and look forward to it about as much as jazz festival season. With the stresses we as people have been under, it felt like collectively we needed the break, and the holiday cheer, more than ever, and sooner than ever. Last year, I was asked by a radio show host if I had any Christmas music recorded, and despite playing many a jazzy Christmas gig, I had nothing for him, so he had to settle for my rendition of What a Wonderful World (it is a very fair trade). He got me thinking though, about what I would write about if I did write a Christmas song, and then the spark leapt into my mind, a memory and a lyric attached to a melody. It came in bursts over the next day or so, and then I had it. So I set to work arranging it, and learning how to engineer and record in my home studio. Aside from the cello (played by Doug Gorkoff), I tracked all of the instruments myself. I even bought a set of jingle bells and a little glockenspiel to give it that Christmas touch.
Where do you get inspiration for the very original photos you post on your social media?
I feel like you are maybe asking about my bearded dragon? Her name is Rey and she is the sweetest pokey creature best friend a girl could ask for. She is an excellent listener and lets me workshop all my new songs for her. I try to include her in every few photos, a little timeline cleanser of scaley cuteness. I also love nature so when I get out and about I try to share any nice photos I get of flowers. I don’t usually post a lot–I’ve always preferred to only share the best pics that I take.
Where are you from and do you have a stable home or do you prefer travelling?
I live in Canada. I was born in Kamloops, and now reside in Vancouver. My home is very stable, I have a lovely family with my partner and Rey. I do enjoy travelling, especially to play concerts, however it has been many months since I hit the road for a show. When I vacation I prefer Hawaii. I do feel that I will travel a lot in the future, when things settle down a bit more.
How would you describe the music that you typically create?
To be completely fair, I write rather eclectically, or at least that is my history. I like too many styles of music and when songs pop out I usually feel that they draw toward a certain style, whether it is funk, reggae, blues, jazz, pop, folk, soul–it’s almost problematic. I once thought to call it Song Music, because it is not unanimously driven by a particular groove or style, but from song to song, they are all melody driven, and that’s how I would describe my style of writing.
What was your best performance in your career? How do you remember it?
A real stand out performance for me was the first time I ever stepped onto a Vancouver Jazz Festival Stage. It was June 19th, 2015 in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery and I was a guest with the Plastic Acid Orchestra for two songs. The stage was packed full of musicians, the largest ensemble they’d ever fit. The first was a song called Mirror, which I had written and arranged for the orchestra. I had made it big in sonic texture and it was such a personal song, taking a stand against abuse and rising above toxic relationships. It felt so good singing for that crowd that I felt like I could fly up off that stage. The second song was Valerie, which I had adapted and arranged from Amy Winehouse’s version with Mark Ronson, on a grand scale. I’ve felt a deep connection to Amy’s music since she came to us and then left too soon, and on that stage I could feel her smiling down on me. It was an incredible day, the Orchestra’s raw energy propelling through a diverse, textured and absolutely rocking set. And it was all captured on video, playlisted on my youtube channel, a cherished memory.
If you could go open a show for any artist, who would it be?
Fiona Apple. Her writing and musicianship have been a constant source of inspiration for me since I was a teenager. Her music is even more stylistically variable than mine, and with her latest record she taught us how to paint outside the lines, without restraint, musically or emotionally. I want my future music to give audiences that same honest, bold voice, open and vulnerable.
Who's your ideal musician to collaborate with and why?
There are several people I would love to collab with, often it’s the singer songwriters I most admire. In a practical sense I already have the best collaborator, my own twin sister Elizabeth Eccleston. We started a band in the summer of 2019 called Girl A Girl B, in tribute to our favourite band Radiohead’s Kid A and referencing our hospital bracelets at birth. We’ve been building a repertoire filled with lush twin harmonies and a rich cello counterbalance brought by Doug Gorkoff. We have plans to record the new arrangements next year. Working with my sister is like picking up on this lifetime long conversation, harkening back to the days of bunk-beds and children’s choir.
What are your plans for next year? Do you have any productions ready to be released?
I have plans to record another single in the New Year, a very special song called ‘The Prayer,’ among a few others that I wrote over the last couple of years. So expect some news of a release in the works, there will be more music coming. My fire is burning.