Having hosted prolific experimental composers William Basinski and Colin Stetson in recent months, the ACCA stage is soon to be graced by Brighton’s own Eva Lunny – a producer, musician, and composer well versed in sonically free-flowing soundscapes and neoclassical harp compositions. We caught up with Eva ahead of her show supporting Shida Shahabi this month to discuss her creative process through improvisation, her connection to the Brighton shore, and to hear tales from a remote festival stage in a unique Finnish forest…

We’ve listened to your 2023 album ‘Sonics & Meditations’ (released by Bella Union’s Private Pressings) many times, and have been struck by how lyrical your tracks feel. There’s a real poetry to your sound. Tracks like ‘New Waves’ and ‘Finally Home’ feel quite ocean-like – do you think living by the Brighton seaside has helped to shape your practice?

I think the cyclical and repetitive nature of waves comes through in my music. I have a lot of memories and experiences about being on Brighton beach. My sound has always mimicked the looping, repetitive wave cycles, with memory cycles also being a big theme in my music – that’s where I like to draw inspiration from. I’ve found a similarity between the waves and the sounds I make, sometimes coincidentally, but sometimes it’s conscious as well.

I was writing the album and learning how to produce music in lockdown, so the only things that I could see were the sea and parks when I left the house once a day. I tried to recreate that escape through my music. It all filters through into a way of creating a peaceful, tranquil world. People talk about flow state, and I definitely felt that when I was out walking around and creating my music.

You’ve spoken in the past about your influences such as Alice Coltrane and Dorothy Ashby. What drew you to them as artists?

They’re harp pioneers, and have been the most inspiring to me in terms of transcending genre. Dorothy Ashby is classed as a jazz harpist, but I’m more drawn to the psychedelic and spiritual side of her music. The same goes for Alice Coltrane – her technique is very free-flowing compared to Dorothy Ashby, who showcases more of her technical abilities. Alice Coltrane is so evocative and emotional – she plays these crazy unique riffs and uses glissando a lot, which is when you’re just sort of strumming continuously up and down, it’s really beautiful and meditative.

Are there any other musicians of different genres that inspire or influence you?

Ambient music is a huge part of what I listen to. I love the classics like Tim Hecker and Brian Eno. They’re of course, again, pioneers of ambient music. I love Aphex Twin who has more of a modern, contemporary and glitchy approach – he’s got such a wide discography which in itself is inspiring, this endless passion to create new sounds. I love Lionmilk as a great ambient music producer, and Sam G who has an amazing album called ‘Blue Blue’. It’s just such a beautiful infusion of traditional instruments and more ambient pads and textures.

Is there anything you want to see or hear more of in the Brighton music scene?

I think Brighton could highlight ambient musicians a bit more. There are loads of great artists around. I really love Phoebe Benthem – she supported me at my headline gig at The Rosehill earlier this year. She does Twitch streams and is just a bit of a genius – she showed me some vintage Gameboys and Nintendos that she’s utilised to generate new sounds. I think we should create more spaces for people showcasing less conventional sounds.

From a packed room at The Rosehill, to a remote forest festival in Finland earlier this year, your presence on stage tends to be very measured and peaceful, with crowds often moved to sit on the floor to listen to you play. What was the festival in Finland like?

Finland was really unusual because the guys that were playing before me, Your New Boyfriend, had a cement mixer on stage, as well as a rake, hammers and knives, and they were just crushing up things like bricks and stuff. I couldn’t really believe that I was going on after, it was so great to see such different sounds. But I was a bit like, “Oh my god, what are people expecting?! Am I supposed to be this super heavy metal headliner for that stage?!”

The line-up was congratulations who are an amazing Brighton punk rock band, followed by Your New Boyfriend (who seem to be impossible to find online) and then me. They had the cement mixer and were making proper industrial noises – no music, just noises, no singing. They would just lift up and drop metal sheets and everyone would cheer, people were moshing; it was a weird experience. I was performing half an hour later and as I walked on stage one of the band members looked at me like; “mind the glass!” [laughs]

You’ll be performing with Shida Shahabi later this month at the ACCA, a remarkable venue known for its sound architecture and scope of space. What can we expect to hear from you?

Yes! I’ll be performing some of my usual tracks which are pretty much all partly improvised. I wouldn’t say it is exactly the same every time, and there are a few new pieces I’ve been working on. I try to keep it immersive, and I’m really enjoying working on more drones. Hopefully it’ll be a bit transcendental.

Shida Shahabi supported by Eva Lunny
Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts, Thursday 26th October 2023
Tickets available here
Photos by Alex Kozobolis