Evie Asio: The Girl In The Blue Dress
‘This album is me owning who I am as an artist, and a producer. Every song is different, yet connected, and I am really excited to see people’s responses as the story unfolds.’ – Evie Asio (Moths and Giraffes, April 2021)
Two years ago, we interviewed an artist called Evie Asio for the first time. The music we were reviewing was an excerpt from a greater work that we’ve been excited to hear ever since, a truth from this artist they’d been aching to share for too long. That album is called ‘Contending & Contention’ and was finally released back in November. We’re pleased to say that Evie has come back to chat more about the record in our Q&A at the end of this article.
Since writing about the music of Evie Asio on a second occasion for her single ‘Turning Time’, that song received an excellent reception on BBC Radio 6 Music with Fresh On The Net. Her session with Waterloo Sunset was also published on YouTube, where she played four tracks for their Cloud Sessions, all taken from her debut album.
Since the summer, Evie has played gigs supporting Bayli and Lesley’s Sunset, with Laid Bare Music and as part of the Women Do South Festival in October. ‘Contending & Contention’ was released in November, a concept album which took several years to complete, but was entirely written and co-produced by Evie Asio.
The introduction to this album is also the album’s title track. With carefully placed reverb sprinkled onto this beautiful performance, Evie Asio wordlessly steps into the spotlight, giving us a sense of her divine vocal talent without showing her whole musical and songwriting hand. The piano here is played by Kwanyee Chan, who gorgeously interprets Asio’s songwriting, making this track an essential introduction, not only to ‘Contending & Contention’, but to the track following – ‘In The Middle’.
‘I am the weakness in me, I am the strength they don't see, the contradiction in me…’
With programmed percussion, Kwanyee Chan seamlessly continues his performance for ‘In The Middle’, where Evie Asio outlines her state of mind when writing these songs. Her production in this track shows how she fuses pop sensibilities with soul, bringing an R&B flavour that sees these elements brought together for the grand choruses. Lyrically, Evie is at her most powerful singing the song’s middle 8, the first real glimpse of the emotional driving factor behind this record:
‘If I don't contend for myself then what will become of me? If I don't defend myself, will I have a chance to be free?’
Co-producer Mikaiyiri adds electric guitar to this track, while Twn Dylan performs bass guitar. The expressive sound of the latter will become familiar to the listener across ‘Contending & Contention’, where Asio never scrimps on the quality of her accompanying musicians and their tremendous performances.
‘I started writing Available the night I had come home from an open mic – there was a poet who had performed, and his words really hit me, which is what inspired me to start writing the chorus. It was at that point that I realised Available was probably not going to end up being a typical love song, so I decided to explore ideas about social injustice instead.’ – Evie Asio (Moths and Giraffes, April 2021)
Our introduction to Evie Asio came in the form of ‘Available’, a haunting and sensational production we likened to the music of Sade and called it ‘proof of Evie Asio’s versatility as an artist, writer, arranger and producer.’
Indeed, Asio commands a vast ensemble in ‘Available’ in order to achieve her vision, with Alex Wesson handling keyboards and synth bass, guitars from Rob Johnston and Mikaiyiri, bass guitar by Twn Dylan and drums by William Gisa Magabo. Outside of the core band, Arvid Rongedal provides percussion, with the strings performed by Theresa Zaremba (who co-arranged them with Asio) and backing vocals from Jerome Lincoln, Sharyn Kyazze and Trudie Baganza.
Although Evie began recording ‘Available’ in April 2019, after three months of isolation during the pandemic, she decided to break the recording down and start again. And the results speak for themselves. The subtle guitar performances, electric piano flourishes, dramatic drums and strings that take flight - each musician plays an essential role to realise this song. ‘Available’ is a triumph of Evie Asio’s songwriting, and a product of her determination to arrive at the perfect interpretation of this track. But if you want to dive deeper still, we recommend listening to Asio’s acoustic rendition of ‘Available’, featuring Jerome Lincoln on piano.
‘From Here’ continues in the vein of ‘Available’, opening with Evie Asio’s pure vocal tone over programming from co-producers Mikaiyiri and Dave Holmes. The result is an intimate conversation with Asio, lyrically continuing the thought process of ‘In The Middle’, about being torn between her own mindset; ‘I'm weak, I'm strong, each second a second too long, where do we go From Here?’
The difference here though is the beginnings of a resolution, of Asio making a stand. In a moment of silence, Evie’s unified front is audible in her vocal harmony – ‘Gotta let go of the feeling,’ raising the stakes and imparting more of the grand structure heard in this album so far.
Piano is shared by Isaac Mugerwa and Jerome Lincoln, whose performances following this song’s climactic peak help to soundtrack Asio’s reading of biblical scripture. In our Q&A at the end of this article, Evie Asio expands on the inclusion of Psalm 46:2-3 and the importance of her faith when making ‘Contending & Contention’.
‘My indecisiveness is chasing me up and down the walls of wistful possibilities…’
When writing about ‘Available’ upon its release, we also reviewed the funky first single from ‘Contending & Contention’ called ‘Pendulum’. Released on the eve of lockdown, we compared this single to Stevie Wonder’s ‘Higher Ground’ in arrangement and groove, crafted with Mikaiyiri and co-producer Andrew Twesigye.
Alex Wesson returns on piano and electric piano, with Twn Dylan and Ben Swan making up the infectious rhythm section (we previously wrote about Ben Swan’s equally happening work with funk/soul band Crouton Cannon). The excellence of these musicians slots this music together as if this combo have been playing as a unit for years, evident in the tightness of the performance and passion with which they play.
‘Pendulum’ single artwork. Image Credit: Nubiart Studio.
When interviewing Evie in 2021, we asked her what influenced the sound of ‘Pendulum’:
“I definitely have a soft spot for nostalgia and retro sounds. At the time I was listening to a lot of Vulfpeck and Chromeo. More specifically, the use of percussion was inspired by MJ’s ‘Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough’, and the way I did the key changes at the end was actually from Martha Munizzi’s ‘Glorious’.” – Evie Asio (Moths and Giraffes, April 2021)
In terms of the lyric, we highlighted this moment in the song. Not only does it further demonstrate Evie’s vocal and writing talent, but considering we hadn’t yet heard the full album, this verse is crucial in building the narrative, showing Asio’s emotional shift in focus:
‘Stop for every minute, every second, a reflection, I’ve got to keep going, but my mind keeps holding it up. Can’t wait or see the end from the beginning, it’s got my head spinning like a Pendulum.’
‘There are no bridges to burn, there are no roads to turn from, I've torn every failure apart and what is left are things to learn from.’
The band vibe continues with ‘Love Is Low’, a message of warmth and compassion from Evie Asio, or is it? The ensemble is much the same as ‘Pendulum’, with Dave Holmes and Rob Johnston providing electric guitar accompaniment.
The guitar picking is gentle and percussive, while Alex Wesson’s electric piano playing is the bridging texture between the rhythm section and Evie’s smooth voice. The tempo is brought back down though, with Asio reaching out, extending a hand through her lyrics, ‘Call me when your love is low, call me when your life is faded.’
Her backing vocal arrangement is as bold as ever, assuring the listener towards the end of the song that they really are ‘backing vocals’ in name only. It’s as if Evie is shouting from the rooftops, ‘You can just call me!’
‘Is time running out on this hourglass? Has it taken me this long to realise our fate is made from grains of sand?’
In a break from the ensemble structure, ‘Turning Time’ brings the focus back to Evie’s voice and lyric, accompanied by Jerome Lincoln in a dynamic piano performance. We previously wrote about this single upon its release in early 2022 where we called it ‘a brilliant composition with a compelling lyric.’
‘Turning Time’ single artwork. Image Credit: Nubiart Studio.
We also spoke of the intimacy of the track, the tiny details like the lifting of the piano sustain pedal as Jerome plays, the warmth and vibration emanating from the body of the instrument. When listening, it’s uncanny how personal the performance is, ‘When Evie Asio leans closer to the microphone, you feel as if she is speaking directly to you, as if nobody but you has heard this song before.’
When writing the piece, we asked Evie if the track had changed much during the writing and recording of it:
“It didn’t change much at all – I always knew that to me, this song wouldn’t feel right having a lot going on. I was also inspired by Lianne La Havas’ ‘Gone’, and the beauty that can be found in a haunting piano ballad.” – Evie Asio (Moths and Giraffes, February 2022)
Since then, Evie Asio has released ‘Turning Time’ as a music video, directed by Nelson Ekaragha and co-starring dancer Chrissie Allen. With studio and location shots, the pacing of the video ensures its focus on the music. Evie’s gaze is contemplative, looking directly at the viewer while delivering some of the most powerful moments in the song.
The spirit of ‘Turning Time’ continues with the instrumental ‘Heaven Minded’, a cinematic piece of arrangement prowess. Theresa Zaremba returns to perform and co-arrange those soaring string parts, while Jerome Lincoln continues on piano with synth bass by Isaac Mugerwa.
Listen closely to the bustling crescendo of this song for the rumbling vocal of Fabian Xander Okello, with the first appearance of Rob Kitney on acoustic guitar, while the electric counterpart signals Mikaiyiri’s last instrumental contribution to this record. ‘Heaven Minded’ is like the sun rising on a new day, and the sigh of relief that everything is going to be ok.
When reviewing ‘Turning Time’, we noticed a similar thread throughout Evie Asio’s artwork, a character called ‘The Girl In The Blue Dress’. By now you would’ve seen this character in the album artwork too. Here’s what Evie said about that in 2022:
‘That girl is me! I created this character to represent myself outside of myself, as all of these songs are an expression of my identity. Blue, because it’s my favourite colour, and the dress came out of me exploring my identity and my womanhood throughout many of the themes of these songs – also, I just like dresses.’ – Evie Asio (Moths and Giraffes, February 2022)
‘The image that I have built, I am finally taking it down. Right now I see you as you are, in my innocence, it drowns.’
For ‘Contending & Contention’, Evie Asio could not have manifested a better conclusion. Her personal and emotional growth is realised with ‘Imperfect People’, an acoustic track with Rob Kitney.
The softness of Asio’s vocal is among her most heartfelt on this album, married together by her chord placings and warm melody which is bolstered by Nat Willow’s violin and viola, and Luke Moore’s cello performances. The honesty of her lyric is the kind that could have only ever been written from the heart, a snapshot of a moment in time, and a journey arriving at its destination. The perfect way to bring ‘Contending & Contention’ to a close:
‘I was made to love Imperfect People, so I've learnt to love people like me.’
With this album, Evie Asio stresses the importance of each element in every song, her production and arrangement skills focused to bring out the very best in her supporting cast of musicians. With the songs themselves, she has created an album with wide genre diversity, but all distinctly true to who Evie Asio is as an artist. The conceptual element of her lyricism is an uplifting tale of examining what can be seen in the mirror, of remembering old deeds while embracing new beginnings.
‘Contending & Contention’ is quite simply a masterpiece, worth the years of toil and emotional upheaval to arrive at a timeless document of growth within the ever-changing landscape of early adulthood. For each generation endures the heartaches Evie Asio portrays, ensuring a place for these nine songs for many years to come.
Continue reading for our Q&A with Evie Asio. We ask about a specific selection of album tracks, the stories behind them and their recording circumstances. We also ask Evie about the possibility of more music videos for the album, and live performances supporting ‘Contending & Contention’. All this and more below!
1. Your album 'Contending & Contention' has been a long time coming, the story of which has its ups and downs. Was there a point where you thought this album might not be finished?
Absolutely! So many times I felt like giving up, or that I didn’t have what it takes to bring it all together. But one of the things that kept me going was the strong inside feeling that this story needed to be told.
2. This album is full of brilliant performances from your supporting cast of musicians. What's a moment that sticks in your mind from when you saw these musicians tracking their parts?
So many incredible moments. One was when I got the string parts back for Imperfect People, and I just felt the whole song click into place. With each song, I had a vision, but it’s the amazing musicians I worked with that got it there.
3. The title track introduction features some beautiful piano playing, what kind of image did you have in mind when you wrote that?
This album is about me saying a lot of things, but also about the silence and stillness in between the words. The title track is so hard for me to encapsulate into words, because that song is absolute feeling to me. It’s all the tangled feelings I struggle to say, and I guess the album is me trying to begin to pick that apart.
4. That flows straight into 'In the Middle', was the intro written as an extension of this track in order to introduce the album?
I actually can’t remember what came first - I think it may have been the introduction. In that case, it potentially was, but in quite an undeliberate way. I really wanted to write a song about my contradictions, as I battled with them for so long, and it turns out that they were a perfect second intro to the album.
5. At the end of 'From Here' there's a spoken word section, would you tell us more about that?
It’s a scripture, Psalm 46:2-3, that says “Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah.”
Scriptures and faith have been a huge consolation for me in the dark moments of my life, and I’m glad that this scripture is able to represent finding peace in the midst of chaos. However, there’s another side to it. A theme in the album is my stubbornness, my unrelenting loyalty and the lack of awareness to let go. So often we use pure things to justify our own flaws. I chose this scripture because it reflected that part of me that didn’t want to accept all of the things falling apart around me, and the way I could use scripture as an excuse to close my eyes to the truth of my situation.
6. 'Love Is Low' is the perfect comedown after 'Pendulum'. Is that song dedicated to someone specifically?
I did write that song 5 years ago, about someone. But the full meaning of the song only makes sense in the context of the album for sure. Long story short, this album was written by an Evie that in large part doesn’t exist anymore.
7. Back in November, I got to watch your release party on the other side of the world. How did it feel to finally be presenting 'Contending & Contention' to a room full of people? What was the response like that evening?
It was so wonderful, and I’m so glad you could tune in!! It was a room full of my closest family and friends. People who knew me as my artist self, and people who knew me as just Evie. It felt like freedom getting to talk about this journey, and them feeling what I’ve held inside for so long. I’ll never forget that moment.
8. Since we wrote about 'Turning Time', you released your music video for it which really encapsulates the mood of the song well. How long did that take to put together? Was that one always a candidate for a music video?
I had the concept for the video since 2021, it was just about finding the way to execute it (on a budget), and then working with Nelson Ekaragha was perfect because it felt like we were on the same page from the beginning. The whole process from planning to release was about a year. It was actually a friend I was working with in the early stages of the album that told me that ‘Turning Time’ should have a music video, and since that moment I knew that it had to be this song.
9. Are there more music videos to come? Is there a particular song you're desperate to shoot one for?
I might like to do a couple of performance videos in the future, but I don’t have anything else currently in mind. I wouldn’t want to force things, so I’m happy to wait for inspiration to strike.
10. I've got to ask about 'Heaven Minded'. What a gorgeous piece of music. Would you tell us about the writing of that one and story that inspired it?
I would love to! This is the second extended instrumental piece, and mirrors everything I said about ‘feeling’ and the introduction. Turning Time is definitely my dead-end moment of the album, and I wanted to write something that reflected me reaching the end of my words and understanding.
Heaven Minded is my prayer, and it goes beyond anything I could put into lyrics. It was inspired by the scripture Psalm 121:1 – “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?”. I am humbled by the idea that there are times that we have reached the end of ourselves, and in those moments we are able to see something that is beyond us. It’s a piece about transcendence, but not through effort.
11. 'Imperfect People'. What a way to close out this record. This sounds like the kind of song where the lyric came first?
I think they did, along with the melody. It’s definitely the most honest song on the album, and my attempt to resolve this journey (in a world where resolution doesn’t really exist).
12. We want to congratulate you for getting this album out, we've been excited to hear it for a long time! Is there anyone you'd like to thank who helped along the way?
Thank. You!! I feel so honoured that you’ve been able to be a part of this journey. There will soon be a dedicated C&C page on my website, where a long list of thank you’s can be found.
13. The record is available for downloading and streaming, is a physical release for the album pending?
That would be a dream, but this will still have to be a question mark due to financial reasons.
14. What comes after 'Contending & Contention'? Is it possible for you to tour this album in 2023?
Well, an official tour would be lovely. But what I can tell you is that I am back doing rehearsals with my band, which is leading towards some very exciting 2023 performances!
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Stream and download ‘Contending & Contention’ by Evie Asio from her Bandcamp page.
To listen elsewhere, and for more information about Evie Asio, visit her official website.
Follow Evie Asio on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok @evieasio, and on Twitter @Evie_Eves.
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