Cinematic Duo AVA are riding on the crest of a wave

Cinematic duo AVA violinist Anna Phoebe and pianist Aisling Brouwer are riding high after the release of their debut album 'Waves' and 2020 will see the talented pair headlining their very own tour. They are pair who are already accomplished and acclaimed musicians are managed by Nitin Sawhney, legendary producer, and Ivor Novello recipient.

Here they chat with us about their music and what the new year has in store for them.

AVA

LM: How did you both meet?

Anna and Aisling: We met quite randomly at a gig at the Indian Embassy some years ago, Anna was performing with her band and I was completely mesmerised by her playing. We got chatting afterward and decided to meet up for a jam session, and so it began.

LM: When did you decide to form AVA and how did you decide on the name?

AB: Our collaboration was a very organic process and we didn't really 'decide' to become a band - initially we were just writing together because we enjoyed the process and it was an escape from all the noise in London to go down to Anna's studio by the sea and channel everything into this musical escape.

The name came much later, as many people struggle with my name and it became a bit of a mouthful. We wanted something concise, strong, feminine, and it also connects to our Celtic roots.

LM: Describe your music for readers who haven't heard it before?

A and A: Cinematic.

LM: Tell us about your debut album WAVES?

A and A: Our debut album is the result of those initial writing sessions together. The title track 'Waves' is in fact the very first thing we wrote together and set the tone for the rest of the album. Being by the sea became a huge inspiration for the album, as is reflected in many of the titles.

LM: What is your favourite track on the album and why?

A and A: I think 'In Motion' remains one of my favourite tracks, it was the first time we really started incorporating more electronic, darker elements and the ticking sound is the metronome we were originally recording to that we then processed to give it its own sound.

LM: Where does your inspiration come from for composing your music?

AB: I draw inspiration from everything around me - art, people, nature, politics, culture. Our collaboration is strongly rooted in friendship, and so we frequently have conversations and deep discussions about all of these topics. I feel our musical creativity in the studio is often an extension of these dialogues and our thought processes.

LM: What do you enjoy about performing as a duo, compared to performing as a solo musician?

AB: I have never performed as a solo musician as I've mostly been composing for film/tv, however, I have always primarily worked alone. What I love about sharing this process as a duo is that it is such a 50/50 balance between us, on all fronts, and it's amazing to have someone to bounce ideas off, to learn from, to complement each other, and to enjoy the whole process with.

It's rare to meet someone that you can have this level of trust and compatibility within a creative partnership.

LM: If you could choose any guest vocalist for AVA, who would it be and why?

AP: To be honest, there's a few. We've started writing our second album and we're exploring some exciting collaborations.

LM: What does 2020 have in store for AVA?

A and A: We are so excited for 2020! We will be doing more touring over the course of the next year, but also focusing on writing our second album. This last year has been such a fun year and I am excited to bring all of these new experiences and developments back into the studio.