Espa is not like many acts you will come across at the moment. Previous releases ‘Apartment 2f’ and ‘Your Ghost’ wooed audiences with her haunting vocals and stunning voice, accompanied by her eye-catching look. Now, Espa has released her first (of many!) solo project, ‘150th and Broadway’ and with production from the UK’s very own Shiftk3y and Todd Oliver, as well as long-term collaborator and friend, Flatbush Zombies’ Erik The Architect it is a brilliant body of work.
Watch the video for Your Ghost like rh rn and then enjoy her wonderful moodboard.
Jimi Hendrix
When i think about what defines a unique artist, this man always comes to mind. I believe that what was so special about Jimi was the absence of barrier between his music and the listener. When he plays/sings, it feels like divinity is flowing through him. That, to me, is what defines truly soulful music. This clip always haunts me. The way he plays the national anthem is so rebellious and poetic, whilst encapsulation the psychedelic era perfectly. Pass me a head scarf and a guitar immediately!!
Political T-Shirts
My obsession with statement tee’s has been an on going one. I buy them, make my own, get given them, whatever, I don’t care, as long as it’s saying something that I believe in. The first one i ever got was Katherine Hamnett’s ‘Save the bees’. And right now that’s what i’m wearing, as the USA is currently considering lifting the ban on pesticides that could kill off the worlds bee population, we need those bee’s for so much more that we realise! They pollinate 75% of the worlds growing plants. Read more and sign the Avaaz petition here.
Here’s Hamnett meeting Thatcher. Letting her sweater do the talking:
Really fucking old trees
Wise, strong, beautiful. There’s something abut a really old tree that is very grounding and symbolic of what human beings should be aiming for internally. They’ve seen a lot more than we have. And they let the earth breath. And the give us a lot of food. cheers to the trees. Such babes. apart from this one… he’s a bit butterz.
Smelly Candles
My fave of all time is Smokey Rose by Space NK. This candle is so good it should be illegal. It sends me back to this spa i went to with my Aunty in Egypt when I was 15… that was of the best holidays of my life. I’m fascinated by how smells can trigger such vivid memories.
Country farms
Growing up, I spent a lot of time with my gran in the country side as my parents were on tour a lot. The treat would always be a visit to Batlers Green Farm. There was a farm shop, fishmongers, bathroom appliances store, a crystal and tarot psychic shop, a hairdressers and loaaaaads of horses. I still make sure I visit every week. It’s important to get out of the city and observe life at a slower pace.
Vivienne Westwood
I’m a bit obsessed with the Punk era. I like to think that I have a bit of the punk rock spirit inside me. Vivienne has always been a really special designer for me, managing to merge punk rock rebellion with truly british glamour. Legend!
Documentaries
The best concept to ever come out of the movie world. I can’t remember the last time i watched a fiction film. One particularly inspiring UK producer I work with (Chris Locco… bae of baes) encouraged me to watch ‘Zeitgeist’ (a gripping, simple, truth revealing doco about Government, wars, money and religion), and then i was hooked. I recommend… May I be Frank, Spiritual Revolution, Earthlings and Kymatica… the list goes on. Holla if you want more!
The 1950s
My grandfather is my biggest inspiration, he was a very special man and a very talented musician. I grew up on stories about tours with Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, gossip about Judy Garland, playing in Vegas, studio sessions in japan, run-ins with the mafia in Milan, playing trombone on the James Bond sound tracks, being trapped in the wardrobe backstage at the London Palladium. That was a good one, Haha!!! The 50’s has a rare post-war glamour about it… classy music, jewels, liquor, gambling and big characters. Man I wish I had a time machine. Here are the lads chillin’…
The Wild Food CafÃ, Neal’s Yard, Covent Garden
I’m a vegan. Not a preachy one though. Not yet anyway. This is my favourite place to eat in the entire world. Ever. And ever. Amen. With a strong ‘raw’ menu and really exceptional vegan deserts, this cafe is an enchanting little gem. I like to go there of an afternoon and sit by the big Windows, work on some tunes, read a book, be nosey. The Staff are so friendly too!
Alice In Wonderland
The book, the movie, the paintings, the ride at disney world, the t-shirts, the cheshire cat mugs, the second movie, the movie about the movie. I’ll get involved in the lot. Alice In Wonderland perfectly depicts childhood curiosity and imagination. I remain firmly grounded in that world and I believe it is exactly what is lacking in most western adulthoods!!As artists, how can we create transpirational music/art/films without having tasted this world with no boundaries. The endless universe of imagination. Let’s go down the rabbit hole!!!
Listen to Espa’s Broadway EP here and download here.
