I was first introduced to emerging London-based singer/songwriter Elena Tonra, who's also now known as Daughter and her music about five weeks ago through Pigeons & Planes and I have been a huge fan of hers ever since. I have listened to her everyday for multiple times over the last month and a half and the sad fact that I am only just sharing her with you will say horrible things about me because music this good should definitely always be shared.
Describing Elena Tonra as an artist would seemingly be easy enough - She is a Folk/Acoustic singer/songwriter who plays the guitar but that is NOT even the half of it! She is an amazing, if not complex songwriter who speaks about love and hope and finding and losing both and that much more in the most real, honest and beautiful way and while the musical backdrop upon which she turns her poetry (Yes Poetry) into song are some of the most simple you will hear, her stories remain ever so compelling... Her words are simple yet they are so heavy and it lies in the way and in the cadence that she conveys them. I could go on and on about her exquisite songwriting because I feel it cannot be overstated (her songs are that good, trust me) but something has to be said about Elena Tonra's voice! Something has to be said about Elena Tonra's voice - ethereal, soothing, commanding, haunting, true, passionate, intense, lingering and all in all IRRESISTIBLE - much like her music in all honesty.
I thought I should be careful to paint Daughter to you in the best possible light not only because she's that sublime and I may not eloquently convey that knowledge to you but also so that the very next place you go to after here is to download her music but I really do NOT have to worry because the music does that all by itself.
The song you just listened to - my favourite Daughter song - is titled 'Your Kisses' and is off of her latest 4-track Demo EP. Backed by the simplest of guitar strings, Elena sings beautifully about only ever wanting her ex-boyfriend's heart and not his "kisses" and losing both to "this girl" - her ex-boyfriend's new lover. On such a musically stripped down song, all you're really left with are the vocals and the lyrics and what Elena (Daughter) does on this song is nothing short of amazing, captivating you from the start to the very last note. You can almost taste the despair and defeat in her voice.
"I bet she can't sing / I bet she can't write the lyrics to make your heart beat / Sing notes to make you go weak / But her kisses were just what you wanted..."
This next song titled 'In The Shallows' is also off of Daughter's brilliantly crafted Demo EP. I talk about Ms. Tonra utilizing her vocals and her lyrics to captivate you on 'Your Kisses' but on this here song, it is the more pronounced guitar-driven musical milieu and more so it's collaboration with Tonra's hauntingly rich and strong vocals that leaves you spellbound. The lyrics are understated on this one and although not because any shortcomings, take a back seat to the outstanding vocals/music tag team and you have to and should too really listen to this one to get it because either way (lyrics or music), it's a great song. Listen below...
Daughter's DEMO EP is one of the best collection of music that I have heard in quite a while and I instantly fell in love with it. The trip is that the quite shy and reserved Elena calls these songs "demos" but you would be hard pressed to find anything wrong with this EP as all four songs are perfect as they are. I won't include any more songs from the EP in this feature and will leave them for when you download the EP so you can get the full EP experience. What I will do however is share this song from three years ago when Elena was still known as Elena Tonra and what I will say is that her music was as beautiful, sincere and breathtaking as Elena Tonra as it is now as Daughter. In comparison, you can certainly hear the progression in her lyrics and songwriting and how much she's matured on the Demo EP as against this song she aptly titles 'Twat'... Listen below
I'm really excited for 21-year old Elena Tonra as her music is beginning to make significant headway in various relevant circles in the UK and internationally with The Independent recently putting her on their barometer, Who's Jack Magazine calling her the "Future of London Music" and songs from the Demo EP receiving national airplay from the good people at BBC 6 Music and Amazing Radio to playing at the HMV Next Best Thing gig earlier this month along Andrew Davie and charting at number 3 on the Hype Machine Popular Charts earlier this year with 'Run' (a track off of the EP). I really hope 2011 sees her music get further out there to the masses because as I attested to at the beginning of this article - music this good SHOULD be heard by everybody and with the early success of her absolutely divine demo EP, our wish just might be granted sooner than later. Whatever the case, Elena Tonra aka Daughter is a class act and her music simply needs to be heard.
Download: Daughter - DEMO EP
Photography: Jay McLaughlin
How could you go through this whole post without mentioning "Landfill"??!!
ReplyDeleteBecause this feature was written in February long before the Landfill EP came out. That's why :)
ReplyDelete