‘Your Eyes’ is the beautifully haunting new single taken from the album ‘Divine Investigation’ by Asta Bria.
They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder; for people, for places, for music. And as an expat, a mother, and a brilliantly talented musician who found her sound and voice, Asta Bria knows all about this. She has arrived at a point in her career she always knew she’d reach, where a long, musical journey has led her to deliver a stunning collection of songs imbued with joy and warmth, songs that showcase her range of talents; composer, virtuoso violinist, lyricist par excellence, canny crafter of pop gems.
| Truly, she has never been happier, nor shone as brightly as an artist, and the journey she undertook to get here taught her many things.
That journey began during a childhood spent behind the Iron Curtain, in Vilnius, Lithuania. Snatches of western pop were caught on scratchy radio broadcasts and committed to tape, to be cherished and savoured. George Michael, Elton John, and The Beatles all gave glimpses of another world; one of freedom, and the young Bria was captivated. Inspired, she entered a local violin contest aged just 11; naturally, she won. But her real education began aged 14, at the prestigious music conservatory of Vilnius, where the size of this other world finally became apparent. |
Jazz, pop, and classical composers opened her eyes and ears to possibility, and she would spend days studying hard and nights dancing till dawn, Manhattan Transfer sitting alongside Vivaldi in shaping her tastes and dreams.
But Vilnius was too small to satisfy her insatiable appetite for knowledge – for life – and so she moved again; first to the Royal Conservatory of Brussels and then London’s Notting Hill, the place where she found her true self and her family, and one she now calls home.
In the beginning, there was no plan, no style or genre in mind; only music and love. Along with trusted producer Jagannathan Suta, she let ideas come and go, giving her creativity and playfulness free reign. Slowly a song appeared, followed by another, and another, flowing out of her like a tap had been turned back on. “Once you focus on the creative process, so many ideas come to you,” she says. “And these songs came in a very organic way. I feel like they wrote and recorded themselves; I was just there to help them find the right way.”
Instinct guided her as much as her classical grounding and studio smarts. Songs would be cut and re-arranged, or recorded with different instruments. Sudden irresistible urges – burying a Shiva mantra in a song, or multiple voicings – were attempted as Bria let the music unfold in its own way until it “felt right”. Likening the process to channelling vibrations, she starts with questions, to be asked of herself and the universe. What is it to be happy? Or sad? Or to love? Such magic and a curiosity about life in all its glory come to her as soon as she sits at a piano. “Suddenly, it’s like someone is putting my fingers on certain notes, certain words come to mind and it all starts to make sense.”
Quelle: Lisa Davies Promotions