#9 - Eva LoVullo
#9 - Eva LoVullo
Eva LoVullo, performer, bandleader and songwriter from New Orleans share her musical career with us.
Welcome back for a new Friday edition, featuring our beloved small artists! It’s the first issue of October, I hope each of you had a beautiful September either at school or at work!
Today, we are listening to Eva LoVullo a performer, bandleader and songwriter from New Orleans. Growing up with an inspirational mother and a musical father, her path was already mapped out. Don’t wait any longer, let’s read her story.
Can you present yourself in a few words? Where is your artist name coming from?
My name is Eva LoVullo and I'm an indie-folk artist living in New Orleans, LA. I play guitar, sing, write, compose, and play cello and bass as well in other ensembles. My legal name is Eva Frishberg but my late mother, who was an amazing artist and inspiration to me, was named Maria LoVullo. She really made me the artist that I am and encouraged my songwriting as a young child.
When did you start your musical career? What motivated you to start it?
I started playing in bands when I was about 6 years old with my dad’s cajun band, singing and playing percussion. I grew up in that family band and played guitar, bass, fiddle, and singing, which I still do to this day on occasion. I fell in love with the classical cello when I was about 9 and started taking lessons, joined orchestras, and went to an arts conservatory high school for classical cello. I loved the power of being in a sea of strings and the energy of being surrounded by sound. When I was 11, my dad bought me my first acoustic guitar and I started taking lessons in school. I could not get enough of it - I loved rock, classical, all genres. I started writing songs on guitar immediately about everything from school to summer to home. It became a huge source of therapy and release for me to live process my feelings with guitar. I started making and playing in bands and sharing my music with others and recording on garageband soon after that.
What genre of music do you play?
It’s always a hard question to answer haha. But I would say my music spans a few genres- probably Americana indie folk rock are the most relevant tags I try to use. But I can play songs that are pretty punk, some are very country, some are light and Elliot Smith-y.
Is there an event, an artist or a band that inspired you?
I think living is inspiration enough to write and play songs- I can’t think of a better way to get your feelings out and bare your soul to other people in a way that is both terrifying and incredibly freeing. But growing up I listened to a ton of Ellliot Smith, Jeffrey Lewis, Lucinda Williams, and swing/country music like Red Stick Ramblers. I have always been really straddled between many genres because of my dad’s music and my own proclivity toward sad, dark, brooding music.
Is your music your principal work? If not, what else are you doing?
It is what takes up most of my headspace and what I want to be working on a bit more, but I am also a huge psychology nerd, so I work as a behavioral scientist for a company called Irrational Labs. I’ve always loved understanding how people make decisions, and how irrational we can be, and love using data to design ways to help people.
Where do you perform most of the time? On which platform is your music available?
I am about to tour up the East Coast in the US, and the tour dates are available on my website evalovullo.com. I send emails to my subscription list each day on tour about where I’m going to be playing next! I play whenever I travel for work as well so I’ll be playing in Los Angeles around Thanksgiving time. But I mostly perform in New Orleans, LA. My music is available on ALL platforms you can think of. (Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Etc)
Where is THE place or country you would like to perform ?
I’m honestly not a huge like “venue” person- don’t know much about venues or anything but my dream is to just be able to comfortably tour around Europe and South America and the US playing a cozy house shows or tiny dive bars with rooms full of people who want to hear my music.
What are the songs you want to share with people that don’t know your music?
I think the song I’m most excited about right now just because of the build up and the emotion is Save Me.
Is there an artist you would like to make a song with ?
So many ! I think it’d be so cool to make a song with Waxahatchee, but I also love to collaborate with pop musicians and electronic artists, honestly like James Blake would be a huge dream come true.
What is the song you are the most proud of?
That’s a hard one. I would say midnight snack, because of the pedal and strings.
What are you using to record your performance ? Are you doing everything by yourself ?
Hahaha I am currently doing it all alone and it is HARD. I basically work other jobs to pay for recording, promotion, and tour in the hopes this music finds its way to you!
If you could recommend a small group or artist to people, which one would it be and why?
I think everyone should check out Gia Margaret and K.C. Jones. Both amazing sad girl songwriters.
Do you have any new songs in preparation? If so, can you give us a little hint about it?
I have a new song that I’m recording live on vinyl exclusively that I’m SO excited about :). It’s on youtube here. You can pre-order it here. It’s probably my best song about struggling to live with mental illness and always wanting to feel better.
What are the places where people can follow you ?
Socials
Quick Links
Do you want to add something?
It’s a hard industry to make it in, and I’ve never wanted fame or money or anything other than the ability to make enough money to cover gas to get to a new city and connect with someone through my songs. So I really appreciate the support and buying merch and going out to live shows! Keep listening to small artists and going to shows- it makes this all worth it :)
Thanks again to Eva for this beautiful interview. Don’t miss her next venues and remember that you can always subscribe to her mailing list at the bottom of her website.
That’s it for this week, see you next Friday!
Find us also on Twitter and Instagram - @thesmallears
