Eliza Marshall releases New Birth EP on Real World X
Eliza Marshall has, today, released her debut solo EP, entitled the New Birth EP. The release is three brand new compositions recorded at Real World Studios, England and Dakar in Senegal, and is available now via Real World X.
The release of the New Birth EP is the first time we get to hear the collection’s third track, Our Times:
“I really love this track,” says Eliza Marshall. “It really takes me back to music that I’ve loved listening to, like Steve Reich’s Six Marimbas. The kind of hypnosis that you get in minimalism, but also being able to add bits of melody within that. It’s exciting for me.”
It's a lovely transition and very fulfilling to be able to find my own identity as an artist.
Eliza Marshall
“Releasing this EP is very different when you’re used to having an identity as a flute player who’s booked for certain work,” says Eliza Marshall. “It’s a lovely transition and very fulfilling to be able to find my own identity as an artist. Not just to see projects from other people’s perspectives, but to see the world and to see this music through my own creative eyes.”
Renowned for her work with the award-winning folk group Ranagri, Eliza is also an in-demand session player contributing to records by the likes of Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, First Aid Kit, Florence & The Machine and The White Stripes. She was a member of Peter Gabriel’s New Blood Orchestra and also appears on his current album i/o.
Gallery
Eliza Marshall live at the Union Chapel London, 10 April 2025.
(c)Jason Sheldon / Junction10 PhotographyOpen full screen image
Eliza Marshall live at the Union Chapel London, 10 April 2025.
(c)Jason Sheldon / Junction10 PhotographyOpen full screen image
Eliza Marshall live at the Union Chapel London, 10 April 2025.
(c)Jason Sheldon / Junction10 PhotographyOpen full screen image
Eliza Marshall live at the Union Chapel London, 10 April 2025.
(c)Jason Sheldon / Junction10 PhotographyOpen full screen image
Classically trained, Eliza grew up listening to the aforementioned Steve Reich, Paul Simon and Peter Gabriel, along with traditional music from all over the world. Her passion for defying genres is put into play on the New Birth EP – weaving layers of percussion, haunting flute melodies and hypnotic balafon rhythms, shrouded in tribal chants and electronics. The tracks were recorded at Real World Studios, England and Dakar, Senegal with world class musicians from Senegal and The Gambia (Ady Thioune and Ansumana Suso) and the UK (Andrew Morgan and Dònal Rogers), and production from Ivor Novello recipient Graeme Pleeth.
“New Birth is about new beginnings, new life, new ideas,” says Marshall. “It looks to this time, 2025, in the life of our planet; Our Times, our era, the way we connect and interact, and who we share our lifetimes with. In Spring, I imagine new life beneath the soil, roots quietly intertwining and nurturing one another, while above, new shoots grow. What is the first light for a plant or a child? A beautiful, yet daunting, world to behold?
This EP is unlike anything I’ve written before. It pushes me far beyond my comfort zone. It’s filled with tribal chanting vocals, powerful percussive layers, lots of whistles and electronics.
I’ve had a whole range of influences in my life that are beyond classical music, which have shaped the musician I am today – a mix of many different genres. I don’t believe artists need to be confined to a single style. I love the idea of cross-pollination, of sharing influences and ideas across cultures globally. I hope this spirit of openness and exchange comes through in my EP.”
The New Birth EP is available now on all digital platforms. LISTEN / BUY
XRW48 Eliza Marshall – New Birth EP Released 23 May, 2025 New Birth
First Light Our Times
LIVE SHOWS
23 May – The Unicorn Theatre, Abingdon
15 June – Beardy Folk Festival, Cleobury Mortimer
1 September – West Malvern Social Club, Malvern
3 September – The Box @ The Met, Bury
