The London singer-songwriter Eleni Drake headlined Camden Assembly, London, as part of her November tour yesterday. The tour so far included sold-out shows in Germany and Paris and will finish tomorrow at Night & Day in Manchester.
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The tour follows Eleni’s recent new EP ‘Above Deep Water’, which was released in September. Known for her lush vocals, the EP explores themes of solitude, acceptance, and loneliness, expressing both its desolation and its liberating aspects and often drawing inspiration from her Greek heritage and personal relationships. This release builds on the aesthetic in her earlier EP, ‘Surf The Sun’, currently expanding her sound to include more jazz elements, such as cello, which featured in her Camden Assembly show last night.
The ’King Street’ singer’s stage presence remains reminiscent of Mazzy Star’s Hope Sandoval. Whilst a nervous performer, Eleni keeps up incredible control over her vocals. Camden Assembly’s setlist was the longest out of the tour so far, the singer revealed.
The amazing Eleni Drake at Camden Assembly tonight pic.twitter.com/FkQq8ymxVG
— Ali Krausova (@ali_krausova) November 20, 2024
Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, to Greek parents, she moved to the UK as a teenager and later settled in Melbourne, Australia. Eleni plays multiple instruments, including guitar, piano, bass, and flute, and is known for her unconventional “upside-down” guitar technique.
“‘I don’t find it hard playing upside down! When I was younger the only guitars available to me where right-handed, so I just flipped the chords and taught myself that way. I feel like there are pros and cons. I can hit notes that maybe I wouldn’t be able to if I played a left-handed, but equally sometimes I’m like, – f*ck should’ve just committed to left-handed. So now I have a left-handed too, but I much prefer my right-handed guitars.” Eleni told me in 2021.
Her music has gained a global following, particularly through platforms like YouTube, where she posts both original tracks and covers. She has released several well-received projects, including her EP ‘Vanilla Sky’ and album ‘Can’t Stop The Dawn’.
Despite her independent status, Eleni has achieved significant milestones, including selling out headline shows and gaining over 250,000 monthly listeners on streaming platforms.
You can listen to ‘Above Deep Water’ on Spotify to experience her ethereal and intimate sound.
