Athena Interview: SXSW 2010

Posted on Mar 7th 2010 4:12PM by Eric Byers
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Athena is a London-based singer-songwriter with an Anglo-Greek background. She has played at England's legendary Glastonbury Festival and is currently working on a new album. Spinner spoke to her before she heads to Austin, Texas for SXSW 2010.

Describe your sound in your own words.

A tree with lots of branches growing and extending up into the sky! I write at the piano. My songs are about everyday stuff we all go through, but with a touch of fantasy -- life from my little angle, my way of seeing the world. My sound is quite intimate and exposed, and often crazy and fun. Lyrics are really important to me. They are sometimes multi-layered and can mean different things at once. My new album, 'Peeling Apples,' which I've just finished recording, sounds quite organic, I'd say. It has been a great process of ideas evolving and growing and eventually forming different sounds. The recording was a real extension of the songwriting itself. I've heard my music described as a bit like Norah Jones meets Sheryl Crow, with a pinch of Tori Amos, but I don't think you can really describe it in words. The only way to really know how it sounds is to listen to it and find out how it makes you feel.

What are your musical influences?

All artists that sing and play and write from the heart. Nature, love, contrasts, light and darkness, life and death, all shades of human emotion and experience.

How did you come up with your name?

Athena is my real name; I was named after my grandmother.

How did your band form?

I met [cellist, pianist, multi-instrumentalist] Ben Trigg, funnily enough, through MySpace. We then discovered we had lots of mutual friends. [Bass player, multi-instrumentalist] Tom Mason has been in the band from the start, when we were just a trio first touring the UK. I met him through the guitarist I worked with at the time. [Guitarist] Al Cherry I saw at a gig in London and loved his playing so I asked him to join. [Acclaimed session drummer] Roy Martin I also saw at a gig, and then met properly through my manager. He also introduced me to Tobias Froberg and Magnus Frykberg, the two producers I'm currently working with on my next album.

What's your biggest vice?

Being an incurable optimist! I always see the best in people and fall in love with their potential, which unfortunately is not always the reality.

Beatles or Stones?

It's like being asked to choose between two of my favorite drinks. Depends on my mood. I discovered the Beatles really young. Many of my earliest memories are linked to their songs. I spent a lot of time daydreaming to their music, so they have a deep place in my heart. Then as a teenager I discovered the Stones, and they blew me away too. I remember locking myself away in my bedroom for three days, painting an entire wall while listening to the Stones.

What's the craziest thing you've seen or experienced on tour?

Sporks! A spoon at one end, fork at the other. We discovered them on our first UK tour. Really funky, handy little things!

Eric Byers is a contributor from Seed.com. Learn how you can contribute here.