An established musician and writer, Australian artist Eliza Hull is also embracing her inner strength as a disability and accessibility advocate, spotlighting her determination to educate and foster a change in perspective and structure.
With Bat For Lashes, Adele and Florence and the Machine flavours coursing through her newest single 'Running Underwater', Eliza's lyrics cut through like a diamond breathing life into a conversation thread society routinely pushes to the edges."For a long time I hid my disability, especially in the music industry," shares Eliza.
"This was due to under-representation of disabled musicians and I was constantly shown that disability was a deficit or something that should be feared and hidden.
"It was such a heavy weight holding onto these beliefs, it was exhausting to constantly hide.
"This song is about pushing up against society's view of disability, it's about letting go of the fear and being authentic and true to myself and showing that it's ok to be different."
Released in early May, 'Running Underwater' was recorded with ARIA Award-winning producer Pip Norman (aka Count Bounce), and will feature on Eliza's forthcoming EP 'Here They Come' (due later in 2023).
"The music video features my very good friend roya the destroya," adds Eliza. "She is a brilliant disabled dancer who moves like nobody I know.
"She actually started busking with an early version of the song and sent me a video of her performing with it. When I watched that video I knew I had to collaborate with her on the official music video.
"She has a beautiful ability to inhibit what I am feeling in my music and then express that through movement.
"In the music video she is like my alter-ego, almost like the spirit part of what I am feeling in the lyrics.
"Keiran Watson-Bonnice is the director of the music video. We have worked together in the past on the ABC Kids TV show 'And Then Something Changed', which I produced and wrote the music for. We shot the clip in one day, mostly one take in the Goods Shed on a freezing winter's day."
Recently touring the UK and scheduled for three east-coast Australia shows in August and September, here Hull shares a few of the songs that influenced 'Running Underwater'.
Florence and The Machine - 'Dog Days Are Over'
Florence and The Machine has such an incredible ability through her music to break your heart and mend it at the same time. I was influenced by their layered, chant-like vocals that you can hear in 'Running Underwater' in the lyrics 'Got to' sections.
Kimbra - 'Settle Down'
I have always been a big fan of Kimbra's and am most influenced by her alt-pop style, with layered vocals and interesting harmonies. I was influenced by her when writing my open 'ooh' sections to each verse of 'Running Underwater'.
Odette - 'Amends'
Odette has such an incredible ability to speak honestly in her lyrics. I was listening to her most recent record 'Herald' when I wrote 'Running Underwater'. Odette also produced one of my new songs that will be coming out on my new EP 'Here They Come'.
Ruth Lyon - 'Clown'
Ruth Lyon is a disabled artist like me; she lives in the UK. I love listening to her music because it's so incredibly relatable. I also feel we are similar as we sing about disability, but in a more figurative way than literal.
Gaelynn Lea - 'Breathe You Are Alive'
Gaelynn is another disabled artist and someone who I really look up to. She sings and speaks with such honesty and to me that is so incredibly powerful and something I tried to tap into when writing 'Running Underwater'.
Bat For Lashes - 'All Your Gold'
Bat For Lashes is a huge influence on my music. I love how ethereal her music is and I was listening a lot to this song when I was working with producer Pip Norman on 'Running Underwater'.
Kate Bush - 'Running Up That Hill'
I feel ‘Running Underwater’ has some Kate Bush vibes, mainly because of the synth sample that Pip Norman used and also my vocal samples that I recorded at the end of each chorus.
Eliza Hull 2023 Tour Dates
Sat 26 Aug - Melbourne Recital CentreSun 10 Sep - Riverside Theatre (Sydney)
Fri 22 Sep - Undercover Artist Festival @ Queensland Theatre (Brisbane)
