Speaking from her home in Castlemaine, Eliza Hull reflects on connecting with creative communities, her upcoming album and her anticipated performance at Melbourne Recital Centre this October.
Eliza Hull – a musician, writer and disability advocate – is a force of nature. Her accolades, awards and contribution to television and journalism, along with her role as one of Australia’s leading disability advocates in music, attest to this. But her music speaks even louder.
A genuine authenticity and sincere passion for what she does is woven throughout Eliza’s work. Her EP Here They Come, released last December, showcases the eloquent penmanship and cinematic soundscapes you’d expect from a true master of their craft. Now, with a new album on the horizon, Eliza is set to debut her latest collection of music at the Melbourne Recital Centre on October 5 – before the songs have even been recorded.
Eliza Hull at Melbourne Recital Centre
- October 5
- Melbourne Recital Centre
- Tickets here
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As a writer deeply embedded in various creative communities, Eliza understands the power of words in capturing thoughts and feelings. “I feel like it’s sometimes easier to untangle your thoughts in song or in a creative outlet,” Eliza says. “It would be harder to sometimes say [those things] out loud to people.” Her fans would agree, as her music often gives voice to unspoken thoughts, bringing light to the shadows.
“I feel like I’ve used [writing] as a vessel to speak my mind and share my inner thoughts and speak about things that maybe I’ve hidden in the past,” she says. “More and more, I’m becoming more honest in my songwriting, which I’ve really enjoyed.”
Here They Come reflects a changing world
One of the themes explored in Here They Come is her experience of living with a disability – a subject she took time to open up about. “I kind of just never spoke about it,” she says. “It felt too hard and too vulnerable to open up about having a disability.” Instead, she would hide the fact that she walks differently from audiences and industry people. “I would often pull up a curtain and get my bandmates to lift me up on the stage.”
“It wasn’t really until this recent record where I decided to speak about it more openly and honestly,” Eliza says. “And I think that’s because the world is changing, we’re having more conversations about diversity. I felt like it was less scary for that reason, and I think also just feeling ready in myself, not to hold that weight of hiding myself.”
“It’s like a weight has been lifted”
In choosing not to hide, Eliza has created a body of work that resonates deeply with audiences all over. “It’s like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders to be able to speak about it,” she adds. “In turn, it’s helped people, other people – not necessarily with a disability – but just with certain differences or a feeling like they might hide a part of themselves.” It’s a sentiment that many can relate to.
If that’s any indication, Eliza’s upcoming album promises nothing short of the powerful songwriting she has become known for. Musically, she teases that she’s exploring new sonic territories. “The songs are really different,” she reveals. “They’re slightly more organic, lots more drums.”
“I’m really proud of these songs”
“But the themes that I’m working with are still around having a difference or having a disability,” Eliza says. “Change is the theme – letting go, surrendering. There’s so much change in the world right now. It’s been interesting to think about how much change the world endures and looking at the lighter and the darker aspects of our life. I’m really proud of these songs.”
The October 5 show at the Melbourne Recital Centre will be the first time audiences hear Eliza’s new work live. Performing in the intimate Primrose Potter Salon, there couldn’t be a more perfect venue in Melbourne to experience Eliza’s ethereal soundscapes than the delicate organic acoustics of this concert hall.
“It’ll be perfect,” she says. “There’s nothing like playing songs for the first time. There’s a real energy in that and I’ve got a feeling that we’ll be able to capture that with some of the same members in the band, but also some new ones. I think that [the Primrose Potter Salon] will be the right place for [the new work] – that kind of intimate setting to listen to these songs that I’ve really honed in on the lyrics and really worked hard to make it the best work it can be.”
In addition to the performance, Eliza will run a free songwriting workshop that same day for emerging musicians, who will then perform on stage at the Melbourne Recital Centre. “I think the creative part of music is what’s kept me going,” Eliza says. “But the other part that’s really kept me continuing is giving back and enabling people that might not have been given a chance to come together and share their story and express who they are.”
Eliza Hull’s songwriting workshop
The Recital Centre show couldn’t come at a better time for Eliza Hull’s fans, or for anyone interested in witnessing this stalwart musician perform live. Lately, she says, “I’ve been writing heaps and heaps of music. I’ve had a bit of a prolific spell where I just cannot stop writing songs.”
Lucky audiences will get the chance to hear her bold, energetic, yet raw new work in one of Melbourne’s most acoustically beautiful venues. Eliza Hull and the Melbourne Recital Centre are sure to be a match made in heaven.
You can get tickets to see Eliza Hull at Melbourne Recital Centre on October 5 here.
This article was made in partnership with Melbourne Recital Centre.
