2021-05-01
by
Eleanor Goldfield
I’ve released 5 records, and this is my first ever solo project.
It might therefore seem odd that I’m titling it “No Solo” - like I’m on some ironic quest to be artistically contradictory, like a flamboyantly chic artist at a gallery opening sporting a purposefully lopsided haircut and a condescending grin quipping “you just don’t get it.”
But no. It really is as simple as this: my first solo record without a band is no solo record. It’s a deep collaborative project that pushed me to not only dig far deeper than I had on other records, but pushed me to be fully present in these collaborations - because at the end of the day, this is my release - my unpacking of the world and my own angels and demons. And without the support, inspiration and brilliance of those who co-produced it, it would remain stuck inside of me like a nebulous glob of festering play-do, unable to find form or be coaxed out through my own circular musings.
It is also of course a nod to the labor of building new worlds, of toppling empires and rattling thrones - work that can feel so lonely and yet it is work that is bolstered by millions. The single person holding space on the frontlines is not alone, no matter what our eyes perceive. They are backed by hundreds if not thousands of supporters - doing care work, jail support, outreach, media, scouting and more.
So in that sense, this is to all those - the artists, the radicals - who feel alone, strange in an empty studio, scared on the street - you are not alone. This is no solo we sing, but a chorus en masse.
What People Are Saying...
"So fierce and clear and challenging. Her voice and poetry are powerful and penetrating!" - Grammy Award Winning Artist Lili Haydn
"While tackling themes of damnation, the radical track unapologetically forces into consciousness the destruction that collectively surrounds us while speaking to your soul with a recognition that only exceptional songwriters can achieve." - Amelia Vandergast / A&R Factory
"On No Solo Eleanor vocally explores the reflective and the vulnerable, the driving, determined, and, most importantly, the empowered. The record seethes with righteous indignation." - Terence Kumpf / Top Spin
"You didn't even get much of that introspection from Joni Mitchell or Joan Baez." - Larry Wines / Tied to the Tracks