Zephyr

Article by Severine

It's refreshing, relaxing and ambient...it's Zephyr. Mixing her classical background with her interest in Eastern mysticism, Elizabeth Henshaw produced Zephyr, "a world-fusion" project as she describes it. Featuring various artists and vocalists, her first two albums received widespread radio play in Australia and UK.

A long time resident on We7, we now get the chance to speak with Zephyr and learn more about her music...

The interview

Hi Elizabeth! How are you today?

Very well thank you Severine. I appreciate this opportunity to be interviewed on We7!

You have been one of the best artists on We7 for several weeks now, how does it feel?

It's pretty amazing to be able to watch thousands of people downloading my music consistently over a period of time, especially since it doesn't fit neatly into the most popular genres.

What is the story behind Zephyr?

Zephyr is essentially a studio-based project which I started in 2000, when I decided that all the music I was writing for fun should really be recorded, produced and put out there. So I taught myself production, and evolved from being a classically trained pianist to becoming a composer, lyricist, arranger, producer, piano/keyboard player and programmer. I found talented vocalists and instrumentalists from a variety of musical backgrounds to come and record the parts I wrote out for them, as well as other lyricists to contribute. With the first (self-titled) album "Zephyr" finished and mastered, I was offered a music publishing contract in 2001 with Origin, and went on to write and record "Flame" which was released in 2005. The combination of having a deadline but also total creative freedom works very well for me.

How would you describe your music?

Well, as every retailer has put it in a different category that's quite difficult to answer! I like to call it classical/world fusion, as it is quite complex musically, for example using odd time signatures like seven beats in the bar which is most often found in Indian music. The motivation, though, is the desire to uplift, soothe or inspire people.

How do you choose your vocalists, musicians, etc?

I like to approach people who inspire me, but they also need to able to read music and be prepared for the session. Some vocal sounds are more appropriate than others for particular songs. I also sometimes decide I want to incorporate a particular musician into the album, so I will write a track specially for them!

What are your musical and personal influences?

First and foremost JS Bach, the greatest composer who ever lived, followed by Ralph Vaughan Williams. Living composers who are an inspiration include Thomas Newman, Randy Newman, Bill Whelan, Hans Zimmer, Ennio Morricone, Nigel Westlake. I love Flamenco, Indian Classical music, Kawwali, and traditional Celtic music. My biggest personal influence is the perfection and balance in nature.

I have noticed that you are quite keen on painting too: is it your second passion after music?

I'm passionate about everything ornate and colourful! I like doing paintings on furniture and walls; my favourite project was painting panels of flowers all over a room, like the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul. I also like combining Chinoiserie and Art Nouveau; a detail from a dragon screen I made was used on the cover of "Flame".

What's next for Zephyr?

For the third album I am working more collaboratively with a variety of artists. The albums should evolve so that new musicians and their aspirations are featured as well.

Any message to our users?

Apart from a big thank you to Zephyr fans, I would ask everyone to tell their friends about We7 because I believe you are doing great work promoting independent artists and labels, while at the same time remaining commercially viable. The best way we can support We7 is to tell other people about it!