To celebrate the selection of this year’s New Voices cohort, we caught up with all the selected artists and composers for a quick chat.

Here, we speak to New Voices 2020 composer Tamsin Elliott

Can you tell us about your musical influences?

While I come from a background in English and Irish traditional dance music, since my teens I have explored a myriad of folk traditions from beyond these islands, including Eastern European, Mediterranean and Arabic music. Alongside these traditional styles my ears are often full of contemporary jazz & classical, minimalism, experimental folk and drone music, all of which make up a palette that feeds into my compositions. Living with chronic illness has shifted my tastes and drawn me more towards music which the listener can sink into and be enveloped in sound.

What are you working on at the moment?

I’m currently on a residential with my band Solana, writing and arranging material for our next album. Plenty of coffee and wild swimming happening in the breaks. Aside from Solana, I have been working on new music with folk musician Sid Goldsmith. I’m also in the planning phase for the follow up to my debut film [FROM THE COOP], which explored life in lockdown through performances and interviews with the musicians in my household.

What are you looking forward to most about New Voices?