- If could introduce yourselves for us, who are you?
Hello, we are ELOAĦ, a singer/songwriter rock band with new age, jazz and pop influences. We started in 1995. Since then, a number of musicians has contributed to the different albums. Over the past couple of years a stable line-up crystalized: Orion Roos on electric guitars, Peter Douwenga on bass guitars, Johan van der Meer on drums and percussion, Dominik Mittergradnegger on saxophone, Lila Herderberg on vocals, and Elmar C. Fuchs on vocals, acoustic guitars, and keyboards.
- How did you all meet?
Shortly after I started the band in 1995 I asked Dominik if he was interested in playing saxophone and violin in the band, and we have been playing together ever since. The other current members joined later: I met Orion (e-guitar) and Johan (drums) independently shortly after I had moved to the Netherlands in 2008; LiLa (vocals) joined a few years later, as did Peter (bass guitar).
- How long have you been playing?
In the current formation we have been making music together since 2016; the band was founded, though, in 1995.
- What three words would you use to describe the music you play?
Singer/songwriter rock.
- What are your musical influences?
I grew up learning classical piano and taking classical singing lessons, so classical music is certainly an influence. As a teenager I started teaching myself guitar and tin whistle, and I discovered my love for a variety of styles, for example melodic rock&metal (e.g. Savatage), Celtic/new age music (e.g. Loreena McKennitt), singer/songwriter music and chansons (e.g. Herman van Veen). Later on I discovered my love for jazz (e.g. Keith Jarrett). But that is just me. Every other musician of ELOAĦ has a different story, different tastes – parts of all that go into our music. Lately I someone told me that our latest album, “Proud to Love You.”, reminded him of “Murder Ballads” by Nick Cave.
- What’s the weirdest thing you’ve seen during a show?
We have not played live recently. The weirdest thing I remember, though, happened during a show more than 20 years ago – the audience was slowly moving more and more backwards during a show for no apparent reason – afterwards we found out that our mixing technician got drunk during the show and slowly increased our volume more and more so that staying closer to the stage had become increasingly unbearable for the audience…
- Being away from the stages in the last few years, where was the first place you visited when the restrictions were lifted?
Nowhere yet, we have been busy in the studio instead; we just released a ballade / soft-rock album entitled “Proud to Love You.”, and we are now working on a hard rock album.
- What’s the one record you own but wouldn’t ever admit to owning?
I am not ashamed of the music I own – from classical to singer/songwriter, heavy metal and jazz, spoken word or synthesizer, there is not one album that I won’t admit to own – what would be the point of that? If you are looking for weird stuff, I could mention that I own two records by Christian Ide Hintze – but that is just one example of many; I like experimental music.
- What have you been listening in the last few weeks?
Mostly the premixes of the new album we are working on, and the track “Black Bishop” by the Dutch melodic metal band MAESTRO. They are simply fantastic, if you don’t know them and you like 80-style melodic hard rock and metal, give them a try!
- Are there any releases you have planned in the near future?
Yes, we are working on a hard rock album about the different aspects of pain and how to deal with it. In contrast to our latest album which was mainly about love and the positive aspects of being in love, this new album will be faster, darker – and heavy.
Check out Eloah’s 2023 record, ‘Proud To Love You’ below.
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