Faith Eliott on OK PAL Records: 'We want it to be something that is very inclusive and has a collective energy'
- Kenza Marland
- 13 February 2019

With exciting plans for the label and a new EP on the way, the folk musician and artist discusses what lies ahead
Faith Eliott is one of those rare people whose inherent creativity appears paramount to both their character and their life. They move seamlessly across medium and form, both uninhibited, and undoubtedly talented. Having explored everything from puppetry to poetry, sculpture to animation – alongside slowly developing a quiet but powerful songwriting and vocal ability – Faith is perhaps best described simply: as an 'artist'.
With an EP due for release in April on Faith's co-founded label, OK PAL Records, and a heart wrenching, hypnotising performance from the musician in recently released single 'Lilith's accompanying video, Faith is demonstrating to Edinburgh, and Scotland, a competent independence when it comes to artistic output. (And some serious costume and beading skills, set to be the envy of many!)
Faith's folky, often hauntingly beautiful, lo-fi music has drawn comparisons to Kimya Dawson of The Moldy Peaches, and it's clear why. There is a similar simplicity and authenticity in the purity of Faith's vocals.
Impossible Bodies, Faith's new EP, is inspired by medieval animal compendiums, with each song based around a different creature.
'Bestiary's are really cool. A lot of medieval scribes had never seen the animals they were describing and drawing. Some of the entries about, say, hedgehogs are really accurate, because they're like, around. But the entries for panthers are these multi-coloured beasts with sweet smelling breath … there's loads of really weird stuff!
'Both my parents were historians, and I guess I was always around old stuff. Whenever I'd write, I would always use creatures. It feels so innate that I don't have any explanation for it.'
Having grown up in Minnesota, Faith was moved to the UK aged 13, and left home to come to Edinburgh at just 16. Completing an art foundation, before sculpture at ECA, Faith speaks fondly of community spaces such as the old Forest Café near Bristo Square.
'It was amazing. I still pine for that as an art space because it was really incredible. It was just an amazing building. I hung out there constantly and a lot of my friends now, I met there. It was a really DIY art space. It didn't feel like there was a lot of individualistic art going on. Instead, it felt like everyone was involved with this constantly evolving collaborative installation. I really love community spaces and feel like they're important.'
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