Manchester soulstress EVABEE will release her debut album on DRS’s Space Cadet imprint in February 2023.

A key member of the Space Cadet family for some time now, including support on DRS’s now-legendary Man Who Fell To Earth live tour, after years of grafting in the Manchester music community, EVABEE came to many D&B fans’ attention around 2019 with the still-smouldering Unconditional, a bewitching fusion with DRS, Altosounds and TNMS (plus a killer remix from LSB)

Collaborations with likes of Marky and Fox have followed in recent years before the she levelled up with Lifeline this month. A link-up with fellow Manny vibesmith Sl8r, Lifeline marks the roll-out of her most ambitious project to date, her debut album – Moments Of Clarity.

Set for release in early 2023, and loaded with an exciting slew of kindred spirits on the dials – all of whom will be revealed by EVABEE and Space Cadet in due course – it’s an exciting body of work that documents some deeply personal moments in EVABEE‘s life so far and how she’s navigated life’s challenges to become the inspiring artist we’ve been seeing and hearing on stage and on records this year. If you were one of the lucky people to catch her performing at DRS‘s seminal Jazz Cafe show last year, you’ll know just how much energy and soul this unstoppable new generation talent has to offer.

Fresh from a summer of shows, including one of Sun And Bass 2022’s most talked about shows at Bal Harbour, EVABEE tells us where she’s at right now and shares a few exclusive details on what to expect from the album….

EVABEE! How are you? How is life and how has your 2022 been? 

Mate I am buzzing beyond measure. This year’s been incredible. A lot lead-up to this year from personal goals and I really felt I’ve come into my own. I was in a hole for a bit and really struggled to see my direction as an artist, it really got to me to tell you the truth… So at the start of 2022 I needed to shake myself up and do what I promised myself I was going to from when I first started making music; that same energy needed to come back but with the support and knowledge I’ve acquired.

The industry can be a mad place but when you let go and trust in your own authenticity, the lightbulb starts to flicker on again. I’ve completed songs that I can’t wait to get out there started new projects, trusted in my own skills in production and songwriting and I’m just ready to go sicker with more self belief than I’ve ever had!

Supporting Del on tour was a huge highlight, touring the country with someone who I admire so very much as an artist and a human alongside some of the best musicians and DJs in the game… Blew my mind honestly and something I’ll hold on to forever. From supporting DRS at Jazz Cafe where people are singing along to tunes that weren’t even out to performing main stage at Outlook, playing Bal Harbour at Sun and Bass… The recognition I’ve been waiting for but, like I said before, I come into my own this year so it was time to take off, so grateful for the Space Cadet family for that validation and belief.

Amazing! And coming up on Space Cadet… Your album! What can you tell us about Moments Of Clarity? 

It’s pure personal this one. It has to be. It’s my first body of work. Each song is dedicated to one pivotal moment in my life, whether good or bad… Coming out of a pretty dark place of fear and disbelief to seeing clearer that I’m meant to be here doing what I do, and understanding why things have happened the way I have to help me get stronger and more resilient… And to just let go.

Self, family, love, pain. Life init. I knew it was time to make an impact and let everything in me out there, show my versatility and not be afraid of it. This is what I wanted to create with my first project, the different sides of my voice and artistry and how the different genres can bring a different side to me. I’ve been brought up heavily around soul and bass music and a strong message or feeling being within the music.

I always say, ‘If it ain’t got soul then it don’t make sense’ and I stick with it. Things were blurry when I was distracted of that, chasing some none existent goal that wasn’t authentic to me. I’ve stuck with the music that I love and been very blessed to have some amazing producers help me to create the sounds! I’m not a one sided artist and I never will be, I’m a lover of music and I’m so excited to show my supporters and the world the versatility of EVABEE. I can go skeng and spiritual within the same 30 seconds and I love to do it.

Love that! The build up to the album started with Lifeline, didn’t it?  Tell us about that tune and your collab with Sl8r. Loving the Sun And Bass flavoured video, too…

Sl8r is broski now, I first saw him about the jungle for a while and always wanted to create something sick with him, I feel he really gets that old school jungle sound so well keeping with some smooth soul flavours. I knew I wanted to encapsulate that street soul sound with strong gospel like harmonies for the breakdown and he really found the pockets to let that fly.

I wrote it when I started to get booked quite frequently, it still blows my mind that I’ve got to a position where people buzz off my music and I catch people singing along to songs, most of them unreleased… I thought to the time at Jazz Cafe when I supported Del on tour, had blind mic backing me on acoustic guitar and TMNMS going sick on the 1s and 2s…  And groups of people, strangers becoming friends singing there heart out to shit that I wrote and performed. A realisation that my music isn’t just a release to me, but actually hits people. It’s a relationship, an invisible lifeline and a connection between artist and listener and back again. The first line is an opener for the story of the project and we go from there!

I was gassed when Blindside and DRS invited him to play at Bal Harbour, he was READY mate… Blasted in like a rhino. He’s such a cold DJ and we managed to give Lifeline a huge spin a few times over the week. Yeah it made sense using all that amazing footage at Sun And Bass, big up Crums for capturing all that so naturally. I felt so in my element in Sardinia, different level of freedom and peace with my some of my favourite people in the world and Crums just caught it spot on. I’m a bit awkward in front of a camera, I’m not a posey posey person so that documentary performance style was too good!

The goodness continues…. Lifeline is out now on Space Cadet

Follow EVABEE: Facebook  / Instagram