INTERVIEW: Edera
L: Leona
I: Isaac
I: Hello everybody and welcome to this weeks Something Something interview, today with us we have Leona Bradfield, also known as Edera. Hi Leona, how are you?
L: Hi Isaac.
I: How has 2021 gone so far, and also, congratulations on your recent single release.
L: 2021 has been good, I think, like, I haven’t, oh goodness. Ok, 2021 has been awesome. I think it’s like, kind of, it’s weird how we’re almost in the halfway point of the year so far and it feels like I haven’t done heaps, but like, things are starting to pick up which is really cool in terms of like, gigs and I’m really looking forward to putting out music at the end of this year which is a goal for me, yeah. But yeah, at the moment I’m focusing on gigs, which is skux.
I: So, what inspired the song Self Sabotage?
L: Um, the way I hate men. No, I’d kinda gone through this like, traumatic thing and it was quite amazing how out of that I just really wanted to like, I was just sitting in my room and I was living by myself because all my flatmates were away because of lockdown and stuff, so I was in my flat alone and I kinda just sat on my computer and like, jammed out the guitar, and I’d just gotten a new guitar as well. And then I was just in a very deep, deep, deep, deep kind of mindset and I don’t know, it’s kind of vague ‘cause it’s like, it helped me go through this like, healing process, yeah.
I: So how long have you actually been playing music for?
L: I started playing guitar when I was like, ten. Like, I was doing free guitar lessons at my school. And then I started writing songs when I was sixteen, because a teacher had started a songwriters club at my school and then like, I was so inspired, I like, went home, wrote my first song, brought it back the next week and showed my teacher and then he showed me the Massey course and all that stuff and told me to do Rockquest and yeah, he was really pushing for me to do this and I think that’s really, it helped me connect with something because I wasn’t really the greatest like, I couldn’t really imagine myself doing something very academic or very like, an office job or something and I just think it’s really cool that I can do a hobby that I really enjoy and all that stuff.
I: So, did you actually do Rockquest? How was that?
L: Rockquest, I, I don’t know, I did it twice. So, I did it in year twelve for the first time, so I went, you do like, the first heats, I got through that, just because they let all the soloists go through, they were like “Cool, all the soloists can go through.” I think ‘cause they didn’t meet the amount that they should do, so they were like “Here, all the soloists go through.” So we played at the Regent Theatre the next round and then, from what I concluded and gathered from Rockquest that year, I just know that I was like “Okay, I should get a band for next year.” Because it seemed like they preferred bands more. But then, I didn’t do that. The next year I went in as a soloist and didn’t get through the heats. No soloists got through the heats, only one person did. So it was just like, really weird. I think it’s, Rockquest was cool. Lots of musicians do it. And I think it’s really fun how you kind of connect with everyone who did it once and then at Massey we’re like, “Oh shit, we played Rockquest together.” And all that stuff. But yeah, I don’t know, it’s like, Rockquest is fun.
I: What has been your favourite performance this year?
L: Oh sheesh. Me, trying to remember all my performances, all like, three of them.
I: Busy schedule.
L: I know, it’s only just picking up in May, so keep and eye out for May, but like, shit. I remember playing in February, I played at Valhalla, I’m trying to remember who with, I think it was with Sure Boy and Wishdasher. Oh, very recently I played at The Southern Cross opening for Grace Duncan. It was really interesting because it was meant to be acoustic vibes but I was like “We can be a bit louder.” Um,
I: Newtown Fest as well.
L: I did Cupadupa! Newtown Fest was Siblings. But that was really cool as Siblings. I won’t talk about Siblings. Rest in peace. No I’m kidding. As Siblings, the Newtown fest gig was really cool because everyone came together for our last show. But as Edera, probably… I don’t know. They’ve all kind of been kind of just like, that at the moment. Like, I’ve always enjoyed each gig, but I feel like I’m still in that process of learning how to like, become Edera.
I: As like, perform as a solo artist type stuff?
L: Yeah….what?
I: Not quite, or like, grow into that.
L: Oh yes yes, growing into like, being confident within the Edera thing.
I: So, what actually is Edera?
L: So, Edera is my solo project. I have a band, I’ve got drums and bass and then I play guitar and vocals. And it is basically, I call my genre Ederacore, because I can’t put it down to just one thing. I like to think that it’s like, indie rock, shoegaze. It’s very like, sombre and I don’t know if I’d say melodramatic, ‘cause I don’t exactly know what that word is. But it’s very like, none of my songs are super happy but I think they’re cool because they’re kind of romanticising this like, my dark thoughts. So it’s very much my solo stuff, my songwriting stuff, all goes into Edera.
I: So, tell us about your writing process.
L: Songwriting process, basically, I don’t know. It’s hard for me to finish songs at the moment just ‘cause I still have to get into this routine of being like, “You need to write a song.” Like, I think I just have different techniques that lead to different things. Like, either I’ll come up with one line, like lyric and then I just go from that. Or I’ll, usually it’s like, I’ll have chords, like a chord progression, then I add the lyric onto that and have like, a melody and then kind of just expand that into verse chorus verse, and then I always tell myself “You’re gonna write a bridge for this song.” But I never do. I have like, one song that has a bridge in it, it’s stupid. But I really like walking and then writing down, journaling any kind of line that comes to my brain, I just write any little thing that I can use later and then I can come back to that. I really love journalling, it’s so sick.
I: So who are any icons or famous musicians that have inspired you?
L: So, I grew up around Nirvana and in my teens it was like, Lana Del Rey. And I know that in my earlier songwriting and even now, I kind of have been compared to, I’ve been compared to Lana Del Rey. No, I’ve had people tell me that they could tell I listen to Lana Del Rey through my songwriting. Just ‘cause I guess it is very sombre. And especially in Lana Del Rey’s older stuff in like, the Ultraviolence album, that really got me. I think yeah, that’s inspired me a lot. At the moment I’m listening to this band called Sorry, they’re like, a London band, it’s very trip hop and it’s super weird and I really want to get into weird stuff like, more experimental stuff rather than just like, form… music…um
I: Formulaic.
L: Yeah, formulaic. There’s just so many things that I want to do and it’s hard to kind of, I’m very indecisive with what I wanna do. So I can never predict what I am gonna come up with next. And I think that’s really cool though. Because it’s just like, me going through this process, this creative process and then just coming up with whatever.
I: What utensils do you eat mac and cheese with?
L: Okay. I love mac and cheese. With a fork. I’ll just say off there, that I have this awesome vegan mac and cheese recipe. But, with a fork, yeah. It’s awesome.
I: Very universal.
L: Nice and universal. You can just, yup.
I: Did you ever try a spork?
L: No. Maybe I should.
I: It has more surface volume.
L: That is true. I don’t know, I feel like a fork is just like, you’re just getting straight to it.
I: Universal. Something Something endorses forks.
L: I feel like a spoon is more universal.
I: Do you reckon? For mac and cheese? Yeah probably.
L: I don’t know like, oh gosh, big question. Just a knife, just a butter knife. Just the bowl. I just slurp it like cereal. I pour milk over it, make it liquid-y enough and slurp it. Shlurp it.
I: That’s awful.
L: Thank you.
I: Do you have milk with your mac and cheese? We should ask people that. Do you put the cereal in or the milk first?
L: I put the muesli on top, and just cut a banana, chia seeds, then I throw it into the smoothie, the NutriBullet and then I slurp my mac and cheese. I’m doing this one meal a day thing now, I’m just putting breakfast, lunch and dinner into a NutriBullet *blender noise*
I: Just make a litre of food for the day.
L: A litre of food! Fine, you get one cup at 1:00pm and then-
I: Another cup at dinner. Half a cup at supper. Dieting advice with Edera.
L: Don’t forget the protein powder just to like, stir it all together.
I: Do you put your coffee in, in the morning as well?
L: I would say… Fuck it, no liquid in the coffee, just instant plunger powder.
I: Just powdered milk.
L: And mac and cheese.
I: Here we go, you heard it here first! That sounds interesting.
L: It is. It tastes really nice.
I: I bet.
L: I have some!
I: Should we have a coffee break?
L: I’m not kidding guys, this isn’t a bit.
I: If you were on a desert island and you could only have three things with you, what would you take? We’re excluding the NutriBullet because that just makes sense.
L: Why exclude the NutriBullet?
I: Okay so four things.
L: It’s essential. The NutriBullet is attached to me so I get three other things. Okay, breakfast, lunch and dinner. I’m just kidding, I’ll take this seriously. A guitar, ‘cause, I’m a musician, can’t live without it! How long am I on the desert island for?
I: Forever. And you can’t say like, a radio to get off the island.
L: I wouldn’t bother.
I: Yeah, fair enough. Vibe with the trees.
L: Yeah I’d take a guitar, maybe some extra strings if I’m on there forever. Awesome, one thing left.
I: And a string winder.
L: Ooh, sometimes I think a bit too hard about the question. I’m too focused on just the guitar, because that’s all I’m thinking about now.
I: A second guitar?
L: Yeah, which guitar am I bringing? The electric? Can I include the amp in there?
I: Yeah, yeah you can.
L: Where am I gonna plug it in?
I: Maybe a power bank for the amp. Solar panels.
L: Guitar, NutriBullet, oat milk.
I: Just a lifetime supply of oat milk.
L: A lot of oats. Actually, screw the oat milk. Oats. Oats itself. Because, I can make porridge with some sea water I guess.
I: Salty porridge.
L: Fun fact, if you wanna know a fun fact about me, I don’t eat my oats with any milk on it at all.
I: Just dry oats?
L: Yeah. No, well I put water, I cook it with the porridge, but I just use water. And then when I eat it I have like blueberries and banana but I don’t put milk over it. Is that weird?
I: Yeah, it’s universal. Its like the alternative way to eat oats. I don’t know, I was poor in first year and just ate it with hot water.
L: Okay I’m glad, I’m glad. Yeah anyway, oats, guitar, NutriBullet.
I: Nice, a whole life of sustenance.
I: To round it off, what are your goals for the future? So not necessarily this year, but, big goals.
L: Become a shift manager at Starbucks.
I: Earn that $22.50.
L: Goals. Oh, not to end up going back to Fielding. Ever. No, kidding. No I wanna stay in Wellington, that’s it. And keep doing music. Of course. I wanna actually like, release music and yeah.
I: Just go ham.
L: Exactly.
I: Do you have any final thoughts or shoutouts before we wrap up?
L: Hit me up for my mac and cheese smoothie recipe. That’s it. Follow me on Instagram @edera___ and DM me for my mac and cheese recipe. I love you!