How did you start making art/music?
As a child I was quite theatrical and outgoing. My father has a recording of me singing songs
from Annie when I was 5 years old. Then somewhere along the way I lost my confidence and
went inward. That’s when I began to write poetry. It was a way for me to be free without
necessarily exposing myself. Eventually I got the nerve to try writing poetry for performance. I
entered into a poetry slam competition and won. Then I started to meet lots of artistic/musical
folk who encouraged me to start writing rhymes and singing over beats. Over the years I have
experimented with different styles of music which has coalesced into my own unique sound —
a mix of dub, poetry and electronic reggae-style vibes.
What inspires you?
I draw most of my inspiration from my garden. I am constantly in awe of the ability of plants to
survive and even thrive against all odds. The garden is a great place to observe nature. Every
element — the sun, the soil, the water, the seasons — affects the way plants grow. I am deeply
moved by nature and its complex interconnections. The songs and poetry on my mixtape
EArth, released this past Earth Day, honour nature while critiquing our often dysfunctional
relationship with it.
Why do you make art/music?
I use music, writing and dance, to uncover a deeper understanding of myself and my
connection with the people I am living among here on Earth. When I go into my creative zone, I
sort of zoom out and see that we are all hurtling through the vastness of space, on a relatively
tiny planet for just a fraction of time as one being. I think we sometimes get caught up in our
own individual dramas and delusions and forget the reality of our fragile existence. Looking at
things with a wider lens helps me really appreciate what we have here in this moment in time.
So I guess being creative is grounding for me.
Is there any artwork or song you are most proud of?
My favourite song is one I wrote for my daughter when she was a baby. The song is called
“Zenith,” my daughter’s name, and also a term which refers to a point directly above
something. When I think of the technical term zenith, the very top of something, I think of it as
forever ascending. Since the universe is constantly expanding, the zenith travels on a path to
infinity. In other words, my daughter signifies to me the possibility of never ending life. From a
biological perspective we can live on when we pass down our genes to our descendants; but,
from another standpoint, our ideas and experiences can be shared with future generations. In a
sense, we all have the potential to live forever.
Do you have any artistic projects coming up?
I will be debuting a performance art piece called The EArth Chronicles at Porchfest in Niagara
Falls, ON, which will be live streamed on Facebook on August 26th at 6:30pm EST. I will be
sharing some of the songs from my mixtape as well as some other material. Hope you can join
me!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eveatoms/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/evelynatoms/view_public_for=110219127293566
Website: https://www.eve-atoms.com
