HYPETRAK: Eliza Doolittle - Big Things Poppin’

Sometimes, growing up can be hard. Making new friends, leaving home, and figuring out how exactly you want to spend the foreseeable future aren’t moves to take lightly. For the UK’s Eliza Doolittle, this happened on a much larger scale. The Camden native grew up immersed in the shadow of a musically talented family, perpetually feeling the weight of career decisions. It seems though, that Doolittle is handling these things in stride, having most notably come to prominence with her feature on Disclosure’s irresistible “You & Me.” While gearing up to release her forthcoming solo album, Doolittle has released the track “Big When I Was Little” – a nostalgic, soulful tune about being young and carefree. Here, HYPETRAK sat down with the artist to walk down memory lane, as well as look forward to what is surely a bright future. Enjoy a select excerpt below, while the full article can be read on HYPETRAK.

It will also be featured on your upcoming sophomore album. How would you describe the conceptual approach for your new LP compared to your debut album? How does your life experiences during the last three years are presented on it?
Well, in the last three years I hope I’ve grown as a human bean let alone as a musician. When I wrote my first album, I was very young, and hadn’t experienced much of anything really, certainly not love and no real pain. Since the last album, i’ve been on a mad journey. I began in one place and ended up on the other side of the universe it feels. I’ve written about my experiences over the last 18 months. There were times where I would write everyday and document what I was really feeling, just pouring it out. I could say this album is a heartbreak record, but it’s not. This is more than that. It is a realization, a discovery of so many things that i thought i knew, but i certainly didn’t. There’s still so much I don’t know and maybe will never know but throughout making this album I learnt more than I ever have before.

You were recently featured on Disclosure’s hit single “You & Me.” What does this song mean for your career?
For me, I just love making music, so we tried it out. “You & Me” was born and I absolutely love it, so I suppose it means good things.

What are you trying to reach with your music?
I’m always trying to reach that moment of understanding. Without spelling it out. Just knowing when you hear it what a song is saying and feeling, that’s when its great.

You’ve come from a family of artists. What does your family say about your career as a recording artist? Did they want you to pursue a more “white-collar” job?
(Laughs) Yes, my mother does say she would have preferred me to have gone for something less difficult career wise, she knows it’s such a hardcore industry. But she and my dad and my whole family totally back me and support me, specially since they know making music is making me so happy.