Interview with Adina E

We caught up with Adina E to discuss her favoured audiences, her songwriting method and Leonard Cohen. Check it out:

Cougar Microbes: What time did you wake up today? Was it out of choice or necessity?

Adina E: Woke up at 9:30 after being out late at a funk concert in downtown Manhattan.

CM: Describe your sound to the uninitiated?

AE: I would say contemporary sound with touches of light jazz, blues, pop and soft rock. A melodic, adult sound, romantic and sometimes edgy. The kind of album you put on and don’t touch it till it’s over. Good for background, or set the mood or to keep you company while doing other things. or just to lay back and get absorbed by the lyrics.

CM: How do you kill time on the road when on the road? hobbies/games?

AE: If I’m alone in the car driving I will usually listen to music – sometimes I will even sing my own stuff. And often I will think about lyrics to write or situations to try to describe on words. And if there is scenery I will look out the window.

CM: What have been your favourite venues to play? Any Venues you hated?

AE: Each venue has its plusses and minuses. Can’t say I’ve hated anyplace – but it’s always more fun when there are people with good vibe and the sound is good. I like performing in various wineries where people are there to drink and have a nice time. Or a jazz club (Shablul Jazz Club, Papaito Club) where people are coming with the intention of hearing the performance. I love places where people can come to relax and have a drink and get into the mood.

CM: you able to write on the road or do you do this in your off time?

AE: Writing happens all the time in my head. Situations and sentences pop into my mind all the time. Even at a lecture or a conversation with someone who might say something to get me to think about a situation or even throw out a couple of words that can become a hook. The hard part is then sitting down to get it down on paper and start working it out.

CM: Is there a song you are simply sick of playing live?

AE: Not yet – when I will get sick of it I’ll just change it.

CM: What is the songwriting process like for you?

AE: Probably like most artists, some songs come easier and some songs take a lot of work. I actually enjoy sitting down to work on a song where I have only one sentence or a few words and then start writing around it. It’s a challenge. There have been some songs which I wrote which turned out to be a catharsis for me and then after I wrote them I didn’t need them anymore and threw them out. I guess it was more for me than for listeners. But I really love the challenge of writing lyrics that can be short and tell a story that people will want to be a part of.

CM: Do your songs go through many revisions and demos before recordings?

AE: There are changes that happen even during recording when a word just doesn’t seem right or a better word pop into mind. Of course during the composing process words sometimes change to fit the melody better.

CM: What came first, the lyrics or the melody?

AE: Both – since i write lyrics there have been melodies that were composed for my lyrics. And some have started with the melody and I added the lyrics later.

CM: What is your favourite track of yours?

AE: “Alone with You” – written together with my good friend and collaborator for several years already – Giora Linnenberg. He gave me the melody and I composed on to it. It might not necessarily have been words that would have come ordinarily if I was writing the lyrics first. But they work so well with the melody and there are many thoughts and phrases in there that I love and it is very beautiful musically as well. I also love “That’s no Way to Say Goodbye” which is a Leonard Cohen song that I have loved since I was little and so happy I recorded it. But frankly – I love the whole album

CM: If you could record any cover in the world what would it be?

AE: My first thought was “Stairway to Heaven” just because it is such a challenge to do it. But I know that is not a unique answer – But that is the first thing that popped into my head.

CM: What are your views on auto tune?

AE: I think there are certain places where it might help – but not to be used in a wholesale way thereby covering up the singer. I think we lose a lot of emotion and certainly the authenticity when it is all auto-corrected. And the reason we want to hear vocals is to get the human contact.

CM: Any other artists/bands from your local scene we really should know about?

AE: Many great bands and artists. Off the top of my head Ester Rada, Efrat Kohlberg, Ensemble Habibti, Mika Hari, Gilad Ephrat Ensemble and Shlomi Saban

CM: What is the most flattering thing you’ve read about yourselves?