JOANNA DAVIS talks to West Dorset husband and wife musical duo Elijah and Ava Wolf, AKA The  Gravity Drive, whose much-awaited debut album has just been released on the back of their songs receiving national radio airplay.

IT has been a two-year slog for The Gravity Drive.

Recording most of their album Testament in their living room, raising their daughter Dot and booking any available gig, they’ve made it big without having thousands of pounds chucked their way by a record company.

And, remarkably, ears at the country’s most listened-to radio station have pricked up at their alt-pop sound.

The band’s single Fun was played by Janice Long on Radio 2 and ‘Whisperin’ Bob Harris has also supported them with Cherry Ripe receiving recent airplay on the station and also on BBC 6 Music.

And their nine-track album Testament is an instant alt-pop classic, evoking shades of the Beautiful South, the Pet Shop Boys and dubbed ‘clever, grown-up pop’.

Ava said: “As we’re independent with no sort of financial backing for marketing or anything, we’ve found that by releasing singles we’ve been able to get noticed.

“We’ve already released four singles and we’ve gone on to build on our fan base. It’s been really beneficial.”

Elijah, who started out as a solo artist, said: “We enjoy being creative and love being in control of what we’re doing.

“Sometimes throwing money at something doesn’t give you the result you want.”

Technology has been a leveller for up-and-coming musicians, the pair think.

Ava said: “We recorded most of our stuff on our own equipment.

“We’d like to think that this is going to be the future for more artists.

“Because making your own music has become easier and easier I think we can enjoy a future where you can record music in your own living room and get your music out there.

“When we started out we weren’t aware this was possible, labels were paying for pluggers and we didn’t have the cash to do that.

“We didn’t know whether people would answer our emails but the response has been phenomenal.

“We have had a lot of help from Radio 2.”

The pair are currently promoting the album, will record a session for Bob Harris in February and plan to tour in the spring.

They have performed numerous gigs lately, with Elijah even providing solo support to American singer-songwriter Nell Bryden.

Elijah said: “We’ve been doing a lot of driving, playing a lot of gigs and part of the fun of being with our band is having all those jokes and good times with them.”

The couple met in Netherbury, near Bridport.

Ava had returned from Los Angeles after working as an actress and Elijah was at art college in Winchester.

I’m speaking to the duo on speakerphone from their Bridport home.

We were due to meet in person, but my car’s latest in what seems to be a series of garage visits put paid to that. Although the music takes them away, Bridport is a place they could never tear themselves away from, Ava tells me.

“It’s home for us.

“We’re not originally from this area and when we got here we thought we would only stay for a while.

“Our neighbour told us it’ll turn out that there will be nowhere like this for us and we wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

“He ended up being completely right.”

Elijah said: “We’ve got a very solid fan base here and hopefully it’s growing.

“Bridport was the first place we played as the Gravity Drive and the feedback has been great.

“There’s a really good vibe in the town and we hope that our music will be enjoyed by as many people as possible locally.”

Gravity Drive are influenced by David Bowie, The Beatles, dance music, house music and Bob Marley.

But surely their sound – a male and female voice harmonising in perfect synchronicity – is completely unique right now, I suggest, the likes of which haven’t been heard since The Beautiful South?

Elijah said: “I hope that for us there is a real gap in the market.

“We have had some comparisons with the Pet Shop Boys, Fleetwood Mac and the Everly Brothers.

“You can never really tell what’s going to work. Who’d have thought that Royal Blood could be so successful with a bassist and a drummer?”

Ada said: “It depends whether our music really speaks to people.

“If I like something, it resonates with me.”

And I tell them that Hearts and Minds, my favourite track of the album, really resonates with me.

It has a chorus you can’t get out of your head and is a song that you would expect to hear over and over again on the radio with powerful, stirring harmonies.

Elijah said: “A lot of people say that; Hearts and Minds seems to be the favourite and we want to release it as the next single in March.

“The ultimate goal for us is music that is both artistic and commercial.

“We’re both turned on by music that’s accessible and that’s the aim.

“Ada only started singing four or five years ago and she’s so good at singing harmonies.”

Ada said: “I think it comes from a certain background of listening to pop jazz.

“It has a lot of backing vocals and harmonies that make it easy and it does appear that I may have developed a bit of an instinct for it.”

l Testament by Gravity Drive is available to buy now from thegravitydrive.com or from Bridport Music in South Street, Bridport. The album will be available to buy from iTunes from November 10.

 

THE GRAVITY DRIVE – TESTAMENT – Track by Track Review

THE WILDERNESS
An epic-sounding cinematic opener to the album with a James Bond soundtrack feel to it.
FUN
The track that first got the Gravity Drive noticed nationally. On first listen it's obvious why – a sun-drenched summery-sounding single containing the killer line, ‘the media are messing with my head’.
TRICK OF THE LIGHT
In case you didn't know, the 80s are back – just ask Taylor Swift. Elijah sounds remarkably like Simon Le Bon on this track and combines beautifully with Ava in the harmonies.
CIRCLES
An alt-pop grower about the ending of a relationship. Probably the darkest song on the album.
CHERRY RIPE
This one has echoes of The Beautiful South. It starts off slow and bursts into a feisty sing-along treat. You can't help belting out with the lyrics, ‘Now you're ticking like a time bomb, kicking like a stallion.’
HEARTS AND MINDS
Without doubt, my favourite track. Bursting with deep, searching lyrics about regret, Elijah and Ava combine on a raw, contemplative chorus. It has radio-friendly hit written all over it.
TEAR ME APART
A full-on, no-holds-barred duet about a destructive relationship.
BOY
A simple ballad showcasing Elijah's strong voice backed by Ava and piano and – unusually – a bit of French horn. Bluesy and beautiful.
BLINDFOLD
Ava shines in this violin-drenched number about seeing someone properly when you truly love them.