Start Listening To: Nighttime

Our latest Q&A explores the creative journey of Nighttime's Eva Louise Goodman.

Welcome to our Q&A with Eva Louise Goodman, the musician behind the Nighttime project. Her latest album, Keeper Is The Heart, is a reflection of her creative journey towards greater freedom and intimacy with a bigger production. With influences ranging from Vashti Bunyan to Pentangle, the album blends folk and sixties rock with modern sensibilities. Goodman's experience performing with Mutual Benefit and love for life on the road have also shaped her music. In this Q&A, we'll dive deeper into the creative process behind Keeper Is The Heart and explore Goodman's inspirations and aspirations.

Can you tell us who you are, where you’re from, and something about the music you make?

My name is Eva. I grew up in the woods outside of New York City, and live in that area now, by way of a number of years spent in Brooklyn and Montreal. I think the forest is the natural habitat of my music, and it’s been beautiful to step away from city life the past few years.

We love your new album Keeper is the Heart. Can you tell us more about how it was produced?

Thank you! The album is very much a work of perseverance. I started out trying to record it in the fall of 2019 and didn’t end up with the final result until the spring of 2022. I recorded and produced it with Rick Spataro (who plays as Onlyness and is a member of Florist) at his apartment in upstate New York. Ultimately, we flew through the process, really only spending a day or so per song, making up the majority of the arrangements as we recorded. Once that was done, I sent it around to some other friends to add a bit of additional instrumentation.

How did you get started in music?

I took violin lessons as a child, and my grandmother gave me her old classical guitar when I was nine or ten and I started writing songs. Though I didn’t share them in any capacity until my 20s.

What themes and topics are most important to you as an artist?

I like writing about time and nature. I’m drawn to the feelings captured in particular ideas and moments, and then I try to hold them up to some kind of eye of eternity. 

What challenges have you faced in the music industry?

I think mainly I’ve gotten lost in other people’s notions surrounding “success.” Attention seems to be the greatest commodity in the music industry, and that’s kind of a doomed pursuit by nature. In recent years, I’ve tried to strive to have fun– liking the work I’m making, the people I’m collaborating with, the way I’m investing my energy, etc.– and I’m getting better results, or at least, I’m feeling better about the results.

What do you hope to accomplish with your music?

I just hope to share something beautiful. I think beauty opens a door to profound things that exist just beyond our usual perception. 

How do you stay creative and inspired?

I try to stay balanced and take care of myself. I think the better I’m nurturing myself, the better my chances are of channelling my emotions into something that’s creative, versus destructive.

What has been the most memorable moment in your career?

I think it’s the feeling I get every time I play a venue where I’ve seen an artist that I’ve admired perform. The other night I played at Mercury Lounge and recalled going to see Spencer Krug there when I was 18. On the way to that show a palm reader had stopped me on the street and told me I would be an artist. At the time I had no idea what kind of artist I could even be. It was a beautiful full circle moment. 

Is there any advice you wish you had received when starting out?

I wish someone had told me that I should be having more fun, and that enjoyment is the feeling that I should be pursuing as an artist. 

What’s it like working with Ba Da Bing Records?

It’s very nice! I’ve maybe found the most beautifully down to earth record label in the world.

Name an artist you’re still listening to from when you were younger and why? 

I always return to The Smiths. It’s so emotional, but so exciting.

What do you love right now?

Lighting candles, the fireplace in my house, playing music with my band, discovering a song I like and then listening to it again and again as I drive around the countryside.

What do you hate right now?

I hate my phone right now. But I also love it and rely on it. It’s confusing...

Are there any other releases you’re looking forward to in 2023?

I’m excited for Mega Bog’s new album. I’m quite a fan, and it seems like she’s in a whole new realm with this one!