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The BiTS Interview:Eliza Neals

Eliza Neals is a dynamic powerful front woman, multi-talented musician, confident
producer and outstanding live performer. Performing at venues across the United States

and United Kingdom to enthralled crowds at festivals, stages and concerts many whom
become instant fans of this 'Detroit Diva’s' voice, stage presence and delivery. A

combination of blues-rock, psychedelic soul with a twist of jam band and southern rock,

she covers the full spectrum. Backed by her band the Narcotics, Eliza sings with the
power of Beth Hart, the emotion of Janis Joplin and Etta James, but the voice remains

her own. Ian McKenzie spoke to her on the telephone as she was driving home.

BiTS: Eliza, tell me something about your upbringing. Born in Detroit, was there a lot of music
in the house?

EN: Yes, there was. I grew up in a family, my dad was an

amateur, but he played guitar. He played banjo, harmonica.
He played all instruments. He would play folk music
from the Navy - he was in the Navy. He would play ‘Puff
the Magic Dragon’, ‘You Are My Sunshine’, all kinds of
songs. We were just little - three, four, and five years
old. I have two sisters and a brother. My sisters and I
would sing with him, and it really stuck with us,
and as we got a little older, he had a jug band,
and he did old blues tunes for neighbours.

We were maybe six, seven, and this music
stuck with us. Plus, I’m Armenian and then I did
a lot of Armenian music, and it was just a
musical kind of thing going on all the time.
We had a piano in the house. My mum
played piano. We started playing the
piano. My sisters and I would harmonise.
It would just go on and on. We started
writing our own tunes at ten, 11 and 12
and winning talent shows all over the
place, and of course, the influence of
Motown was right around

the corner. We grew up in
Southfield, which is a
suburb of Detroit, so we
heard all that music. This
was in the 70s, late 70s,
we were kids.

BiTS: How old were you when you started performing in public?

EN: The first talent show I did, we were little kids, ten years old, but I think I started winning
the talent shows when I was more like 13, 14. I’d play the piano and sing, and I’d win all the
talent shows all around town.