Welcome to the latest episode of our podcast series’ The Notes Between’ with Lara Eidi. Conversations exploring everything behind and about the world of songwriting! Our theme music ‘Breathe Love’ is from Lara Eidi herself available here

In this episode, Lara talks to songwriterLouise Dodds

Available on Spotify Apple and all major podcast platforms

Best Vocalist nominee at the Scottish Jazz Awards 2022 and 2023, Scottish jazz vocalist Louise Dodds is set to release her 4th studio album on Norwegian contemporary jazz label AMP Records. The album is written by Louise, based on her own experiences and the experiences of those closest to her. The release date is set for 14th March 2025, and also features Elchin Shirinov (arrangements and piano), Max Luthert (double bass) and Dave Hamblett (drums) and was mixed and mastered by Grammy winning engineer Chris Allen (Samara Joy, Gretchen Parlato). The album has been funded by Creative Scotland.

In May 2023, Louise released her third studio album, a duo project with Azerbaijani pianist, arranger and composer Elchin Shirinov titled Two Hours After Midnight. The album brought together their love of folk, classical and jazz and was supported by Creative Scotland. The album received 4 star reviews from Jazzwise, All About Jazz and MOJO Magazine, as well as critical acclaim from press in Europe, America and Japan, and was selected by All About Jazz as one of their top jazz albums of 2023. It also resulted in Louise being the focus of a podcast on Switzerland’s national station RTS.

The duo then worked on a writing commission through PRS Foundation for Music on the theme of Belonging, with lyrics by Louise and music by Elchin. The subsequent compositions were performed as part of their summer 2024 tour. Prior to this release, Louise released her first album in 9 years in March 2022. The album, ‘The Story Needs an Ending’, was also Louise’s first fully original album. She took the album on the road, performing 12 dates across Scotland, Northern Ireland and England. The album was selected by Jim Gilchrist in his Arts Review of 2022 in The Scotsman. It was also selected as Album of the Week in the UK, Central America and Asia.

Recorded in Glasgow in June 2021 with fellow Scots Tom Gibbs, Andrew Robb and Alyn Cosker, the album contains 10 tracks which Louise wrote by delving deep into her own life experiences, touching on subjects like grief, relationships, learning to trust life again, and emancipation. Many of the tracks were written during lockdown, with some being showcased as part of Louise’s lockdown collaboration project, ‘Songs From The Blue Room’. During lockdown, Louise also collaborated with London jazz guitarist Ant Law, resulting in the single Whispers (Credits) being released (as well as this rendition of Coltrane’s 26-2!)

Prior to lockdown though, 2020 saw Louise having the incredible honour of opening for Norma Winstone MBE as part of the Scottish Jazz Weekend in Edinburgh, Her career has also seen her performing at London Jazz Festival, Pizza Express, Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival, Glasgow Jazz Festival as well as in Europe and the Middle East.

Her previous album, ‘Fly’, released in 2013, featured UK jazz heavyweights John Pearce, Dave Green, Steve Brown and Martin Shaw, and that year she was also awarded funding by Jazz Services UK and Arts Council England for her upcoming UK tour. In 2012 Louise was semi finalist at the International Jazz Vocalist Competition in Lithuania.

Louise also performed the Title Theme and Credits Theme for the PS4 game Mutazione in 2019. She is also an accomplished writer in many genres and has songs published by Universal and BMG.

In addition to her performing, recording and writing work, Louise is Deputy Chair of the Scotland Council for The Ivors Academy and an elected member of The Ivors Academy Senate representing the members at a national level.

Louise is supported by Creative Scotland, PRS Foundation for Music and Help Musicians.

Athens born to Lebanese Canadian parents, Lara Eidi is an artist that thrives on being different. As an independent artist, singer and multi- instrumentalist, she has carved a path for herself that continuously aimed at reshaping and developing her voice as a storyteller. An accomplished and reputable singer-songwriter, pianist, recording artist and jazz- folk vocalist of her own accord based in London and Athens. Her music has gained her critical acclaim as a genre bending artist (BBC Artist, 2020), described as “a singer with true gift of a voice, a kind soul, and a captivating presence.” (Jazz UK). At the heart of her being as a multi-disciplinary artist, she is sought after as a composer for vocal film scores, writes as a freelance music journalist, and is in demand as a creative workshop leader. Her music seeks to elevate and heal, and as a result, she creates genre- defying songs with a great emphasis on story telling. Her latest album ‘Sun’, her long awaited debut album, is all about pulling the threads of her folk, acoustic rock and jazz-classical upbringing to her message of hope, empowerment, and freedom. As a soloist, her recent debut performance at the infamous Royal Albert Hall, singing select pieces from Greece and Lebanon form the MedievalByzantine Traditions sees Lara engaging on a series of select and innovative performances with the SAUDHA Indian Classical Music Association.  

Lara Eidi website