Āvā & The Fates is the latest musical project from Ava Ellis, a 17-year-old musician, songwriter, and producer, brought up in South London but now based in Sunderland. Her debut album, ‘Steve’, blends dreamy textures, layered electronics, autoharp, and experimental approaches with storytelling drawn from mythology, literature, and personal experience. Liza-Lou Campy caught up with Ava to discuss her creative process, her influences, and her emotional range.
You’ve described parts of your songwriting as feeling almost accidental or unexpected. When you sit down to write, are you usually chasing a specific idea, or following whatever emerges in the moment?
A lot of my songwriting is definitely spur of the moment. I’m often really fixed on an idea, feeling, storyline, or visual that seems to appear out of nowhere when I start writing the instrumentals. The hardest part for me is expressing the exact vision that I’m seeing, and sometimes it can be difficult to draw a line between what is actually there and what exists in my head. Often, by just sitting with the music, it crawls out as if it was always there. I never set out to write a specific thing and often end up feeling as if I am a vessel for characters channeling me, rather than pretending to be them.
Your music blends unusual elements – autoharp, layered electronics, and dreamy textures. What draws you to those sounds? How did you start experimenting with them?
I began experimenting with different sounds about a year and a half ago, when I started recording music at home. It began mainly by plugging in my electric guitar and layering strange effects to see what emerged. I was drawn to unusual instruments, such as the autoharp, because I wanted to harness them as almost another character. Even as a solo musician, my instruments feel like a band, each with a personality and presence that contributes creatively. Blending these elements felt natural because it was like they already knew each other.
Artists like Kate Bush, Bat for Lashes, and Cocteau Twins are often cited as your influences. What is it about their work that resonates most with you as a songwriter?
I grew up listening to Kate Bush and have always resonated with her both musically and emotionally. She has never been afraid to be perceived as a little deranged – for example, in ‘Get Out Of My House’, she replicates the sound of a donkey simply to advance the song’s story. That boldness has influenced me throughout my life. Bat for Lashes draws me in with her storytelling; she has an uncanny ability to conjure vivid narratives in my mind, which has shaped how I merge music and story. As for the Cocteau Twins, Elizabeth Fraser’s abstract, emotive vocals create a unique feeling for each song. I focus on the sound first, allowing it to guide my lyrics, inspired by how she uses voice as an instrument.
Your debut album ‘Steve’ moves through a wide emotional and sonic range. How did you approach shaping it into a cohesive whole?
Honestly, I didn’t try to make it cohesive in a traditional sense. The only thing I was precise about was the track order, so the journey felt logical. Each song is very different, but because they all come from my soul, they fit together organically.
You often draw from mythology and literature, including ‘The Odyssey’. What makes those stories relevant to you as a modern songwriter?
Classical literature often reflects human experience more clearly than modern writing. The emotions in Greek mythology – heartbreak, hope, disbelief – are timeless. When writing ‘Dear Odysseus (No One)’, channeling Penelope was natural because her emotions are still recognisable today.
‘Steve’ has been described as experimental but deeply personal. Was there a moment during making the album where you felt you’d found your sound?
I felt it with ‘Waxed or Waned’, when I was fully experimenting with instruments and techniques. But I don’t believe in a fixed sound. I’ll continue experimenting, and whatever emerges will always be authentically me.
You can listen to ‘Steve’ now on all major streaming platforms.
