Quickie with Evita Manji
Songbird from Thessaloniki leads pack of gay wolves
A debut album, a world tour, and an evolution later I met Evita Manji in Athens after their homecoming show. At the Lycabettus Theatre, on a hill with all of ancient-chic Athens behind them, Evita opened for Arca before a hot and excited crowd of Greek queers. Later that week, after I'd lost my phone and spent the week living a Mediterranean lifestyle of sun, beaches and lunches that turn into dinners, I linked up with Evita at their studio to play with some music toys and ask about their sex icons. I ended up learning a lot more about birds, wolves, love and what they like to play while hooking up...
KG: So you’ve just come to the end of your album tour! What the BUTT has been on your rider this whole time?
Evita: It’s pretty simple. There’s always organic white wine, berries…like strawberries, blueberries, raspberries…nuts, vegan snacks – especially tortilla chips and hummus. Um. And always a vegan meal. That’s it. I’m pretty easy, you know, but some people still fail to meet my needs.
So the live show has evolved a lot since I first saw it, particularly your performance style. What else has changed for you since the start of the tour?
I mean, I just got more comfortable. I was playing live shows before the album came out, but I wouldn’t consider myself a natural performer, like, I’m a shy person in big crowds. At the first show I played, like two and a half years ago at the South Bank Centre in London, I remember going on stage and feeling super anxious and not really being aware of my body. Back then, I wasn’t taking much care of my body either, but now I have more control over it. And more control over my voice.
What’s changed with your voice?
My singing has evolved through touring, actually. I realized what I wanted to sound like and what I wanted it to feel like. I didn’t want to make my album with performance in mind, because recording at home or in the studio and being on stage are two completely different things. I decided to get vocal coaching lessons. Now I’ve gotten to a point where I just really love being on stage.
So I guess that’s who you’ve become. But like, if you could be someone else for seven minutes, who would you be?
Like anyone or anything?
Maybe it doesn’t even have to be a human.
Fine. Then I’d like to be a bird with really long legs, because I love how they walk and how their legs move. So I’d want to experience that. And I’d also love to fly and to sing as a bird! Their vocal system is much more complex than ours.
Do you have a favorite bird?
Yeah, I love egrets and I love coots and I also love ibises.
So I saw you at a straight bar the other night, but you had this like…force field of gays around you.
Yeah, my wolves!
Tell me more about your faggy side – because you do give kind of a twinkie energy.
Yeah. I mean, I feel like I was raised by wolves and the wolves were gay. Growing up, I was always surrounded by gay people. As a teenager in my hometown, I’d only hang out at this mostly lesbian gay bar as well as this lesbian club. After becoming an adult, I started clubbing and it was always with gay men.
Do you have any sex icons?
Sex icons?
Sex symbols. Or like style icons.
All of my best friends actually. They’re all just, like, really fabulous…and gay. Um, but let me think…
What about fictional characters?
Yeah, there’s this one anime character, Ciel Phantomhive… He’s so gay, yeah. Like, I remember reading fan fiction about him and his butler in a gay relationship…very homoerotic.
Do you watch porn at all?
Um, not really.
So if you don’t watch porn and, like, when you’re masturbating, what are you doing? Are you thinking about something or do you use toys….
I mean, I don’t want everyone to know what’s going on. It’s private for me…
Do you need to be in love when you’re having sex?
Yeah yeah yeah yeah.
So would you say love is a “kink” for you?
Yeah, definitely. Otherwise, I’m really not concerned with it. And also, I think there are different forms of affection and levels to what sex can be, you know? Even just, like, cuddling is enough.
Do you fall in love easily?
No, it’s really difficult. Someone has to win my heart. They have to be really special and like…introduce a new perspective to my reality.
That’s what turns you on?
Yeah, but I also have to feel like I am very similar to that person and that they complete me. And they have to make me feel like I can be myself completely, that I can be like a child.
So you’re a bottom!
Am I a bottom? I think I’m vers! (laughs)
What do you listen to when you’re having sex?
I mean, um… I remember with Sophie, we’d actually leave Ableton open and just, like, play stuff we were working on.
(laughs) Listening to demos is hot. So the production of your music is known for its sound design. What’s coming up next?
Well, first of all, I really hope the vinyl of my first album Spandrel? is going to come out soon. But I’m waiting for this album’s cycle to be over – I really want to put out a new album that I’ve been working on and introduce my new self to the world.
What’s different about your new sound?
I’ve been studying music theory. You know, and I’ve been improving my singing. The new music I’m working on gives more freedom to my voice. Also, I recently brought my friend Ludwig Wandinger – who’s my favorite person to make music with – on stage, to perform an acoustic version of one of our new tracks. He played the guitar. It was really cute and that’s definitely something I want to do more.
Cool! Well, it’s exciting to hear how you’ve grown and been inspired as an artist… Is there anything else you want to add? Do you want to talk about sex more?
Hmm. Let’s just say I love all the songs and dances birds make to attract mates. I’m into that kind of flirting.
