The musician that made Elizabeth Fraser “a better singer”
In the 1980s and 1990s, Scottish band Cocteau Twins forged a new kind of alternative music. Pairing ethereal, echoey soundscapes with heavenly vocals, the four-piece were instrumental in the development of the well-loved dream-pop and shoegaze sub-genres.
Atop their airy, atmospheric instrumentation sat the enigmatic tones of Elizabeth Fraser. The singer was essential to the Cocteau Twins’ unique sound for her oscillating vocals and nonsensical words. Though the band have become more associated with the latter, as the internet increasingly found joy in making jokes about the unintelligible nature of their lyrics, Fraser’s contributions to the band – and to dream-pop as a genre – cannot be understated.
On iconic tracks like ‘Lorelai’ and ‘Cherry Coloured-Funk’, the necessity of her individualistic vocals can be felt. At once, they blend into the dreamy soundscapes and rise above them, an instrument in their own right. Fraser has previously stated her admiration for the likes of Siouxsie Sioux and Nina Simone, but one musician had a particular impact on Fraser’s own singing.
Tim Buckley was one of the most powerful singers of the 1960s, experimenting with genre and vocals. The Cocteau Twins vocalist took inspiration from the depth of his vocals and music. “I could hear his soul and it was just… I just found it very powerful. Very healing music,” she explained in the 2002 Jeff Buckley documentary Everybody Here Wants You.
“I just thought he was so gifted, and ended up spending quite a lot of time listening to him,” she continued, “I think I’m a better singer because of that.” Fraser certainly channelled that same healing energy in her own delicate vocals. The Cocteau Twins frontwoman even covered Buckley’s most well-known track, ‘Song to the Siren’, with This Mortal Coil in 1983.
Just a decade later, Fraser found further inspiration and love in Buckley’s son. Fraser recalls meeting Jeff Buckley while she was having a particularly hard time, noting that, to her, he was “just like being given a set of paints… it was just like, I had all this colour in my life again.”
Mirroring Fraser’s idolisation for his father, the Scot also admired Jeff, a feeling she found to be mutual: “I mean, he idolised me before he met me. It’s kind of creepy, and I was like that with him. This is so embarrassing, but it’s the truth… I just couldn’t help falling in love with him. He was adorable.”
The two even recorded a duet titled ‘All Flowers in Time Bend Towards the Sun’, which has never been released officially. Tim Buckley’s impact on Fraser extended far beyond her singing capabilities, persisting into her love life, relationships, and, consequently, her healing and happiness.
