Elizabeth Fraser
| Elizabeth Fraser | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Elizabeth Davidson Fraser |
| Born |
29 August 1963 Grangemouth, Scotland |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Associated acts | Cocteau Twins, This Mortal Coil, Massive Attack, Peter Gabriel, Yann Tiersen, Craig Armstrong, Jeff Buckley |
| Website | Official website |
Elizabeth Davidson Fraser (born 29 August 1963) sometimes also known as Liz Fraser is a Scottish singer, songwriter and musician best known as the vocalist for the band Cocteau Twins.
Fraser has a soprano vocal range. She is as well known for her perfectionism and reclusive nature as she is for her voice. She was described by critic Jason Ankeny as "an utterly unique performer whose swooping, operatic vocals relied less on any recognizable language than on the subjective sounds and textures of verbalized emotions". Fraser's distinctive singing has earned her much critical praise; she was once described as "the voice of God." Her lyrics range from straightforward English to semi-comprehensible sentences (glossolalia) and abstract mouth music. For some recordings, Fraser has said that she used foreign words without knowing what they meant – the words acquired meaning for her only as she sang them.
Elizabeth Fraser was the vocalist and lyricist in Cocteau Twins, a group founded in 1981 by Robin Guthrie and Will Heggie. At the time, she was 17 years old, and had never thought of herself as a singer. Guthrie and Heggie noticed her dancing at a club one night, and asked her to join their band. After an on-off phase, the band recorded some tracks which were sent as demos to John Peel and Ivo Watts-Russell of 4AD which led to their being signed by the London-based label and a successful career in music.
Fraser and Guthrie formed a relationship, and in 1989 had a daughter, Lucy Belle. Guthrie liberally used drugs and alcohol throughout the years they were together, and Fraser suffered a nervous breakdown during the recording of Four-Calendar Café. The couple broke up in 1993, but opted to continue a musical relationship until 1998, when Cocteau Twins were finally disbanded.
Fraser had an intense personal relationship with singer Jeff Buckley and recorded a duet with him, "All Flowers In Time Bend Towards The Sun", written by Buckley but never released commercially. She speaks about their relationship in the BBC documentary, Jeff Buckley: Everybody Here Wants You.
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