Elizabeth Fraser

For other uses, see Elizabeth Fraser (disambiguation).

Elizabeth Fraser
Fraser in 1986
Fraser in 1986
Background information
Birth nameElizabeth Davidson Fraser
Born (1963-08-29) 29 August 1963 (age 61)
Grangemouth, Scotland
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Years active1979–present
Labels
Formerly ofCocteau Twins
Websiteelizabethfraser.com

Elizabeth Davidson Fraser (born 29 August 1963)[1] is a Scottish singer. She was the vocalist for the band Cocteau Twins who achieved success in the UK primarily during the fifteen years from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s. Their studio albums Victorialand (1986) and Heaven or Las Vegas (1990) both reached the top ten of the UK Album Charts, as well as other albums including Blue Bell Knoll (1988), Four-Calendar Café (1993) and Milk & Kisses (1996) charting on the Billboard 200 album charts in the United States as well as the top 20 in the UK. She also performed as part of the 4AD group This Mortal Coil, including the successful 1983 single "Song to the Siren", and as a guest with Massive Attack on their 1998 hit single "Teardrop".

When the Cocteau Twins disbanded, Fraser embarked on a moderately low-key solo career and provided guest vocals for other artists. She released some solo material, including singles "Underwater" (2000) and "Moses" (2009). Fraser has reportedly recorded enough material for a debut solo studio album; however, a release date or further information has not been published. In 2022, Fraser released the EP Sun's Signature, which includes a re-worked version of her 2000 single release "Underwater".[2] In May 2022, Fraser and former band mates Robin Guthrie and Simon Raymonde were awarded the Visionary Award by The Ivors Academy.[3]

Her distinctive style has received much critical praise in her four-decade career;[4] 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".[5]

  1. ^ Neyland, Nick. "The Cocteau Twins' Liz Fraser Gives Rare Interview | Prefix". Prefixmag.com. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  2. ^ "Cocteau Twins Members: Elizabeth Fraser".
  3. ^ "The Ivors | the Ivors Academy | Champions of Music Creators". 23 May 2024.
  4. ^ Simpson, Dave (26 November 2009). "Elizabeth Fraser talks about why she finds it too difficult to even think about her old Cocteau Twins bandmates | Music". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
  5. ^ Elizabeth Fraser at AllMusic