Eliza Newman is an Icelandic solo singer and songwriter. She first comes to prominence as the former lead singer of the all-girl Icelandic band Bellatrix, also known as Kolrassa Krókrídandi, and later performs with the rock band Skandinavia.

Background and early work

Newman forms Bellatrix while still a teenager. The group releases four albums on Bjork’s Bad Taste label, later signs to Fierce Panda for the release of its fourth album, and plays a co-headlining UK tour with Coldplay. The band also headlines the Carling Stage at the Reading Festival. Newman is also involved in the Trubatrix movement, which promotes Icelandic female artists through gigs and album releases around Iceland.

Solo career

After Bellatrix, Newman releases an album with Skandinavia and then begins a solo career with Empire Fall in 2007. She follows this with her second solo album, Pie in the Sky, which is recorded and mixed in London and Iceland with producer Gisli Kristjánsson. The album contains 10 original songs, including the number one singles Ukulele Song for You and Hopeless Case, and four further top ten singles. Her first single from the album, Ukulele Song for You, tops the Icelandic National Radio chart in 2009 and becomes one of the most popular songs of that year in Iceland.

Style and musicianship

Newman is trained as an opera singer and plays violin, guitar, ukulele and piano. Her music is described in the input as having a childlike charm and sunny home-made arrangements, with catchy and bittersweet songs.

Other attention

In 2010 she attracts wider attention with the song Eyjafjallajökull, which appears on Al Jazeera News and is covered by outlets including The New York Times, The Huffington Post and The Daily Telegraph.