“Edge of Heaven”
- By Martin Aston
- MOJO
- 01-May 2026
In advance of the May release of the revised edition of Martin Aston’s bestselling history of 4AD, Facing the Other Way, MOJO has published a retrospective of sorts, with Elizabeth Fraser as its focus.
Fraser sat with Aston to contribute new material to be included in the update to his expansive and detailed 2013 book, for which Fraser had originally declined to be interviewed.
In the Cocteau Twins, Elizabeth Fraser’s voice has scaled empyrean heights. Since their split, it’s been almost silent, and she’s rarely spoken about her conflicted time in the band, or the “toxic” history that informed her gnomic lyrics. For a new edition of Martin Aston’s book about the 4AD label, she’s made an exception. “What carries me through are emotions,” she tells him. “And we were all very emotional people.”
Among the happier revelations in the piece is the news that the three former Cocteau Twins are back in touch.
A détente in the Cocteau Twins camp turned out to be a major force in Fraser’s rethink. “Things had drifted, and it had all disintegrated, like an old set of teeth, or a row of condemned buildings,” the singer tells me. “But Fiona [Glyn-Jones, Fraser’s and Raymonde’s manager] got everyone talking to each other again. We’re all in a much friendlier place.”
Fans eager to know if there’s any hope of a reunion may yet find themselves at a loss, but not entirely.
What if Coachella asked again? “I’d happily talk if the other two wanted to,” Simon Raymonde tells me. “I’m the easy fix. But I don’t foresee it happening.”
Guthrie: “I would record with Liz again in a heartbeat, but I’m not going to seek it out, and I won’t be disappointed if we don’t. Maybe the chemistry is no longer there. But at least I worked with the world’s best singer.”
For Fraser, it’s more complicated. The decision, the expectations, the interviews associated with releasing or unveiling her music, all present challenges. Yet the creative impulse remains tantalisingly strong.
“There are so many aspects of voice that I long to progress with,” she told MOJO, “some I long to wrest free from altogether in order to feel and sound less tense when I sing, that sort of thing. It’s a complex business, as anyone trying to transform the habits of a lifetime knows. I’ve got a lot of work to do…”
The May edition of MOJO is available now from online retailers. ▣
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