Elsie
Elsie is a woman sure to make waves on the scene when she releases her debut album next year.
Equal parts sultry, romantic and musically talented, she avoids the use of over-production and auto-tune, and writes lyrics she thinks will be relatable for many women around the country.
We chatted to Elsie about her new track 'Time To Go' (available free for download), her image and what she has planned in the near future.
-How's the reaction been to 'Time To Go'?
It’s driven everyone bloody mad. It’s one of those songs that’s really annoying – but hopefully in a good way!
It sticks in your head and you find yourself humming the chorus without knowing it. So I apologise now to anyone who downloads it.
-How would you describe the sound of the track?
'Time To Go' is the most poppy song I’ve got on the album and also my most Blondie-ish. Actually it’s Blondie meets Lily Allen because it’s got that organic rock band sound you can dance to and the kind of nursery rhyme melodies Lily has on her songs. Discorock is a name I’m trying to make stick.
-What's it about?
One night stands! Simple. I had the pretty melody in my head, so I knew I wanted the lyrics to be about something naughty.
I actually used my Facebook page to ask girls if they had one night stands and the majority of them said yes. I wanted to write a song about meaningless sex from a confident female point of view for a change.
-What made you decide to give it away?
You have to let people try before you buy. Let’s call it musical flirting – in the hope you want to come and get more of it. As a new artist, the main thing is getting people to sit up and take notice of me for the first time.
So that meant bedding a footballer, or giving away some free music. Footballers just don’t do it for me so it was my only choice.
-Your Facebook page describes you as "predatory but romantic, sexual but not slutty, tough but vulnerable". Is that, you think, part of your appeal?
Hopefully! I’m pretty sure that describes most of the women in the UK under the age of thirty these days. It’s a true representation of what both I and most of my friends are like and none of us have ever had any problem attracting the opposite sex.
-Is it hard treading the line without crossing over too much?
Of course we all make mistakes every now and then and some people’s sexy is another person’s slutty. What I do think women in general are getting better at, is being tough, without losing their femininity and having a good time without fear of judgement.
-Is the message you hope to send out one of empowerment?
Yes, but very much NOT in a Girl Power kind of way! Time To Go and the rest of my album is a reflection of how women and girls are in today’s society, rather than a code they should live by.
Despite the recent re-appearance of a whole new bunch of celebrity airheads – we all know who they are – there are so many powerful, sexy and attractive women out there that I wanted to write songs about being one.
-You avoid autotune or processed beats. Do you think that's important??
Yes, massively important. I can’t stand the glut of songs that have taken over the charts in the last few years.
I won’t name names, but apart from obvious exceptions like Adele or Florence And The Machine, most of them are just heavily treated vocal samples, looped and put through effects units. A chorus should have words in it. Not just A word.
-What do you think of the reliance on heavy production to get a good-sounding track?
Over produced tracks just suck all the vibe and soul from music. So many songs today sound like a really weak old rave tune, with a few backing vocals thrown over the top.
That’s why ninety per cent of our pop stars have a band on stage with them just pretending to play instruments. You’ll see someone strumming an electric guitar on a track with no guitar on it!
-What do you bring with your live show?
Just simple raw energy. I get on stage with a small band and give it enough balls to entertain a whole a stadium – even if I’m only playing in a small club.
There’s nowhere for me to hide on stage. I’ve got two guitars, a bass player, a drummer and me. It’s what a band is supposed to be. If you can’t create a great sound and vibe with those ingredients, you’ve got no business calling yourself an entertainer.
-What are your plans for the rest of the year?
Lose my muffin tops in the next few months – so I can put them on again at Christmas and buy another 100 MAC eyeshadows. Why do we need so many?
Also lots and lots of overtime. My music is my passion, but it’s also my job so I work around the clock. I’ll be gigging, doing my first video, another photoshoot all building up to the release of my first single in January.
Elsie can be found at facebook.com/ElsieMusic and on Twitter @officialelsie. A cover of Elsie singing Stereophonic's 'Dakota' can be downloaded for free at prandpromotion.com/Dakota.mp3.
Female First - Alistair McGeorge