Aussie Indie Artists is a series of interviews with lesser-known Aussie creators across all forms and fields. The goal is to share exciting new works, find new angles towards the art, and peek behind the scenes.
Singer/songwriter Eliott’s lovely, powerful singing voice has often been likened to Adele, James Blake or Florence Welch, and her thoughtful, heartfelt lyrics certainly put her among them.
“Something that’s got music
That changes every moment
Like a flower in a footpath
Like a rainbow in a fountain
Like the stairs to your apartment
Kinda feeling like a mountain” – Draw A Gun
Eliott fell in love with singing in school, going on to record covers of her favourite songs. Now, she sings in clubs across Oz, at events like the Sunshine Sounds Festival, she just sang Glimpse of Us on Triple J’s Like A Version, and her debut album just calling to tell you i’m ok releases on August 11th.
I talked to Eliott about her singing, songwriting, and inspirations.
I saw you say that just calling to tell you i’m ok didn’t start as an album, it just turned out that way, when did you realise it was something more?
I realised it was something more when I was on a trip to Paris where to be honest, I fell in love with music again. I was alone in a new city for the first time and I didn’t really know how to navigate the world on my own – but I felt inspired and liberated in being on my own. Slowly but surely, the songs came pouring out of me. That trip for me was a huge moment of self discovery and for the first time in my life I started to trust myself and my gut – I wanted to create a body of work that reflected the last couple of years for me, so making an album was the easiest choice I could make.
In your earlier single, “Circles“, you sing about not having the concentration for science or music school, but now that you’ve completed your debut album, do you feel the same way?
I think when you’re working towards something that truly fulfils & gives you purpose it’s easy to enjoy the ride and to be honest i’m quite terrible at maths/science and music theory, i just don’t enjoy it. Most of what I do has to come from the heart (very cheesy and cliche i know, but true!).
And your mother comes up in “Circles” and in “Tell Me”, is she a big force behind your music?
My mum will always play a huge part of my journey – she taught me how to harmonise from a really young age and has always supported me in everything I do. It’s kind of a running joke in my family about how much my mum gets mentioned in my songs, so just a PSA: my whole family is incredible!
Have any music artists inspired you recently?
I absolutely love ‘calico’ by Ryan Beatty. It’s so beautifully written and everything is in support of his lyrics & voice – something I’m always wanting to do in my own work.
What about an unexpected artist? Like a rapper, or a painter?
I’m a sucker for big dirty dance bop, Troy Sivan’s new song makes me very happy!
Do you have a favourite song at the moment?
“Bruises” Ryan Beatty 🙂
And one more, do you have a memorable moment from your recent tour?
Playing live is one of my favourite things to do in the world, and playing these new songs ahead of the release has been pretty magical. I also get to work with an incredible band who in my opinion are some of the best musicians in the country!
Thank you very much for your time and the peek into your new album. And congratulations on its release!
Thanks!
You can listen to just calling to tell you i’m ok and Eliott’s music on Spotify, Apple Music, or on Amazon Music, and you can follow her on her Instagram, her Facebook, or her YouTube channel.
