elise

We had a long, honest conversation with elise, the Denver-born jazz-rooted music producer, vocalist and composer whose work blends alternative R&B, lo-fi textures and raw emotion. From growing up in a musical family and leading church choirs to exploring heartbreak, evolution and the tension between creativity and career, elise opens up about his journey so far. With two albums behind him and a shifting creative vision ahead, this is a portrait of an artist learning to let go and finding power in the process.

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NMR // Thank you for this interview elise, let’s get stuck in. Give me a quick rundown of your music for anyone who hasn’t heard it yet. //elise: I have released two full length albums in my discography as well as a bout 2 singles. My sound is heavily influenced by alternative RnB and jazz.

NMR // You were born and raised in Denver, a city with a rich musical culture. How much of your heritage or background do you explore through your music? //elise: I am very proud to be from Denver because I feel like we are often overlooked musically. However, in all honesty I can’t say there is a specific part of my background in Denver that I explore within my music.

NMR // Tell me a bit about your upbringing, were there musical influences in your family growing up? //elise: I was born in a musical family. My mother was the youth choir director for the church I attended growing up. I was always playing in the church. My sister is a singer and my brother is a drummer and so we were known to be a family of musicians. My father is from Nigeria and although he doesn’t play an instrument himself, being around him exposed me to a genre of music called Highlife music.

NMR // Did you study music formally or did it come about more naturally? You come across as incredibly multi-talented, vocally, creatively and musically, which feels like a rare thing these days. //elise: My musicianship and artistry is a combination of a natural affinity as well as formal education. I took classical piano lessons when I was very young but I would always explore music for myself and try to imitate my favorite artists. I developed an intense love for jazz beginning in high school when I was a part of the school vocal Jazz ensemble which led me to study music in college. I never took formal vocal lessons but I was always surrounded by incredible vocalists who I studied and learned from.

NMR // Your debut album Foot of the Hill had a light, upbeat energy, while Nomad leans into darker, lo-fi and more experimental tones. What influenced each of those records, and how do you see your progression from then to now? //elise: My first album was such an exciting experience to make. It was my first full length project and I had such an optimistic look on life. The project was relatively easy to make. Everything flowed. After “Foot of the Hill”, I was in a weird place of “Well? what now”. It was about three and a half years in between “Foot of the Hill” and “Nomad” and life completely transformed me as a person and as we know art imitates life. I wanted “Nomad” to be a reflection of where I am mentally in comparison to where I was when I made “Foot of the Hill”. Even the cover art of both projects shows a once optimistic, colorful path turned to a darker confused one.

NMR // Do you see yourself continuing to evolve your sound in future releases, and if so, in what direction? //elise: I absolutely want to continue to evolve my sound. I think evolving as an artist is one of the best parts of being one. I am always improving as a vocalist, producer, pianist, and composer and I want to pair these improvements with my continued journey in life. I can never be sure the exact direction I’ll be going.

NMR // Some of my favourite tracks are the duets, like Touch the Sky with Jus Muse, Nothing Matters at All with Heather, and Simple Things with Nasá. How do those collaborations come together? Who handles the writing, how do you divide vocals, and do you feel more at home in collaborations or solo work? //elise: First off, shout out to each of these women for bringing such unique life to each song. Nasa is my sister so we are always collaborating and experimenting. Generally I do all the production and leave the lyrics to them. We each had brief discussions about the topic of the song and then I let them do their own thing lyrically and it works out. I can’t say whether I feel more “at home” with solo work or collaborations but these collabs in particular were so fun to do because they are all great people.

NMR // My favourite track on Nomad is Ricochet, it blends dark R&B, lo-fi beats, and a gorgeous jazz piano line. How did that collaboration with Roderick Williams come about? (Assuming that is the British baritone and composer?) //elise: Roderick Williams is my close friend that I met from studying music in college. He is a great drummer. This was actually one of the most difficult songs to make an execute because we essentially recorded everything live and it took several takes on both of our parts.

NMR // There was a four-year gap between Foot of the Hill and Nomad, what led to that break? And while Nomad is still fresh, should we expect a similar wait before your next release? //elise: The big hiatus in between albums was a combination of a few things. I was in school so it was difficult managing school studies as well as my own creative work. In addition to this, I was still exploring so many aspects of myself, my music, and my career and I almost didn’t want to make a “wrong move” out of fear. Nevertheless I plan on releasing music at a higher volume in the years to come.

NMR // Your lyrics cover a wide range of topics — when writing a track, where do your ideas usually come from? Do you find yourself drawn more to personal stories, observations, or social/political themes? //elise: The most important part of writing lyrics for me is relatability. I want to be able to be able to take the most raw, honest, and pure human experiences and emotions. My ideas always stem from an emotion I’ve felt and from there I might connect it to a bigger social concept or observation.

NMR // ‘Nomad’ feels quite introspective. When you’re writing from a vulnerable place, do you find it cathartic, challenging, or a bit of both to release those feelings into the world through music? //elise: Certainly both. Music is my therapy, but releasing music to the world is frightening. Baring your soul to the universe is scary but in a beautiful way.

NMR // I watched your ‘BETTER LATE THAN NEVER’ Tiny Desk contest video, thought it was great, do you tour or perform live anywhere, and if so where can we catch you? //elise: I have not performed live since last summer but I have some announcements coming soon for live performances!

NMR // I love the artwork across your albums — do you design them yourself? If so, where does that visual creativity come from? And if not, who should we be shouting out? //elise: I always have a vision of the art that I outline in the creative process while the music progresses. I have always been around such skilled individuals in the arts and I am blessed to have friends that are willing to be a part projects and bring my visions to life. J’lynn Terroade did the artwork for “Foot of the Hill” and Nile Walker did the artwork for “Nomad”.

NMR // What’s something in your creative process that would surprise people? //elise: I actually hate writing lyrics. It is rather difficult for me. It takes me such a long time and can be frustrating especially because production comes is a much easier process for me.

NMR // Are there any instruments, sounds, or bits of production gear you’re currently obsessed with? //elise: As a producer, a friend of mine put me on to a DST called “Addictive Drums” and I have been obsessed with it ever since I got it. It has the most vintage and classic sounding drum kits that I’ve wanted and ever since I made “Better Late Than Never” it has transformed my sound. Also as a keyboardist, my MOOG sub 37 is basically my child.

NMR // What’s the emotion you find hardest to write about—and why? //elise: Love. It is such a difficult topic to write about because it’s been said so many times in so many ways and even more difficult to sift through your own experiences and turn it into art.

NMR // Have you ever written something that scared you to share? //elise: The song “Yearn” on “Nomad” was frightening to share. It was about a recent heartbreak and baring the pure essence of yearning into a track still feels a bit embarrassing at times.

NMR // When did you last surprise yourself creatively? //elise: The making of “Bliss” was one of the last times I surprised myself creatively. I took the idea of “ignorance is bliss” and I added so many elements to the song to make it layered and I am very proud of myself for the way it came out. Bliss was one of the oldest songs on the album and I had almost abandoned it. Slowly, more and more ideas came to me and I added different layers. I remember the moment I called my sister into my studio to listen to it and she started crying because she said we executed it perfectly.

NMR // Where do you feel most like yourself—on stage, in the studio, or somewhere else entirely? //elise: I feel the most like myself when I am sitting at a piano in a quiet room or playing basketball.

NMR // How has your relationship with your own voice—literally or metaphorically—changed over time? //elise: My voice has literally changed in tone since I’ve grown older. Metaphorically my voice has become more sensitive and vulnerable.

NMR // Is there a memory or feeling you keep trying to write into a song, but haven’t quite nailed yet? //elise: The feeling of getting older and gaining wisdom but not having a chance to apply it for redemption yet.

NMR // Has your relationship to music changed over the years? //elise: Surely. Music has played so many different roles over the course of my life. When I was younger it was a playground. An escape and a safe place. It still is that for me, but in a mature way. Music to me now is more than just a playground, it is a place of business and work.

NMR // Do you believe artists have a responsibility beyond just making music? //elise: I believe the only responsibility an artist has is simply to make art. Whatever comes after is beautiful.

NMR // What’s something you had to let go of in order to grow as an artist? //elise: I had to let got of the idea of holding on to my best songs or best work for “when I blow up”. I had to let go of the idea of “blowing up”. I learned that life doesn’t happen “when”. It is happening right now and we must make the most of it in every moment.

NMR // How do you stay grounded when your art feels bigger than you? //elise: Remembering that art is simply a reflection of life and that there is no art without an artist.

NMR // What do you do if/when you feel disconnected from your own music? //elise: I always try to listen to genres of music I don’t listen to feel inspired and receive a new fresh perspective on music.

NMR // What’s something about being a musician today that most people completely misunderstand? //elise: I think the beauty of music and art in general is simply taken for granted. The pure absurdity it is to create an authentic audio or visual experience for the world to indulge in is a miracle. People don’t understand the importance of this, that art is the life force of society.

NMR // If streaming disappeared tomorrow, how would you get your music to listeners? //elise: I would be on the block handing out CD’s the old school way.

NMR // How do you feel about Spotify and other streaming platforms? On one hand, they help emerging artists get discovered — but on the other, they’re often criticised for low payouts and opaque algorithms. What’s your take? //elise: Major streaming platforms undoubtedly should pay their musicians more than cents per stream. Musicians deserve way more than they receive in general and these billion dollar streaming companies should should pity if not appreciation to the individuals that make their platforms what they are.

NMR // Do you think social media helps or harms artists more in the long run? //elise: I believe social media harms artists. I think it takes away from the art. Attention spans are the lowest they have ever been and asking musicians, and artists to post 2-3 times a day to get into the “algorithm” to achieve art as a career is an absurd concept to me.

NMR // How do you personally balance the creative side of music with the business side? //elise: This is something I am still learning. Earlier in my career, especially after the making of “Foot of the Hill”, I only cared about the music and the art. Since then I have learned to balance that with the music business. I now have a team to assist me which takes a lot of the load of business off of my shoulder.

NMR // Do you feel pressure to constantly release music to stay relevant, or do you allow yourself breathing room between projects? //elise: I released “Foot of the Hill” right after COVID-19 and at that time I felt comfortable releasing music at my own pace. But now, the world has become so incredibly fast and being transparent I do feel pressure to release music at a higher volume to continue to grow my audience and stay relevant.

NMR // Who are your 3 favourite music artists right now? //elise: Hiatus Kaiyote, Odeal, and Venna.

NMR // What was the last completely useless thing you purchased from Amazon? //elise: Scrunch socks.

NMR // Favourite movie you’ve watched recently? //elise: SINNERS

NMR // You get to choose your last ever meal—what are you choosing? //elise: Mom’s pot rost over rice with a side of yams and a kool-aid.

NMR // If you could have a useless superpower — something completely impractical but fun — what would it be? //elise: Probability manipulation for sure.