Describe your sound in 3 words
This is a tricky one- I think open, cathartic and free are perhaps the clearest words to use.
Tell us a few things about your new song “Nothing”. What is the main idea behind it and what is your creative process like?
“Nothing” is the first track dissecting a larger concept that makes up my LP, “Nothing I see means anything”. I sonically examine and meditate on each word of that sentence through the record- and the track examining “Nothing” very quickly became about anger and rage. The feeling of being stuck in and defined by a box and the injustice of it. I wrote the song by meditating on vocal loops on each letter of the word “n” “o” “thi” “ng”- these loops are layered into the backing track as the spine for the rest of the instruments to land on. You can hear that the best in the beginning. That grew into lyrics sharing my personal experience facing the realities of how society has defined me by my body. I wanted to honor my anger in this track so it could shift and change.
Which is your most personal and honest lyric?
For me its the bridge:
“Have you ever felt emaciated?
Close to nothing as you can be?
It is a foreign feeling
to bloom away from the lady like roots
the male gaze gave me.”
Because it is probably the most honest and raw moment from my personal perspective. I have literally starved myself in my life to fit into the boxes others needed me to fit into and growing away from that is so strange- also great. I have many friends who have expressed to me they feel the same. It felt really vulnerable to sing that and share that with others who have felt it.
Your vocal delivery is impressive. Tell us your favorite vocalist!
Aw, thank you! I am not sure I can choose ONE favorite vocalist. I am pretty old school, so my mind jumps to Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Barbra Streisand first- but I am also a huge fan of Dolores O’Riordan, Sarah MchLaughlin and above all, the queen- Beyonce. If you can’t tell, I listen to a lot of singers and a lot of styles, and I feel a bit guilty to not list at least twenty. But I will practice some self control here and leave you with these six. 😉
Favorite album of the past decade?
….I will try! Im really in love with Deacon by serpentwithfeet and What Now by Sylvan Esso- but there are so many more! Alt J’s “this is all yours” AND Beyonce’s “Lemonade” have been evergreen favorites for me FOR the last decade, so that must be listed.
When not writing music, how do you spend your time?
I do a lot of yoga, astrology study and meditating. This record got me involved in Tibetan singing bowls as healing practice and I have been super focused on how sounds can heal. I also practice singing a lot (I’m a professional opera singer too), and love to interpret the works of other artists. Other than that, I spend lots of time with my amazing partner in crime and our cute cat Lyla making pizza and hanging at the farmers market in Brooklyn.
Should we expect an album in the near future?
Yes! “Nothing” is the first music video release for my first ever concept album “Nothing I see means anything” which releases on 11/19. I am really looking forward to discovering who it belongs to. 🙂
Thank you!
Follow Elly Kace
Instagram
HipHop Paranoia 