INTERVIEW: Elise Eriksen
Elise Eriksen
The Photo Ladies Interview - by Emily May
At just 17 years old, emerging pop star Elise Eriksen is already creating a buzz with her fun and fresh pop sound. Having discovered a love for music at a young age, she spent years playing the piano, honing her songwriting capabilities and refining her vocal skills. Her varied musical inspirations range from Stevie Nicks, Alicia Keys, and Don Toliver, leading the young artist to emerge with her own spin on fun and feel-good pop. Born in Norway, she moved to New York City as a young child and is currently based in Los Angeles. As the daughter of GRAMMY-winning producer Mikkel Eriksen, one-half of renowned producers Stargate (Rihanna/Katy Perry/Coldplay/Jay Z), Elise had the distinct advantage of growing up around a wide array of the world's top artists and songwriters. As a result, she was instilled with the hard work and dedication she would need to succeed in her own career. In December of last year, Elise released her debut single "Less", co-written by Julia Michaels and featuring guest vocals by Shoffy and Blu DeTiger on bass. The song is about growing apart in a relationship, and with its shimmering textures and bass-heavy grooves, “Less” finds Elise and Shoffy trading off verses as they reflect on the increasing distance between two partners, creating a track with a mix of bittersweet lyrics and an upbeat tempo. After overhearing her father working on an early version of the track, Elise felt immediately grabbed by the melody and was determined to rework the song. With Julia Michaels’ blessing, she then reimagined “Less” according to her own distinct vision, and quickly caught the attention of Shoffy and Blu DeTiger.
“The first time I heard ‘Less’ I was really struck by how the chords were sort of jazzy because I have such a huge appreciation for jazz,” says Elise, who names Ella Fitzgerald and Etta James among her all-time favorite singers. “It’s such a perfectly crafted song, and I love how there’s this new meaning to it now everyday life has been so drastically altered. I think everyone can relate to feeling isolated, and just wanting to connect and be together again.” Today sees the release of Eriksen's second single "Smile", which was co-written by Sasha Sloan (Charli XCX, Camila Cabello, Anne-Marie, Katy Perry) and shows a different side to Elise who also plays piano on the track and speaks to putting on a façade and smiling even though you’re not okay. “Smile" is about putting on a façade and trying to seem happy even when you’re not,” says Elise on the inspiration behind the song. “As a teenager, I really connected with the idea of feeling like you can’t always be completely yourself, which I think is something that a lot of people experience. I want to speak about things that are meaningful. It felt important to put out something that will leave people feeling more in touch with themselves but also more hopeful and uplifted, especially because it has been such a tough year.” With plans to release more music, music videos and engage in collaborations with other artists and different genres, I think it's safe to say that Elise Eriksen has a bright future ahead of her and is definitely an artist to watch! You can connect with Elise Eriksen via the following links. Photo credit: Mikkel Eriksen.
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You are originally from Norway and moved to NYC soon after discovering your love for singing. What can you tell me about growing up in Norway and discovering that love?
I'm extremely thankful that I got to grow up in Norway. It was great because you're surrounded by down to earth people here who don't care where you're from or who you are or what you've done. They just care if you're a genuinely good person. Norwegians are also a lot of fun… I mean, we're Vikings, so what do you expect? My childhood was fantastic and I travel back every summer. It’s the best and the people here are great. There's hardly any focus on the superficial, which I really appreciate.
My dad has always been a part of the music. My grandmother, too. She was really huge in the theatre world and performed all over France and in different places in Europe. She also sang in bands and was incredible. I think that, because of her, my dad was so exposed to music and I’ve been lucky enough to experience it through him.
What was it like for you to move from Norway to NYC? What were your first impressions of the city and how did living in NYC influence and shape you as an artist?
It was a culture shock. I was just a kid, but I remember starting school there. I had to do my ERB's and try to speak English when I did not know what I was talking about at all. New York is probably my favorite place in the whole United States. It's filled with such diversity and there are just so many different types of people who come from all different backgrounds, and who have an interest in all different types of things. So many people go there to do something great and that's what makes it so interesting because you're just surrounded by talent. It really humbles you. When there are so many people who are good at things, then you ultimately have to work 10 times harder. LA is similar, too. It’s more laid back, but the whole vibe of LA is just a melting pot as well. You have so many people in the creative industry around you that, for the most part, want to help you and want to do great things as well. You meet so many people that can assist you in your journey… And there’s better weather.
What can you tell me about your decision to move to LA and how the scene in LA compares to that of NYC? What do you love and find inspiring about living in LA?
It wasn’t really my decision to move away as I was in fifth grade and don't know how much I really could have done, but we wanted to kind of change things up because we had lived in New York for such a long time and the creative industry was really blossoming in LA. In LA, I think, you really get inspired because of all the creative people that are there. If I hear someone say something interesting, like a little phrase or a couple of words, I'll write it down and maybe use it in a song. There's so much in your daily life that you can take inspiration from, or take little phrases from, that you can use in your music. I've also gotten a lot of help from teachers to really perfect my craft, and to learn how to perform and to sing live. I would say it's a really creative place to be. I really, I really enjoy living in LA.
Your father is Mikkel Eriksen, GRAMMY-winning producer and one half of uber-producers Stargate. What was it like for you to grow up in the studio, surrounded by the world's top artists and songwriters? How has having a father in the industry, as well as the exposure to so much talent growing up, helped you to navigate the music industry in the pursuit of your own music career?
Growing up with him in the studio and around all those people was inspiring to say the least. It was incredibly humbling as well because you see these people in a whole new light. You see them when they're not wearing makeup and they’re in their sweatpants at, like, two in the morning working their ass off just to make something cool. It really shows you that they’re real people who do put in the hours and the effort to be something great. It shows you how they really earned what they did. Growing up with my dad taught me that it isn't just the fun things, like release parties, or the GRAMMYs and award shows, or TV for that matter. It is those long nights and those drafts and the 100,000 takes. That’s what you’ve got to do to really be one of the greatest and that’s something that I’ve learned.
I’ve also learned that you have to accept help too because nobody does it by themselves and dictates everything. It’s always a group effort. The most successful people take inspiration and then take advice. That’s what makes these things great.
What is the best advice you have received over the years?
Collaborating is one of the most important things in music. Sitting there and starting from scratch with nothing other than a piano and a piece of paper and isn’t how it really works. I mean, sometimes you can do that if you’re lucky, but I think that accepting help and knowing that other people can contribute as well is really important advice. You realize that there are so many moving parts to this industry and all of those parts contribute to your journey. So, I would definitely say to start by reaching out to people and seeing if they want to make something. You don’t even have to use what you create but reaching out to people and working your butt off are the two most important things for sure.
What can you tell me about your recent single "Less", co-written by multi-platinum songwriter Julia Michaels? What inspired your decision to re-work the song as your own and what was that process like?
“Less” is a funky and upbeat song that can speak to a lot of people through his message, I think. I wanted the song to reflect who I am as a person, even though I haven't had a crazy amount of relationship drama myself. I want to really be able to stand for what I’m singing, so that’s why I used the production I used and interpreted the song in a different way. The production is a mix of all the genres that I really love and the elements that I find really cool about those genres. I just wanted to make this on my own by changing up from the original composition so that it really did become something of my own and something that I'm proud of.
What was the inspiration behind the music video for "Less" and what was it like to work with Shoffy and Blu DeTiger? It looks like it was a fun video to make!
Working with Shoffy and Blu was amazing. Shoffy is super, super nice and Blu is awesome and inspired me to start learning bass.
I wanted the video to feel genuine, so we shot it in locations that I've grown up around with the people that I've grown up around. It is a really personal video to me because it is in my hometown and has my closest friends in it. I wanted it to be fun and uplifting. It’s just a happy, quirky video with a bunch of colors and liveliness, different outfits that contrast with settings, and all things that I find really fun because I wanted the video to show my personality.
At just 17 years old, what has it been like to have a career in music at such a young age? Do you feel as though juggling schoolwork with writing and recording music presents a challenge? What do you like to do for fun when you aren't working on your music?
I've wanted to be a part of the music industry so long and I really worked on myself and my craft. I’m still growing but, for right now, this felt like the right time. It has truly been a fun journey, but juggling everything has been weird. Half of me focuses on the music side but then I also have statistics homework to do the same day, which is kind of weird. It hasn't been awful because music doesn't feel like a chore at all. It feels like something that is a hobby for me, but with the pandemic I've had a lot more flexibility in my schedule. I've been able to focus more on the music side. I've had the opportunity to really, really work on everything because I dropped all the social stuff.
When I’m able to, I ride horses and I'm really interested in fashion. I love taking pictures, spending time around animals, going on walks, being outside, and swimming – just not in the ocean, I’m not a fan. I do love spending time with my friends and doing things with them, but it has been very limited.
You have said that over the years, you have learned what it takes to create the perfect pop song. What have you learned? What does a good pop song look like to you?
I think I've learned that pop can be a lot of different things. A common association with pop is that it needs to be middle of the road or vanilla for it to be successful, but pop can really be something really interesting if you merge it with a lot of other things and a lot of other genres. I’ve also learned that, although they may sound simple or easy to sing, it's not as easy as it looks. I've done covers of other songs my whole life, but once it really becomes your own you want to present your best work. You want to present something you're proud of. I've learned that it does take time to really make something your own.
I would say a good pop song just tells a story. If it tells a story that people can relate to, or that people can understand, and it’s conveyed in an interesting and descriptive way, I think that that really makes a pop song good. If it becomes personal, then people can connect to it and if it's happened to you then a lot of the time it's something that other people have experienced as well.
What can you tell me about finding your sound as an artist?
I think that we're constantly on the hunt to find our sound. I think that's a never-ending process, almost. Particularly for me, there are so many different things that I'm interested in trying out and that I want to do. My voice is my sound somewhat, but I'm really open to trying other things and seeing what works best for me. I want to be able to have variety in what I do.
Having honed your songwriting craft over the years, what was your process like when you first started writing songs and how has it evolved over the years?
When I first started writing songs, they were just poems. A song is kind of a poem, really, but it was mostly just phrases and random words that I wasn't able to complete. Over time, I've gotten significantly better at being clear in my storytelling and using real life experiences to tell stories. Storytelling is one of the hardest but also most important things to do in music. So, I think that writing songs started out as being really difficult, but you have to write 100 crappy songs to get one okay one and then 100 more to get one good one.
Who are you listening to right now? Who are some of your favorite artists? Are there any new artists you've discovered that you feel like people should know about?
Right now, I’m really loving 21 Savage’s new album with Metro. I love, love, love that one… And I'm always listening to Pink Floyd and Fleetwood Mac, those are two of my favorite bands. A new artist that I actually thought was really cool is a band called Hotel Ugly. One of their songs has 2 million streams and I think it is so good. I really want people to hear them because I think they have something really cool. I’ve become a new fan.
What's next for you?
I just released a new single called “Smile”! I’m also working on a body of work and we're filming interesting videos, which is super exciting. I think I'm just going to keep working at what I do, collaborating with more people, and seeing what's out there and experimenting with genres!