Elli Ingram’s already taken on Kendrick Lamar and she’s releasing her debut EP, Sober – we got an exclusive premiere of her latest track here.

Not many people have the guts to take on Kendrick Lamar’s epic slow-jam ‘Poetic Justice’ – but Elli Ingram was one such daredevil. The R&B powerhouse from Brighton might only be 19, but she’s already done guest vocals for Benny Banks and is working on her debut EP.

Tell us a little bit about the origins of ‘Mad Love’.

It’s simply about falling for the bad guy! The guy that everyone tells you to stay clear of but you just can’t help yourself. I’m always attracted to the ones that are up to no good, and I think that’s something a lot of girls can relate to.

Where is your favourite place to write?

I love to write in the studio when the music is fresh out the speakers and everyone around me is creating. Musing around the piano is also one of my favourite places to write.

What other musical artists influence your aesthetic?

I think most people know that Amy Winehouse is my biggest influence. Her sound, lyrics and vocal ability move me more than any other artist.

Any other collaborations in the pipeline? Will you be guest-vocaling on anyone else’s tracks?

I’ve got an exciting summer ahead of me. I will be touring with Chase & Status who I’ve been working closely with for the last few months. I wrote a song for them back in February and we will performing it around Europe at a lot of the festivals! It’s very different to what they are known for but I can’t wait for people to hear it.
Apart from that collaboration the rest of my time is spent on focusing on my own music.

What can we expect from your upcoming EP – and why call it Sober?

It is going to be the first time for people to really get to know me and hear what I’m about. You get a slice of everything with this EP. The title for it came from a song I wrote called ‘Sober’. It’s the most personal song on the EP and it tells the story of how I feel after sipping one too many JD’s!

Words: Shane Hawkins