Elohim cast us under her spell at her first London show, Wonderland caught up with her after and talked highs, lows and being as weird as possible.

First a bit about your name? Is it a stage name, are you making biblical riffs or is it what your parents called you?

I believe this word is full of strength. It was not my birth name, however everyone calls me El. The name Elohim has it’s own personal meaning to me; phonetically, it sounds strong and beautiful. Elohim does have biblical implications but my connection to it is rooted in the spiritual side. Through this project I have become the strongest I have ever been. I have found myself and become the human, musician, producer, and artist I have always aspired to be. I’ve created this music and project that I adore and get to live in. As a woman, it’s very empowering to embody this word as my name. This is my special journey and I am excited to share it.

How did you get into music? When did you decide it’s what you wanted to do with your life? 

I started at a really young age. I was inspired and influenced by a lot of classical music growing up. From an early age music became my source of communication, it’s own beautiful language that transcended the typical restraints of every day life. Music does not restrict me it opens its arms and encourages creativity to flow out of every facet of myself. I couldn’t imagine my life without it. I knew it was what I wanted to do when I got to a point in life when there was nothing else I ever wanted to do.

At your recent show at New Shapes you had incredible visuals – is this creating a persona and total experience at your shows as important to you as the music?

Yes the creative energy in my set and my music go hand in hand, they amplify each other. I want it to be experiential. I want to give people something they haven’t felt or seen before. I want it to feel fantastical. Like, what the fuck did I just watch. Other worldly in a way. It’s so exciting to finally be at a point where I can share what I have been working on with other people all over the world.

You’re from and based in LA, what’s the music scene like there, has it influenced you? What’s the best thing about LA?

The best thing about LA is that it feels like home. There’s also magical warm weather most days of the year. LA feels like one big massive small town. The music scene is great. It’s incredibly diverse. A lot of amazing bands, artists,composers etc have come out of LA. There are great live shows, and tons of opportunity for studio sessions and collaborations. I have been so lucky to collaborate and become friends with some incredible talent. Very good vibes. A lot of energy creativity and art in one city. It’s unlike any place I have ever been.

Casey Veggies is, perhaps, an unexpected collaborator for you. How did that come about and what was it like working with him?

Casey and I met through a mutual friend. He heard some of my beats and wanted to rap on them. After that, we got together one night and created “All That Gold”. It was a very very late night. It’s really inspiring working with rappers, they have a different process of writing and I love it. Might have been one of the most inspiring times for me.

Are you big into hip hop? What are you listening to right now?

After working with Casey I started a long overdue hip hop phase. I continued hanging out with rap artists and started producing and writing with them. Hip hop became my main source of music for the last 8 months. I’ve been listening to Young Thug. Travis Scott. Kendrick Lamar. Fetty Wap. The list goes on. I listen to a lot of hip hop radio to be honest.

Following on from that, who are your all time favourite artists? Who has influenced your sound?

Radiohead probably if I had to pick one. They’ve consistently put out intriguing music. I am interested in sounds, weird sounds, I love odd unique voices. Billie Holiday is amazing, holy shit. I always end up going back to bands like Broken Social Scene and Animal Collective.

Can you tell us about your upcoming album? How do you approach making music?

The album is a journey. Experimental alternative: some highs, some chills, some love, some weird. I’m very excited to release a full body of work. My approach usually starts with sounds. I love to deconstruct and rebuild sounds. From there, I let the music and feelings guide me. I usually go with what I’m feeling in the moment but generally like to get an interesting inspiring sound that triggers my melodies and lyrics.

Where do you think your sound will go next? Is there a particular direction you’re interested in taking?

I mean, I want to get as weird as possible while staying relevant and inspirational. I am going to bend the barriers of what sound can do, endlessly. Music can be such an incredible journey of endless creation, there really aren’t any limits to what one can do and how much one can learn.

Outside of listening to music, is there anything else that inspires you to get writing and singing?

Life. Love. Highs and Lows. Beautiful art. I saw a Matthew Barney film. Incredibly bizarre and oddly inspiring. Poetry is also very inspiring.

What does the future hold for Elohim?

Many more shows. Sharing my love and art with the rest of the world. I want to inspire. An album. World tours. Meeting new people and expanding my knowledge of music and life. As much as I love to plan, I am letting life reveal itself to me to see where I am heading.