It goes without saying that we have had a chaotic week. From the tumultuous great British weather to the start of what will be another hard financial year on us all, we’re in need of some release, and south-east London’s finest Ellauro is providing. Releasing her progressive single “Indigo” this week, the 20-year-old takes us through a smooth slow-burning production filled with crooning vocals and warming lyricism. Gliding over the honeyed beat, Ellauro doesn’t shy away from opening up on sadness and melancholia, as she gets candid on her most personal and vulnerable thoughts.

“Writing is my therapy,” the artist said. “Everything I put to paper and record for me, has to be done with meaning, intention and purpose. I feel very intensely as a person; I never half-ass the way I express myself. Otherwise, for me, there’s no substance or point to writing. Why bother trying to hide or dilute it? I just decided to save myself the trouble of being dishonest about the extent of my feelings. Being able to write in a vulnerable way has also bled into my personal life; I am way more open now than I have ever been before.”

Pulling on inspiration from the likes of Sade, Prince and FKA Twigs, Ellauro perfectly sits in her own lane when it comes to production and vocal ability, as she creates her own androgynous sound. Keeping her cards close to her chest in terms of new music, we caught up with the singer talking her debut, staying motivated and being honest about her music.

Check out the interview below now…

Hey Ellauro! How are you doing?
Hi, I’m doing really well! Thanks so much for wanting to talk to me!

Let’s talk about how you got into music, when did you start picking it up? And was it something you always wanted to pursue?
I’ve always been into music since I was little. I’ve always been singing, and I started playing piano at around 7, but theory never really stuck with me too much, so I just learned songs by ear for the most part. I went through wanting to be so many creative things growing up; tattooist, manga artist, author, actress etc, but deep down I knew that I wanted to be a musician. I wanted to tell stories more, and music was the best way for me to do it. But I was always told to keep education as something to fall back on in case it never worked. I worked dead-end jobs in retail for a while and planned to go to uni to study art, but then I got fired and didn’t get into any universities because my art portfolio was so rushed. It was honestly so wack, “piss poor” some might say. But soon after I met my now managers through my friend Lola Young. So I’m definitely incredibly fortunate and grateful for them all believing in my music. Lucky me!

Who would you pinpoint as your influences?
I’m influenced by a lot of people, honestly. Artistically, I’d say Sade, Prince, George Michael, Alison Moyet, Lady Gaga, FKA Twigs, Sampha, Amy Winehouse, just to name the main ones that come to mind. I like androgynous voices and visually expressive people. In my own work, I live for the heartfelt, complex, and passionate meanings combined with the visually stimulating and expressive, bordering on camp delivery. Outside of music, I am influenced by my Filipino and French culture, as well as film. I think very visually and cinematically; I’m quick to create a scene in my head while listening to a song. I always used to watch TMF and The Hits after the kids TV channels went off, and I became obsessed with music videos. Kylie Minogue, Nelly Furtado, Sugababes, Dido etc. I’m a true 00s baby.

I love how unique your sound is — it’s difficult to categorise it by genre. How would you best describe it?
I can’t even answer this question confidently because I just have not got a damn clue. I delve into basically every genre, though. And then I dedicate time to listen and absorb music from artists of that genre that I like. I mean, growing up, I had different genres in my ear from every family member, so I became a bit of a musical sponge. My parents would put on a lot of 80s rock, funk and dream-pop, so I have a massive affinity for that period of time. My brother would listen to 90s grunge, metal and punk, and my sister was into 00s RnB and pop. So all of that combined really. But if I really had to, I’d simply say alternative electro-pop, even though it feels a little limiting to say.

Congratulations on your new track, “Indigo”! Can you tell us what was going through your mind when you wrote it?
Thank you so much, my blood is still racing from actually seeing it finally out into the world! When I wrote it with Joy Anonymous, I was struggling with my mental health, specifically my clinical depression, and feeling really frustrated at myself. In my head, I recalled the moments where I would just distance myself from everyone, and just observe mindlessly at the world around me, because I just couldn’t handle being a functioning human being. I was honestly feeling really angry at myself for allowing and enabling my self destructive and unhealthy habits to really eat away at me; I was just desperate to be rid of the weight on my back. Not to mention it was written in the midst of the pandemic at the end of 2020, so I was really feeling it as I know other people were too.

The song and its topics feel incredibly personal and vulnerable. Is this something that runs throughout your songwriting?
Oh definitely. Writing is my therapy. Everything I put to paper and record for me, has to be done with meaning, intention and purpose. I feel very intensely as a person; I never half-ass the way I express myself. Otherwise, for me, there’s no substance or point to writing. Why bother trying to hide or dilute it? I just decided to save myself the trouble of being dishonest about the extent of my feelings. Being able to write in a vulnerable way has also bled into my personal life; I am way more open now than I have ever been before.

What motivates you to write your music?
I write to connect with others in the best way I know-how. I crave to let people witness how I see and experience life. What also motivates me is the reminder that I would most likely be dead or at least in a lot of turmoil and regret if I never tried. It saved my life and I owe it to myself to honour that.

Is there anything, in particular, you hope people can take away from “Indigo”?
I’m not really sure. I guess take the song as a kick in the backside to care about yourself and take charge of your self-destructive side. Feel freely and openly. Let people in. I don’t know, honestly, take what you like from it. But I do hope an insight into the layers of my music and creative process makes an impact on people. In any way, I’d be more than okay with people just listening and thinking, “Sounds great, love.”

What’s next for you? Are you working on anything else at the moment?
Well, I do also think it’s nice to have a few secrets. Keeps some mystery alive, you know?