Concocting a colour combination of inherently British sub-sounds, there is a freshness and an effervescence to the sounds of 21-year old Eljé. The emerging North London talent brings familiarity in the form of innovation; a melting pot of influence that lays down a palette for her cascading vocals to paint upon.
The singer has just shared her debut EP, “In My Head”, a cohesive, sun-kissed and atmosphere-laden collection of cuts. Seamlessly blending her R&B crux with splashes of UKG, jungle, DnB and trance, the seven-pronged inaugural project is a sonic statement of intent, splashy and vivacious, yet intimate and provoking.
To find out more about the project, we asked Eljé to walk us through “In My Head”, track-by-track…
Listen to the EP…
Read Eljé’s rundown…
“One To Leave”
I always loved listening to UK Garage growing up and it’s also where I started my musical journey by releasing my first single Peach Squash Sunday. I had so much fun working with Ghosty on this song and he made the song so easy for me to write to, he just understood my sound. This track feels really nostalgic and is also a song that opens up about mental health and those inside thoughts. A lot of fans will be able to resonate with this song. This song is something exciting and new and opens up a more commercial side to Eljé’s sound.
“Was It Enough”
This song blends jungle and RnB sounds together and is about the emotions you deal with when knowing someone is not with the right person. I loved working with Notion, this is actually the quickest song I’ve made! I wrote it in about 20 minutes, I just loved the track instantly and lyrics came straight away.
“Nobody Knows”
This song takes listeners on a journey through the foggy landscape of mental health struggles. It’s all about feeling lost in your own head. The track paints a vivid picture of being stuck in a mental haze, with shadows and darkness creating fear and a sense of drowning in your own thoughts. The lyrics touch on those moments when you feel okay, but it’s not enough to really change things. There’s a recurring theme of wanting to run away before everything turns even darker. It captures that feeling of carrying a weight that others can’t see or understand and like you’re fighting a battle all on your own. Despite the heavy themes, there’s a glimmer of hope. The song hints at the possibility of winning this internal fight someday. It’s relatable for anyone who’s ever felt trapped by their own thoughts or misunderstood because their struggles aren’t visible on the surface. I always love working with Jack Marlow and once again when he sent me over the track, I just instantly knew this song would be special. I have not jumped on much DnB so it’s exciting to be dropping some in the EP.
“See Through”
“See Through” plays into themes of transparency, longing, and the pain of unreciprocated love. I really loved creating this song as it’s something completely refreshing and new from myself whilst also experimenting with the use of a sample.
“One Last Time”
This track dives into the messy feelings of a relationship hitting a rough patch. It’s all about needing some time apart to figure things out. The lyrics are about the person wrestling with wanting to stay close but knowing they need space to see things clearly. There’s this push and pull between one last passionate night and facing the hard truth that things need to change. It gets real about how hiding from problems and lying only makes things worse. The song touches on the hope that taking a step back might actually bring them closer in the end, or at least help them understand what’s real. It’s for anyone who’s been in that tough spot where love is there, but it might not be enough on its own. I love the energy of this track as we made it on the first day of the year. I promised myself I would do something positive to start the year off and this amapiano/rnb style song was the result of it! It was so fun to be in the room with Kenniblu and Manon whilst producing and writing the song, we all felt so excited about the song and had a good feeling about it.
“If You Call Me”
This song was written for my best friend, who recently experienced the sudden loss of two family members. Knowing her father’s passion for live music and playing in bands, we crafted the track to reflect the style he would have appreciated. Collaborating with Tentendo,we aimed to capture a sound that would resonate with her father’s musical tastes. In thelyrics I am expressing my support for my friend during this difficult time and telling her thateven when she struggles to articulate her feelings or finds it challenging to communicate, Iwill always be here, ready to listen and support her, even amid the confusion and pain of grief. This song also addresses mental health issues, connecting thematically with other tracks on the EP as this was a situation that stemmed from mental health. I hope this song will reach others who may be experiencing similar struggles.
“Bout To Lose It”
This song to this day still makes me tear up. I can always feel the emotions I was feeling at the time when writing it. I was so scared to put out a song as vulnerable as this but the way the world perceived it and the way it brought people together is something I will never forget. This song is raw and honest and makes you feel like dancing and crying at the same time which many fans had messaged me saying!