![\"Screenshot](\"\/\/media.wonderlandmagazine.com\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Screenshot-436.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nIf asked to guess, I\u2019m sure not many of you would estimate 23 as the age of Parisian singer-songwriter, Alma Elste. With a voice as deeply mature as it is emotionally tranquilizing, which\u00a0has been\u00a0<\/em>compared to London Grammer\u2019s Hannah Reid, and lyrics that speak to all ages with heartfelt sincerity, Alma Elste may be young but she\u2019s an old soul, and one that\u2019s not going to be forgotten any time soon.<\/p>\n Although brought-up in the French capital, her dual citizenship encouraged the decision to later spend time living in New York and studying Harmony at Berklee College of Music. A move no doubt encouraged by her classical roots – another intriguing thread woven into an already adroit persona. Last year saw the release of \u2018Heart Melter\u2019 and now she\u2019s back with her slightly more shadowy second single \u2018Limitless\u2019, which was written, performed and produced solely by the young singer. As tempting as it is to draw our own comparisons with other already established voices, her message may be familiar but the language that she speaks is too multi-faceted to pin down. Press play and your might just find yourself missing something you never knew you\u2019d lost.<\/p>\n Your Grandfather was a classical pianist \u2013 was he\/does he still remain a huge musical influence of yours?<\/strong>
<\/span>
<\/span>My grandfather died before I was born. But my mother insisted that I played piano early in my life – I started around seven, so I think through her he definitely was an\u00a0influence. He loved jazz just as much he loved classical.
<\/span>
<\/span>Who is your favourite classical composer, can you remember the first time you heard one of their pieces?
<\/span><\/strong>
<\/span>There are so many composers that I need in my life. Depends which century we\u2019re talking about. 16th century would be Gesualdo, 18th would be Bach, 19th would be\u00a0Beethoven, 20th-21st would be Ligeti, Mahler, Scriabin, Ravel, Gerard Grisey, Philippe Schoeller… In human terms though identify a lot with Beethoven. He struggled\u00a0all his life and was never satisfied with himself. He was a volcano. Very inspiring. I don’t spend a week without listening to those. But I believe in contemporary music\u00a0in the classical world. I’m really open to that. We tend to think classical belongs to dead composers. It’s absolutely not true.
<\/span>
<\/span>The early 2000s saw a huge change in the French music scene and this continued to grow through your teenage years with the rise of bands like Daft Punk \u2013 did\u00a0you feel split between the new electronic pop and your classical childhood are they happily harmonious in your mind?\u00a0
<\/span><\/strong>
<\/span>On the contrary. To me electronic music is the continuum of classical. I think electro is closer to classical than it is to pop. There is no chorus\/verse. It’s just one long\u00a0journey.
<\/span>
<\/span>Did you have that textbook \u2018teenage rebellion\u2019 phase or did you unearth your music as an outlet where others found mood swings?
<\/span><\/strong>
<\/span>I wrote a lot of songs between 13 and 18. I used to record them with a 8track Boss recorder in my bedroom. Piano, guitar, bass and vocals. At the time it was innocent,\u00a0just for me, I felt like I needed that. Now I realized how important this was. Coming from the classical world, I literaly learned all the fundamentals of pop music. How to\u00a0write a chorus, how to make a bridge… I learned all the rules without even knowing it, and now I can slightly transform them.
<\/span>
<\/span>Where is your favourite place to listen to live music in Paris?
<\/span><\/strong>
<\/span>The Philarmonic just opened last year. Simon Rattle said it has among the best acoustics in the world. I do agree. It’s astonishing, better than Pleyel. For electro I like\u00a0La Concr\u00e8te and Petits Bains. I must confess I dont go that much to pop concerts in Paris. I spend a lot of time on stage myself, so when I\u2019m back in town I prefer\u00a0bars. I would go anywhere if an artist I really love is performing though.<\/span><\/p>\n