- Let’s first introduce you to our readers. What’s your name and where are you from?
My name is Elaina, I go by Elaina the Artist. You can follow me on all platforms at @elainatheartist. I am from Fayetteville, North Carolina.
- You’re definitely a multi talented person. Let everyone know all of what you do.
I am a musical artist and entrepreneur. I play the piano, violin, and some snare drum. Music has been in my life since I was a young child as my dad is a saxophonist and I used to play with his band when I was younger. Currently I produce my own music where I sing and rap. My latest project, “Let You Kno” by Elaina the Artist is currently streaming on all platforms. I also own a cake company called Cakenanigans based out of Fayetteville, NC.
- If you could describe your artistry in a short paragraph, what would it be?
My artistry is freedom and inspiration coupled with creativity. Often, an idea will hit me randomly while washing dishes or driving down the highway, and I will pull out the voice notes on my phone to record the idea so I don’t forget. When I can, I get in the lab and make a beat for the initial idea. I usually let the beat speak to me on what the rest of the song will sound like. I put loops together, then go back and add my own flare to them. Often, how the idea starts is never how it ends up. For example “Let You Kno” began originally a rap song, but ended as a neo-soul anthem. My artistry is simply me existing to create at my highest level, freely expressing myself to the world.
- Out of all of your many talents, what do you enjoy doing the most?
What I enjoy most is creating beats. It’s a true peace for me to have something playing in my head and finally be able to lay it down and make sense of it. Usually the drumline comes first, followed by a good bass line and leads. Lastly, I fill in with whatever else I think the beat needs to be at my version of complete. The thing about making beats is that music is my love language. So I can convey how I feel through the beat, then later go in and add words based on what the beat was saying when I created it.
- What element of music in its current state do you feel is missing?
I think creativity and vulnerability is missing from music in its current state. There is a lot of “trendy” and “viral” music coming out these days that I feel misses the mark in connecting to those vulnerable parts of existing. For example, when Andre 3000 said “Yall don’t want to hear me you just want to dance” in Hey Ya, a song written about relationships and how our trauma can affect them. I feel like that level of creativity and vulnerability is missing in today’s music and as Andre stated, everyone just wants a good bop. True song writing and creativity in music is missing. There are some artists like Muni Long and Victoria Monet who I feel still have that element, but both have been vocal about their struggles in the industry as both a song writers and an as artists. People don’t appreciate true songwriters as much as they should.
- You have 2 upcoming releases, “Pianos Anthem”, and “Soul Partner”. Explain the inspiration behind both releases.
Absolutely! I am so excited about these releases as they will really help establish my sound as an artist. Piano’s Anthem is a song that I wrote about missing playing the piano. When I wrote the song, I hadn’t played piano for about 5 years. The chorus is the biggest giveaway of what it is about. I start off with “Let’s Keep it Black and White” as most pianos unless custom are black or white with black and white keys. Next line is “You got me crossing lines” which references the lines created by the contrasting black and white on the piano and to play the piano, fingers must cross over these lines. “Can we record it baby” refers to me recording myself playing the piano and singing. You can hear a run from the piano right after that line as if it is answering me. That was intentional as I was creating the beat. Lastly, “You’ll be my muse yeah, yeah, yeah” refers to the fact that the piano was my inspiration or muse behind creating the song. I am a bit of a comedian and I love a good double entendre, so I wrote the song with a double meaning purposely.
Soul Partner came to me as I was washing dishes after a grocery store run. At the store, I encountered a very handsome cashier and I just remember washing dishes and hearing the verses in my head as I said them out loud. “The way I would annihilate you” was the first line I heard and at first, I thought it was going to be a spoken word. Because of that, it took me about a year to create a beat as it is today. The original beat had a lot of brass instruments and funk inspiration, more like a James Brown/ Herbie Hancock vibe, but as time went on, the song told me it needed a smoother vibe, and that’s where the current beat came from. I stripped everything down and left only the bass line and built the rest of the song around it. Now I feel it is more genuine neo-soul rather than funk or any other genre. The chorus was the very last thing I added.
- Out of everything you’ve created what’s your favorite?
Out of everything I created Piano’s anthem is my favorite because of the song writing and the nuances I placed throughout the song. It is the best representation of how creative and inspired I am when it comes to music. On first listen, people think I’m talking about a person, but Piano’s Anthem is about my love affair with the piano and music collectively. The beat for Piano’s Anthem was also the first one I created myself. It was the song that created “Elaina the Artist”.
- What’s your goal in music?
My goal in music is to create a timeless legacy. I want to have fun while creating moments in music people won’t forget. When people reference the top musical artists in 10 years I want to be mentioned. I’m just getting started, but I know that with my talent, determination, and vision I can make that a reality. Prince is one of my favorite artists of all time because he wrote, sang, produced, and played instruments. I’d like to have a legacy like Prince someday. My second favorite would be Erykah Badu; almost 30 years later and she is still relevant. That’s the impact I want my music to have.
- Who would your dream collaboration be with?
My dream collaboration would be with Erykah Badu. She is the epitome of freedom of expression. I love how she freestyles, and the simplicity of her arrangements, yet her delivery is so impactful. Some of her songs are just an upright bass, a drummer and a keyboard with her crooning over it. You have to be talented to make a classic with just that. Her mind is a creative playground, nothing is off limits when it comes to her expression.
- In closing, is there anything you’d like to say that wasn’t addressed?
In closing I’d like to say thank you for having me on your platform. I believe in my vision, and I am grateful for every opportunity to speak about my music. I am looking forward to growing, developing my sound and introducing the world to Elaina the Artist. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to do that.
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