I had the pleasure of catching up with rising Welsh country-pop star, ELERI. Since the pandemic, ELERI has released a plethora of catchy country-pop singles with support from BBC Introducing and has performed at major festivals including Glastonbury and Buckle and Boots. In this conversation, ELERI shares the meaning and inspiration behind her forthcoming album 'The Carnival' and her headline show at Clwb Ifor Bach in Cardiff.
Hi ELERI, thank you for taking the time to do this interview! Please could you introduce yourself to our readers!
Hi, I’m Eleri, I am a Country/Pop artist from Swansea in South Wales. I’ve been releasing music since my first single in 2013 and I’m now gearing up to release my second album ‘The Carnival’ next week!
You’re going to release your highly anticipated sophomore album ‘The Carnival’ on the 13th October. What can you tell us about the concept and creative process behind the album?
The concept behind 'The Carnival' is a reflection of the diverse and ever-changing nature of life itself. Much like a carnival, life is a whirlwind of experiences, emotions, and surprises. With this album, I wanted to capture the essence of this journey for me through life and music. Each song on the album represents a different part of this emotional rollercoaster, whether it's falling in love, the passion of new beginnings, fighting for what you believe in, finding new hope and celebrating independence. I’ve been pushed creatively so much on this album by everyone involved in the creative process from my fabulous co-writers, producers and my team to make something that challenges my creative abilities and processes. I always want to push myself to be better and on this album I’ve amped up the energy on my country sound infused with rock and pop and made a few fun country party tunes that wouldn’t be out of place at a Rodeo.
'The Carnival’ features singles including my favourite track ‘Snake Like You’ which is a collaboration with Millie Blooms who has also previously featured on my blog. What has it been like to work and collaborate with other artists on the album, was this something you had always intended to do or did it come about quite naturally? I initially planned for 'The Carnival' to be a collaborative project, drawing on the joys of co-writing over Zoom sessions during the pandemic. I worked with my favorite songwriters like Nina Sundstrom, Rachel Walker Mason, Vanessa Murray, and Katie Buckland, along with producers Kaity Rae and Tim Prottey Jones. My collaboration with Millie Blooms and Dan Fry happened organically when we worked on a song together for fun, leading to them producing the entire record.
The idea of artist collaborations began with 'Good For A Girl,' where I wanted to highlight the importance of women's voices in the music industry. We invited various female artists, including Eädyth, to contribute to the track. This inspired me to involve other artists on different songs, creating a diverse and dynamic album.
Did you face any significant challenges during the course of creating the album?
Getting the sound right is always a big challenge for me as I have a lot of influences so it can be difficult to narrow it down. There’s a lot of light and shade on this album and creating the dynamic highs and lows while maintaining some semblance of sonic cohesion. I’m really pleased with what we’ve created though and I can’t wait for everyone to hear it.
What would you say is your favourite track from the album and why?
Oh this one changes all the time! I really love the storytelling on Karaoke and the anthemic chorus on Good For A Girl, my favourite one to play live is Snake Like You cause I have a lot of fun playing with my vocals, as well as performing Millie’s section if I’m playing it solo. There’s also a gorgeous ballad called Blue Skies A’Comin that I’m particularly attached to because writing it helped me through a really tough time in the last couple of years.
What do you hope your listeners take away from ‘The Carnival’?
The Carnival' is a musical journey that I hope listeners will find both relatable and transformative. It's a reflection of the ups and downs of life, presented in a way that's both captivating and emotionally resonant. I can't wait for everyone to experience it when it's released on October 13th.
You are also planning to celebrate the release of the album by playing a headline show at Clwb Ifor Bach in Cardiff. What can people expect from the show and where can they purchase tickets?
At the Clwb Ifor Bach show in Cardiff, audiences can expect a high energy performance of the big album tracks from my 7-piece band, with lots of singalong sections - I'll also be performing some more intimate solo acoustic songs too, as well as songs from previous records.
Adding to the excitement, I have the incredible Megan Lee and Ollie Dixon as my support acts, so it'll be an evening filled with exceptional music. You can find ticket links on all of my social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and more. Just follow @elerionline for easy access to purchase your tickets and be part of the celebration!
Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions! I can’t wait for everyone to hear the new album 😊
Me too! Thank you so much for chatting with me and your continued support.
ELERI's album will be released on 13th October, you can find her music on my Spotify Featured Artists Playlist (link in bio). And you can find tickets for her album launch in the link down below: