Get To Know : ella jane
Indie pop artist ella jane may only be nineteen, but her effortlessly ethereal vocals are catching the attention of many. With nearly 80K followers and over 3 million likes on TikTok, NYC based Ella is clearly one to watch. Having found herself named as one of Music Business Worldwide's Hottest Independent Artist's In The World, her first two singles, ‘The City’ and ‘nothing else i could do’ were then featured on Spotify’s Fresh Finds and Chill Vibes playlists, exposing her smooth sound to a larger audience, all done from within the four walls of her bedroom. Her latest single, ‘AUGUST IS A FEVER’, was released this November and is written, sung, played and produced by Ella herself. Acting as an ode to being seventeen and the realities of growing up, the song is powerfully captivating in its authentic, unparalleled and personal sound.
PHOTO BY SARA LAUFER
Last Bus Magazine chatted with ella jane about the meaning behind her music, creativity over lockdown, being a teenager in the industry, and more.
LB: Congratulations on ‘AUGUST IS A FEVER’ - What does the song mean to you?
ej: Thank you so much! I’m so excited about it. I wrote ‘AUGUST’ when I was seventeen and it sprang out of this realization that even though I was more comfortable in myself and my own identity than I had ever been before, I felt kind of stuck in my small town. That summer was really the first time I felt secure in who I was and happy with my group of friends, but something about our daily routine left me feeling so conflicted. Every day after work was spent driving around from parking lot to parking lot, getting coffee, then driving back - just a lot of paychecks spent on gas and caffeine. I loved the time I spent with my friends and killing time with them and listening to our favorite songs - it was just so comforting and familiar - but at the same time, I felt so bored and trapped in my town and in my life. So this song is basically a love/hate letter to being 17 and uncertain.
Who are your favourite artists and what music have you been listening to recently?
My favorite artists of all time and biggest inspirations in general would have to be Phoebe Bridgers and Lorde for sure, but I definitely listen to an eclectic mix of things. I feel like we actually got a lot of great music out of lockdown, so my past few months have been spent religiously listening to Folklore by Taylor Swift and Punisher by Phoebe. Recently I’ve re-entered my annual Vampire Weekend and Fleetwood Mac phases - must be something about the fall, I guess.
What’s your favourite part of the creative process?
This is kind of a new one for me, but recently my favorite part of the creative process has been production. Over quarantine, I spent a lot of time figuring out how to make my own demos because I was so interested in how my favorite artists created the sounds that I loved. It’s really difficult and time-consuming and I’m definitely not great at it, but it’s been such a rewarding experience and has already helped me communicate so much more effectively with producers and collaborators. I also think there’s something really powerful in being able to say, “yeah, I made this song” - it just doubles the pride I have in my work. ‘AUGUST IS A FEVER’, was the first song I earned a production credit on and did most of the production for. Seeing my name under both “written by” and “produced by” for the very first time was so, so exciting.
How does it feel being a teenager in the industry?
I’ve been lucky to be surrounded by such a great group of people this early in my career, so having that support system from the get-go has made my introduction to the music industry a really pleasant one. I think I would be feeling a lot less comfortable right now in the connections I’ve made if I didn’t feel like I could trust them, because even if it hasn’t completely affected me yet, the lack of women is definitely an unavoidable aspect of the industry (especially when it comes to who’s behind the most popular songs). However, it’s been really amazing to be a part of this new generation of young female songwriters and producers - I feel so humbled by the amazing women I’ve gotten to meet and become friends with over the past year or so. I think something I experience which older artists (especially male artists) might not have to, is being so conscious of the way I come across - I’ve grown really attentive to the way I speak and present myself. It’s a lot harder to be taken seriously, and sometimes I do feel like I have to prove myself more than others might.
How important do you think social media is in sharing young creatives' work and connecting with other like-minded people?
So important, honestly. Whether or not other artists like it, social media is here to stay and it’s definitely a great tool to make connections. Something I’ve noticed about it though, over these past few years of learning how to self-promote, is that people see right through your bullshit. Especially on a platform like TikTok, where demographics are a lot more targeted and content has a lot more freedom to be casual, I think it’s so important that creatives be as authentic as possible. It’s glaringly obvious if they’re not, and people are not afraid to call them out on it. I think staying as genuine as possible has also made my connections feel that much stronger, because I feel like people are actually resonating with me and what I have to say - not just with some contrived image I’m trying to present to the world.
What’s a good place to start for young people getting into music?
Youtube is honestly the place to go to learn everything, especially when it comes to production. It might take a while until you find the good stuff, but there are thousands of hours of free advice from seasoned professionals. Something that really helped me in both writing and production is paying close attention to what your favorite artists are doing in their music. Try and recreate tracks you love and focus in on what it is you admire about your favorite songs. - there are plenty of online tutorials for that. Once I realized why I loved Lorde’s lyrics so much, or why Maggie Rogers’ production was so captivating to me, then I was able to start writing the way I wanted to. Eventually, you figure out how to make it your own.
What are your musical plans for the future?
Over the next few months I’m hoping to finally get back in the studio and record a few more singles, and then hopefully release an EP sometime in the spring! And then hopefully in the next year or two, maaayyybeee I’ll finally get to perform live…