LOS ANGELES, CA- Before COVID 19 shut down the world, Blurred Culture helped curate mini talent showcases every Saturday night in Hollywood at Madame Siam. While our “ZERØ SATURDAY NIGHTS” has been put on hold, we’re keeping the faith that we’ll get to entertain the masses once this whole pandemic gets sorted out.
One of the acts we were lucky enough to host last year was the Los Angeles based singer-songwriter professional known as Elodie Rêverie. She graced our stage for a short set that showcased her addictive indie-pop confections.
We caught up with Ms.Rêverie recently to check in on her and to learn a little bit more about her and her music.
**********************
Thanks so much for taking part in our showcase at Madame Siam last year. I certainly hope that your experience was as enjoyable as ours was! 2019 seemed to be a real break out year for you. You dropped a lot of singles throughout the year, and seem to be navigating your way through the L.A. music scene. You’re originally from upstate New York, right? Is there a reason why you decided to set up shop in LA as opposed to NYC to start your music career?
Hi, Derrick! Madam Siam was the most fun show I’ve played in LA! In my debut single “Gold Rush” there is a line, “Los Angeles bewitches us, the ones who need a city big enough for our thoughts.” I am originally from Brooklyn, NY 5th generation on my moms side, and I attended a small liberal arts college in rural Ohio with about 1800 students and I’d never experienced a life where I felt extremely anonymous in a city … and I guess I thought LA was a place where I would have room to think, and be my own person. I’ve been in LA predominantly since 2015. [I] worked in documentary [films], and it wasn’t until last year that I embarked on a singing career and decided to learn how to produce my own music. I haven’t looked back since! It’s been a very independent journey for me, and I am passionate about the business as well. [T]hat’s been a defining aspect of my journey thus far.
What was “the switch” that flipped that got you working on your music career? Even though it’s still “entertainment”, going from documentary work to music seems to be a big leap.
I felt lost and I started to think about what it was I really wanted to do. Music production has always been in the back of my mind and then I just decided to go for it. As my mom says, “it came out of the blue,” but I am the type of person who listens to my intuition and for some reason, I couldn’t get it out of my head that I wanted to make music.
And you’ve released 5 singles so far, right? Your single “Skeleton Castle” has performed really well on Spotify with almost thirty thousand plays. What’s it like for a new artist like you to have a song connect with that many people. It must be a rush right? Did you think that that track would be your most popular track?
That’s correct. Black Plastic says its, ”a great representation of [my] talent-a slightly weird, left-field pop record about history and ancestry…it feels both grounded and otherworldly. It’s pop music, but not quite as you know it.” I understand why it has the widest appeal, however, I haven’t made another song like it [since]. [A song] that’s more in “my style” is my least streamed song “Golden Ghosts”, which is minimal production-classical music samples and haunting songwriting because to me it’s important to go with my gut instead of chasing the streams or else I start to go a little cuckoo. Truthfully, I’ve noticed that getting 30k streams on Skeleton Castle doesn’t feel like “enough”-I’d argue always wanting more is woven into the psyche of America, and I’ve noticed how that mentality influences my own life and I try to challenge it. And that said, I think it’s my responsibility to prevent myself from falling into a negative feedback loop of thoughts. It’s challenging to be an independent artist, and I think we often define success commercially in music and that a good outlook and mental health should also be equated with success because often musicians on all levels struggle with those areas.
Yeah… metrics and social media can be a curse and blessing for artists. Definitely a double-edged sword. What keeps you grounded? Do you have daily rituals, or mantras, or anything? Or is it just a positive state of mind?
When I perform, I actively try to tune into the moment versus my inner critic. I think skills like that are helpful in day to day life. I keep a healthy sleep schedule and avoid alcohol which helps! I am fortunate to have a strong support system and I also like to read and listen to mindfulness meditations which are soothing me! Oh and sleep is key!
I value sleep more than you can imagine. LOL. Backtracking a little bit, when you came to LA in 2015, what was the hardest part of resettling in a new city? Did you already have a strong support system in place when you arrived?
Two childhood friends who are like sisters to me were out here which helped and I definitely built friendships I never dreamed imaginable out here so LA has been an overall positive experience for me! It’s all an adventure! You just meet so many interesting people if you get out there! And I guess the hardest part is that you are surrounded by so much talent it’s easy to fall into a rabbit hole of doubting yourself but it’s a double-edged sword because it pushes you to be your best. Plus it’s inspiring and exciting.
Can you give me an example of someone you met that inspired you and pushed you to go further than you thought you could go?
Great question. I create my own beats and don’t typically use a producer in the studio and so an engineer I worked on “Golden Ghosts” and “Gold Rush” with, Chase McElhaney, pushed me both in the studio and vocally. I let go vocally in a way I wouldn’t have without him being there.
Do you have any “LA Dreams” you’re aiming for? What can up next for Elodie Rêverie?
One of my dreams is to perform at the Troubador and celebrate with my family at Dan Tana’s next door … I love the chicken parm!… and envisioning this brings me comfort during a time when live music and dining out with loved ones feels like a distant memory. Singing, writing my lyrics and producing my music … using Logic requires a variety of skills and discipline—they’re crafts and cannot rely on innate talent. For lyrics, I’m usually inspired by literature and poetry. I’ve been struggling to finish a book lately, and so one of my goals is to read more. I am about to read The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut, and finishing it is definitely a goal:). I feel inspired to write often when I’m stimulated by what I’m reading and it does wonders for me cognitively. As for the production of my music, I am inspired by classical music and I feel like producing music allows me to be pretty original in what I make-I taught myself last year after sitting in on a free class at the Apple store and went on to make “Fire in The Desert”. I would like to continue to develop as a producer and learn more about engineering. I will be enrolling in a Musicians Institute online program in July in order to work on those skills and music theory. I also love video creation and editing and I want to start creating more documentary-style content for my online socials and editing my own visuals for live performing and music videos. Overall, I want to connect with people who my music resonates with and inspire young females to learn to self-produce and educate themselves about the business and be self-starters in the industry! I want to continue to embrace pop and work something that has mainstream appeal but is slightly left of center and it seems like this is a moment when that is embraced!
Follow Elodie Rêverie on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*********************
