Words by Art Jefferson
Photos courtesty of Ella On The Run
Ella On The Run isn’t your typical ‘pop singer’, rather a well-rounded artist whose vocal versatility and musicianship work with a vast selection of styles. It wouldn’t be hard to understand why she has been on the radar of media entities around the globe including The Huffington Post, Wonderland Magazine and the list goes on.
London-based, Ella On The Run caught the ears of the critics back in 2014 with her debut single ‘Golden Boys’, also landing her on Glastonbury’s Emerging Artist listing. By the end of that year she released her EP War Of Words which moved slightly away from her initial electro-fused sound into a darker and seductive planting of alt-pop. Whilst musically enticing, her buttery voice reeled listeners in allowing them to concentrate on the content. Not being pinned down to one genre, Ella On The Run’s 2015 single ‘Calvary’ was an upbeat working of pop with the beginning of the song incorporating an operatic feel. This year she released a rework of Ace of Base’s classic song ‘All That She Wants’, transforming it into a haunting bite of electronica and practically doing almost the impossible…making it equally if not better than the original version.
With her latest track ‘Undone’ continuing to firmly plant her seeds in the musical soil of alt-pop with a nocturnal twist, Ella On The Run is an act who is about to have the industry in the palm of her hands.
Music has been a big part of your life for quite a long time. I know that you studied at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. But going back before then, at what age would you say your musical journey first began? Were you singing as a kid?
Ella On The Run – Yes definitely! I started pretty young in the opera children’s choir around the age of seven. I then went on to first singing classical music and after that I attended a music school for contemporary music throughout my teenage years. I also perform in various bands during high school where I first started dabbling in songwriting. After that I really only wanted to study music! I did however major in Music Business Management as I definitely am a business minded person as well and it has helped me tremendously.
Although you have mentioned a number of current artists that you have respect for, growing up who were some of the artists that inspired you?
Ella On The Run – If I go all the way back through my musical life journey it would probably be in this order – Madonna, Ace of Base, Michael Jackson, Alanis Morisette, Aaliya, Aretha Franklin, Sting, Nat King Cole, Donnie Hathaway, Anything written by Cole Porter (I did study Jazz after all), Daft Punk and many many more! As you can see it is quite an eclectic mix! I never really had a preferred genre, I always follow the current mood I am in. Sometimes I listen to classical music, sometimes jazz, very often it’s minimal or experimental electronic music or whatever Spotify recommends. I can spend hours discovering new artists and I love it! It is important to keep an open mind in order to be creative.
Your ‘War On Words’ EP was musically varied in style. You have a vocal texture which blends so well with a wide range of sounds. When beginning the first notes on a track, do you already have an idea of which direction you want to take sonically or does that evolve during the sessions with the producer?
Ella On The Run – Thank you! It really depends actually. Sometimes I already have a direction in mind or I already pre-recorded some ideas at home. Other times I head to the studio and the sound evolves naturally from just messing around with ideas. On some occasions a song can start in one way and end up somewhere totally different that happened with ‘War of Words’ for instance. I do try to keep a certain recognisability with my songs and not vary too much in style, even though I really would like to go all crazy sometimes as I have so many ideas!
I read that you used to be involved with promoting other acts before fully concentrating on your own venture as an artist. Can you talk about the importance of having that knowledge these days as an artist? That is a crucial factor that many overlook.
Ella On The Run – Indeed I did! As well as marketing, publishing and press. Having experiences in these fields helped me a lot when I started out and still does. It can be incredibly overwhelming to find a foothold in this industry and I think a lot of artist don’t even know where to begin. Luckily there are great books out there and blogs that really help unsigned acts with tips and tricks from promotion to branding etc. (The Unsigned Guide for example)! Artist should use all the tools that are available to them and not just bank on their music being good enough.
You recently released a cover version of Ace of Base’s ‘All That She Wants’. No disrespect to the original but I actually prefer your version better. You changed the entire tone and vibe of the track. What made you decide to one, cover that particular track and two, take it in a more haunting yet seductive direction?
Ella On The Run – That’s really cool thank you! I love the original song too so I didn’t want to really make a copy of it as it would never be as good. I was asked to do a cover of a retro song for the YouTube channel of Wurd Social and I immediately thought of Ace of Base. As mentioned earlier I was a big fan growing up. I think lyrics are really important and sometimes in pop songs people don’t really listen to them properly. In ‘All That She Wants’ the subject matter of the lyrics is quite dark actually. It starts with “she leads a lonely life” which pretty much gives the tone of the song away for me; so I went dark, trying to explore a new depth and trying to reinvent the original and doing it justice at the same time.
You have spent time in a number of cities. Is there one particular place that you find yourself the most creative in?
Ella On The Run – I love recording and writing in L.A.! Don’t get me wrong, London is my home and I love it here but L.A. has such a creative energy! I always get so many good songs down in such a short amount of time because the work ethic there is infectious and the eternal sunshine is inspiring! That’s why I try to head out there about once a year.
You have also been living in London for quite a long time now. Are there any specific producers in the city that you would love to collaborate with?
Ella On The Run – I am always on the lookout for new producers because I love working with as many people as possible! One producer I really wanted to work with was Dee Adam and luckily I am working with her now on some new songs! Other than that I am always on the hunt for young newcomers who are hungry to try something new. Luckily London has plenty of those!
I’m sure you have been recording loads of new music. Is there anything that you can let us in on in terms of direction of sound, and if there is another EP or album in the works this year?
Ella On The Run – Well first off the new EP will come out in April! I did record quite a bit last year so that I actually already have enough for a full album! I decided on releasing two EP’s instead so I will release the second one towards the end of the year! I am heading into a slightly more electronic direction on the next release and I also have some collaborations coming out in Summer. Lot’s of exciting things happening!
http://www.ellaontherun.com/
https://www.facebook.com/EllaOnTheRun
https://twitter.com/EllaOnTheRun
https://soundcloud.com/ellaotr
http://www.songkick.com/artists/7972648-ella-on-the-run
https://www.gigmit.com/ella-on-the-run