We had the pleasure to catch up with Jersey Shore singer-songwriter Kathleen Elle to talk about her latest album and experience with streaming shows during covid lockdown.
- Okay let’s start with the Brainwaves album. We heare a real real rock vibe as well as the singer-songwriter sound that you weave together. Where did this album come from? Also who are some of your musical influences? Brainwaves is a collection of all the songs I had finished by the time I started recording! Somewhere ones that didn’t make the cut for my EP Helium that came out in 2015, and others were finished days before I was in the studio. I guess that’s why each song sounds so different. My early songs are heavily influenced by Sparks Fly/ Red era Taylor Swift, but as I grew my playlists to other artists, my songwriting varied. For instance, Ella Eyre inspired the song Love Bandit, Andy Grammer And Jason Mraz influenced Nowhere Without You, and I Always Knew was a mild look back on my punk rock Boys Like Girls, Panic, and Fall Out Boy loving days. I would say that overarching influences on the album would be Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, Adele, Jason Mraz, John Mayer, and Colbie Caillat. I also just released a single in May of 2020 called Superheroes in Disguise. It’s a song that highlights and honors the selflessness and bravery of our essential workers during this pandemic. I have 5 healthcare workers in my family, so the stress for their safety was very real. My aunt, a Covid-19 ICU nurse, lives down the street from me and for the first time in her 30+ year career, I heard her need to vent and express how exhausting and scary it was in the hospital. The thing that struck me most was a comment she made in late April about how she felt so under appreciated by the public, like a veteran coming home from the Vietnam War, in that no one could ever understand what they’ve been through. If my aunt was feeling that, someone who is always so positive and never complains, I knew the feeling must be universal for essential workers and I wanted to let them know that they should be and are real life superheroes. So I wrote the song in about a day, recorded and produced it myself in my basement, and compiled pictures for the music video on YouTube from family members, local essential workers, and healthcare workers from all over the world who I got permission to use their image on social media. I played the final recorded song for my aunt on her birthday, which happened to be international nurses day!
- You have a strong voice is that how you got started in music? My family will tell you I was singing before I could talk, and my brother will tell you I never shut up! I started guitar at 10 years old, and then started voice lessons at 13. Music wasn’t something I took seriously though until high school. I took a songwriting course after school where I learned how to structure a song, what chords usually go together for pop songs, and how to design an effective catchy melody. My teachers in high school are really the reason that I started to believe in myself and my musical ability. They steered me to try out for the honors choir, take all music electives including theory and music technology, and gave me performance opportunities to showcase my original music. Even then, I struggled with choosing what I wanted to major in, especially coming from a family of engineers, computer scientists, lawyers, and doctors. I was planning on majoring in Chemistry until the very end of my junior year of high school. I applied to both music and chemistry programs at the colleges I applied to, and thankfully, was accepted into the music schools for a double major of Music Education and Music Composition.
- You have been playing a lot of live streams this year, what has that experience been like for you? At the start at the “14 Day Lockdown,” I decided to go live every night on my Facebook and Instagram, basically just to have something to do each day and check in on friends and family. 14 days turned into 100 days! We had themed nights like Disney Songs, Broadway, originals only, 40s for my 40th show, 50s for the 50th and so on. I was surprised how many people would tune in and hang out with me from all over the country and the world. It was such a unique experience that the entire world was looking to connect with others due to the same circumstances, and I’m glad that I thought to pick up my guitar to help people escape for an hour each night… I’m so happy I had their help and put in the time because Twitch has been awesome! In just a few months, I’ve really grown my regular audience and am now starting to see that translate to people streaming my music on Spotify! For anyone that wants to join in on the fun www.twitch.tv/kathleen_e11e
- Was your album “Brainwaves” recorded at home or a commercial studio and what’s next for you as an artist? Brainwaves was entirely recorded, mixed and mastered at Jankland Studios in Wall, NJ with the help of Steve Jankowski. I had worked with Steve at his studio for a song on my Helium EP and loved how chill, nice, and helpful he was, so I knew for this album, I’d be going back to work with Steve! Besides being an awesome person and sound engineer, Steve plays trumpet professionally with Nile Rodgers & CHIC. I’ve also gotta give a shout out to my friends who played on the album; Skyler Fortgang on drums, Tracey Miller on bass, Patrick Phillips on piano, Steve Jankowski on horns, and Tommy Aboussleman on electric guitar. Without their musicianship, Brainwaves would not be as good as it is!
- Before we go, what do you want to say to fans of the music? One thing I’d like to express to the fans of music is the hope that their playlists that they listen to are not just the Apple Music A List Pop etc. Some of my favorite artists and bands are not nominated for Grammy or on the radio bands, but that doesn’t mean that their art isn’t worthy of those accolades. Try to discover a new artist or song every week. One of my favorite things to do with friends is just trade playlists, back in high school we’d burn each other CDs. There is so much music out there, so many voices, so many viewpoints that are worth listening too. It’ll help open your mind and free your heart.