Q&A: Elke Provides Hope, Relatability and Refuge Amongst the Chaos With “No Pain for Us Here”
AMIDST A POIGNANT NARRATIVE OF LATENT INTROSPECTION — Elke’s debut album No Pain for Us Here explores the prevalent issues synonymous with our society and provides a much-needed relief in response to our contemporary lifestyle. Touching upon the “dystopian” life experienced by Nashville musician and model Kayla Graninger and listeners alike, Elke’s music overtly critiques emotive themes lyrically addressing “the panic and fear” provoked by today’s society, highlighting them with sonically dreamy guitar riffs. Produced by Zac Farro — known for his work with Becca Mancari’s acclaimed LP The Greatest Part released in 2020 — Elke’s No Pain for Us Here is an ode to an artist who has boldly, bravely, and heroically pushed themselves creatively and personally to evolve beyond the foundations built within the industry and indeed the society in which we live to provide hope, relatability, and refuge amongst the chaos.
Read below to learn more about Elke’s debut album, the creative process behind the production of No Pain for Us Here, and their upcoming projects for the year ahead.
LUNA: With your latest single “I Can Help,” you describe it as an ode to the “dystopian” lifestyle we live nowadays and have almost accepted. Was there any particular event that inspired this and how would you describe the creative process behind it?
ELKE: This song was an attempt at being Mr. Rogers to a crowd of children, to whom you cannot tell the unadulterated truths to. I used a lot of imagery to put the words to paper. In an exhausted state, I imagined the clock's arms growing so wide that it burst through the glass, and a glowing person from afar [to] appear, both of which will provide no solution. Maybe the fact that I kept this song so cheeky was a way to avoid saying I really needed more emotional support and to be taken more seriously as a kid/young adult; any counselling at all to explain the causes of my derailed paths and the effects that followed. Truly, I was not thinking of this at all when I wrote it — I wanted to just be Mr. Rogers explaining a soft version of the truth. It was not until after I had listened to the demo a bit that I was able to connect how it related to me but more so us — the ability people of power have to turn the other cheek in a world where people get opportunities and necessities based on the color of their skin or their gender, in a world that is flooding and on fire, [where] people are homeless and starving, in war. I truly hope I can provide people with the message to breathe long breaths, away from panic and fear, because we are capable of standing up, and worthy of love from others and ourselves.
LUNA: Congrats on the upcoming release of No Pain for Us Here. How does the creative process behind “I Can Help” compare to the production of the album? What was it like to collaborate with Zac Farro?
ELKE: Like most songs on the record, for "I Can Help," I wrote the lyrics and melody first, and accompanied it with an instrument so Zac and I could listen to it together and build from there. I usually write out a song an excessive amount of times to make sure every word meets the melody with impact. Zac and I both work quite quickly, and this was something our already strong studio chemistry benefited from. If there's something I’ve learned from working with Zac, it is to never stop him before he's finished an idea, because 99% of the time once he's done, it permanently stays in the song. He is intuitive and plays with intent like an olympian.
LUNA: Clearly songs like “I Can Help” talk about some poignant themes. Are there any other themes or topics you would like to express in future music or that we might see in No Pain for Us Here?
ELKE: One thing about life that will keep me writing is the continual quest to figure it out. You will see that in this album and all that follows.
LUNA: Are there any particular messages you would want your listeners to take from No Pain for Us Here?
ELKE: I can passionately say the message is to stay present and open-minded.
LUNA: Were there any personal challenges you had to adapt to when getting into music and covering topics so intimate and overtly prevalent for yourself and listeners alike?
ELKE: It was the outlet to express intimacy and vulnerability that gave me the ability to understand and believe in myself and gave me a way to connect with people. All things that I was taught [were] to keep silent, so it has been therapeutic to say the least. The challenge comes from the commitment to be the best lyricist I can be.
LUNA: What was the inspiration behind the music video for “I Can Help”? Creatively, how does this compare to the visuals or themes on No Pain for Us Here?
ELKE: The cleanup clock scene from “Big Comfy Couch” was on the backburner since the song was made because I would think about it while writing the song. Zac and I both watched this show as kids, and were finishing each other's sentences for a lot of the details of this video. Wardrobe was set to make everyone look like regular workers with bad bosses, little pay, short lunch breaks, far away parking spots, no promotion in sight, although everyone's performance was so great that they really only dressed the part. All Green Screen shots were inspired by an old French movie that movie connoisseur and director AJ Gibboney had in mind. As a team we really wanted to make a “music video” music video, and to catapult the song.
LUNA: Are there any other upcoming projects you would like to talk about?
ELKE: I finished writing my next album a few months ago!
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