Elvira
Photo credit: Christopher Schauz
Swedish singer/songwriter Elvira released her debut single “Envious” on September 4th.
Co-written with Cate Downey and produced by Philip Handeland, the promising record describes an old friendship where you feel like you give more than you receive. “It’s a blend of everything I wanted for my sound and it feels amazing to have “Envious” as the opener for my project,” says Elvira.
With more exciting releases on the way, Elvira is kicking off her career with an energetic and fun pop record influenced by the 70’s and the modern pop sound.
“Envious” is now available on major streaming platforms.
Photo credit: Christopher Schauz
Introduce yourself - what's your story?
I grew in Jönköping, Sweden. A middle sized city where it’s uncommon to think outside the box and live your life in a way that’s not traditional. I was working in a clothing store and it had been two years since I graduated high school. I was sick and tired of doing the same old thing everyday. I had what most people would see as a great life; a loving relationship, a big apartment, a normal job and a wonderful family, but it wasn’t the way I wanted to live my life. So I quit my job and moved to a little town in Norway called Lillehammer, where I started studying songwriting, music production and music business. Norway? You might think, so did I, but after studying at LIMPI for a year I had everything I needed to start pursuing a career in the music industry. I met some of my closest friends there and among them are my amazing co-writers and producers for my artist project. I’ve always known that I would work in music in some way, but writing and creating my own project is the most exciting thing I’ve ever done. And I’m grateful everyday for the opportunity to do that.
How would you define ELVIRA, the artist?
Elvira is a joyful, funny and confident artist with a lot of energy. As an artist I love everything around the music just as much as the actual music. I want people to see personality in my cover art, music videos & instagram posts. Elvira is the kind of friend you talk to when you need to get some extra energy or just dance your troubles away for a while.
I hope people can get to know me through my music, where I try to tell my story in a fun and dramatic way, cause that’s the way people usually describe me haha…
Exaggeration is an ongoing theme in my life, so I wish for people to listen to my music and not take it too seriously. Have fun with it!
"Envious" is your debut single - how does it feel like to have your first single out?
It feels AMAZING. I told my roomies in my songwriting collective how scared I was of the whole process and I was wondering how people would perceive me? But right now it feels great to show what I’ve been working on.
How do people respond to this first single so far?
It’s been really good! I’ve talked to so many people who’ve found my music in the weirdest ways and it’s so cool to see how you can connect from different backgrounds and upbringings just through music.
What's the story/inspiration behind "Envious"? Who helped you create this single?
“Envious” describes an old friendship where you feel like you give and give but you never really get anything in return. I wrote the song together with my best friend Cate Downey (check her out!) and we both had a lot of frustration that needed to get out. So instead of screaming into a pillow or punching a wall we decided to write a song about it. To not get all bitter about it we disguised the song in a beautiful pop track with distinct 70's influences. The song is produced by my amazing friend Philip Handeland, who I’ve been working a lot with for the upcoming singles.
What do you like the most about this song?
I love that we were able to bring my biggest influences into the production. I love disco strings, I love funky bass lines and big harmony stacks and we decided to put it all in there! I’m so proud of the song, cause it’s the first song I wrote where I felt like “THIS IS ELVIRA!”. I’m a sucker for great productions and I have a hard time loving a song if I don’t love the production so we experimented a while with the sound to make it fit perfectly.
What made you want to release "Envious" as your debut single?
I felt like it was a great starter to what’s to come and my songwriter friends reacted in a different way to this one. I saw that the song made them happy and excited, so it felt very natural to release it.
What can you tell us about your upcoming EP?
Not too much yet, I’m still experimenting with what it should be about and what songs should be on it. But new music is coming later this fall. First out is a single that I’m so proud of. It’s a love song written and produced in quarantine, but this summer we created a magical music video and the song really came to life!
Excited to share it with you!
You are originally from Sweden. Does it have an impact on the music you are making today?
Absolutely! I grew up with Max Martin pop and I think I’ve learned how to craft songs by having big swedish idols who I could look up to. I also think knowing that there is an industry in my home country has made me more confident in my choice of career. Swedish is a very melodic language and as a child I remember singing all the big hits songs in fake english and I still hear the melody before I consciously listen to the lyrics.
As an artist, what do you want to accomplish?
I want my music to be a part of people’s lives. Whether that’s at a wedding, at the pregame, as background music in a store or at a huge festival. I love making music, writing songs and performing so I hope to one day be able to perform in front of a big crowd!
But I also want people to learn how to love themselves and find the light when there’s darkness. If I can make one person happier on a sad day that’s worth so much more to me than if I get a streaming record on my latest single.
What major life lesson have you learned so far?
Be yourself and the right people will eventually find you.
If you give love, you’ll get love.
Trust your gut!!!
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
More women in leadership. More knowledge and education.
What message do you want to deliver to the world?
Take responsibility for the world you want to live in. Communicate with one another & be kind <3
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