INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY MOLLY PECK ☆
FOR HER THIRD ALBUM, ELKE DECIDED TO GO BACK TO BASICS—Described as “stripped back,” Big Mike is intimate and introspective, like you’re watching Elke perform at a hometown dive bar late at night. The project, which comes out on Friday, Oct 30, walks a line between nostalgic and modern that makes it feel both comforting and exciting.
Titled in honor of her late father, Big Mike is an ode to Elke’s childhood in the Midwest. She grew up in Crystal Lake, IL and made the journey from her current home in Nashville back to the small town to shoot the music video for “Failed Attempt” (which Elke also directed). Visuals are a major part of the project—Elke also directed the video for lead single “Pusher” with Josh Gilligan. The cover of the album, a close-up shot of Elke’s face lit by a candle flame, reflects her presence in every aspect of creating Big Mike. She wrote the songs, produced alongside Grammy-nominated producer JT Daly, directed two out of the three singles’ music videos and styled the videos as well. Elke appears bare-faced in the close-cropped photo on the album’s cover—an instant indication to listeners that this is her story, told her way.
Big Mike is both revealing and subtle. Fans and followers will catch references to Elke’s private life, like glimpses of her partner, Paramore’s Zac Farro, in the video for “Failed Attempt,” or her father’s name in the album title. The casual listener will learn more about Elke through the feelings evoked by the tracks than through straightforward lyrics. She takes a less direct approach, with the simplicity of the production allowing her voice and poetic lyrics to shine, bringing that dimly lit, cozy feeling to life.
“Toxic Trait” and “Angel” give off the kind of sadness that makes you happy just to feel it, like a quiet nighttime drive through the countryside. “Rotisserie” and “Moon Marquee” are the soundtrack of perfect evenings with people you love. “Breathless” was inspired by the 1999 film The Virgin Suicides, and brings in a playful early-2000s indie sound. Listening to the album feels like getting to peek through Elke’s bedroom window, but only when she chooses to open the curtains for you.
Luna recently sat down with Elke to chat about creating Big Mike, visiting her childhood home and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
LUNA: Where did the stage name Elke come from?
ELKE: That would be my grandma's name and my mom's name.
LUNA: Oh, that's so nice!
ELKE: Yeah, it's kind of not though. I'm like, why didn't they name me that? I had to do it myself!
LUNA: Your new album, Big Mike, is described as more stripped back. How did that choice play into the themes of the album, and how is it different from your previous work?
ELKE: I had a lot of experiences that I wanted to shine on their own without the backing of a lot of production. I wanted to be listened to. There are two producers on this record—and me—but JT Daly, he's the one that I originally brought some songs to. He was like, “I hear the production a lot in all of your music.” It's interesting because what I was showing him was demos, and he was like, “These songs already are saying a lot. Let's keep them that way,” and I loved that.
LUNA: “Pusher” is the first track on the album and was also the lead single. Why did you choose that track to introduce listeners to the album?
ELKE: Because this record is so stripped back, I wanted the people that I knew would pay attention…to tell them that I hear them. A lot of people had mentioned putting “Breathless” first. In the industry, I noticed that there's a formula for releasing stuff, and it's, “Grab their attention,” and then start doing other stuff. For some reason, I can taste it when people do that. It is an important part of the industry because it's so social media-based, but I feel like sometimes the sensation of something being sold to you is bigger than the sensation of somebody wanting to connect with you. I really wanted to put “Pusher” out first for that reason.
LUNA: Were you working with new producers and collaborators on this album?
ELKE: Yeah, I worked with Thad Kopec and JT Daly. I've known Thad for a long time. I met JT in Hawaii like a year ago, and the timing was divine in a way. I had plans to make a record with the producer who I made Divine Urge with, and we ended up going our separate ways. Then the next day, JT texts me and is like, "How is music?” And I was like, synchronicity!
LUNA: You returned to your childhood home in Illinois to film the video for “Failed Attempt.” How did that come about, and what was that experience like?
ELKE: I was going to Crystal Lake, and I let my mom know, and she was like, "You could probably go to the house,” because she knew someone who knew someone that would let us go. It's funny, I remember when we were in Crystal Lake, I was like, "Maybe we'll go. Maybe we won't,” because it felt like we were on this roll, and having other people involved would slow it down. Looking back now, it would have been insane for me to skip going to that house. I don't know if in your dreams you have recurring places that you go, like settings. This house has been in my dreams for the past 20 years. It's been one of the main locations of weird things happening, and I thought I'd never see it again, which is super sad.
Going back, I get out of the car, start sobbing immediately. It's something that I noticed that was pretty consistent because they cut down the apple trees and repainted stuff, and there was a field goal post in the front yard that my parents literally put up so we could have practice in the front yard. It was huge. The property is like five acres. So there are big differences, but the driveway had the same cracks that I remember looking at as a kid, riding a bike or a scooter or whatever. It's a really long driveway too, since it's five acres. I remember there was this one big patch in one of the corners of these webby-type cracks, and they're all still there. It's crazy, and seeing the neighbors and the air; I felt like the air was familiar.
There's also this house that my dad built me. My dad was a carpenter before he started his career, so he's always had these skills, which was super cool. He randomly was like, "I'm gonna build you a tiny house.” It had an air conditioner and windows and a door, like a legit house, and it is fully in shambles now. I don't know what the new person who bought the house [thought of it]. There's only been one person who's lived there since, and someone threw rocks in the windows and the roof [of the tiny house]. Like, all the shingles are scattered. It was actually trippy because I truly thought it would just be gone. I'm like, what would someone want with a small tiny house? So in a way, I was like, “I'm glad it's still here.” You could even see the stickers on the inside of the window that me and my best friend put up. They're bunny stickers, and they're all still there. Sometimes it's special to see something even when it's in ruin because it existed and it lived through things the same way you do. I was truly grateful for that.
LUNA: You also directed the video for “Failed Attempt” and the video for “Pusher.” How did it feel to have that creative control over the videos?
ELKE: Oh, so special. I've done a lot of music videos in the past, and a big part of making this record was that if I felt like something needed to happen, I would make sure that it did. I love to be a team player and make sure everybody is feeling like they're involved and whatnot. And I didn't want to. I started throwing around these music video concepts to some people, and a lot of people were like, "I don't get it,” or like, “Maybe I'll do it.” I was like, "Okay, I think these ideas are strong, and I'm going to make sure that they get seen to fruition.” After seeing “Pusher” being finished–when I do something aligned with myself, and I see the finished product, I usually get this huge laugh. It's uncontrollable, and that's how I know that it's literally exactly how I imagined it. Of course, so many team members–or truly just Josh Gilligan, who DP'd and helped direct “Failed Attempt” with me—so talented. That was half of the fun too, being able to do things with people you love and who are talented.
Sometimes I feel like I make music so I can do visuals. Sometimes I feel like I need more soundtrack music. I feel that way with TikTok. I'm like, “Damn, I wish I had like 7,000 songs” so I could put my personal sitcom for the Internet.
LUNA: Did you style the videos as well?
ELKE: Dude, those yellow pants? I've gotten 7,000 compliments on them. They're in the “Pusher” video. They're by David Turner. He's a Nashville local, very, very talented.
LUNA: Do you have a favorite track on the album, or one that you're most excited for listeners to hear?
ELKE: Honestly, front to back, I'm excited for people to experience the whole record. Nothing really stands out. I definitely feel like every single record is all part of one thing. I don't really single anything out. My main goal is to have as much music as possible at the end of my life to look back on, and not have anything feel out of place because it would be aligned with each experience, like a chapter in a book or something. Each chapter needs to happen to make the full picture.
LUNA: Do you have any tour plans, or are you playing the album live anytime soon?
ELKE: There are chats about it—so funny, people keep asking that. I'm like, should I just say, “I don't know,” because it's literally the answer? I don't know. Maybe!
LUNA: If there's anything else I didn't ask about that you wanted to talk about, please feel free.
ELKE: Let me think. Is there anything I want to say? I've been watching all the Marvel movies. That's all. I don't really even like Marvel, but I guess if I watch all of them in order, I'll understand humanity a little bit more.
