Today we’d like to introduce you to Elsie Mae.
Hi Elsie, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Music bad always been a big part of my life. I was homeschooled as a kid with five siblings, and my parents made it mandatory that we all learn an instrument. My dad has always been passionate about songs built on feeling. He used to have me watch live performances of artists singing emotionally for hours. I think that’s really what made me fall in love with it. There’s something so special about the way music and songwriting lets people communicate exactly how they feel, without judgment.
When I got to high school, I started struggling with my mental health, and it was difficult to navigate my emotions. The only time I felt like I had control over them was when I would go into the choir room during free periods and use the piano to write songs. Since then, I haven’t been able to stop. Songwriting has been such a helpful tool for me to process what I’m feeling because I was taught that with music, the goal is to simply feel. That’s why today I strive to stay as vulnerable as possible with my music. I really want my listeners to have that same connection to it.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I’d be lying if I said it’s been a smooth road. I think one of the biggest challenges for me was the decision to leave home. I moved from the Virgin Islands to Nashville in 2024 to fully commit to music, and as much as I love it here, it was a huge lifestyle change. I struggled with that transition a lot more than I expected.
Being in Nashville has helped me grow so much as an artist, and I’m really grateful for the opportunities I’ve had and the amazing people I’ve met. But there were definitely moments where I struggled to justify the sacrifices I was making. It’s easy to walk away from something that doesn’t feel right, but it’s a lot harder when you’re leaving something that does.
Even though it was hard, I found that the best way to cope with it was music, the reason I moved in the first place. I ended up writing through the homesickness, which is what my single ‘Phone Calls’ is about.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m an indie pop singer-songwriter based here in Nashville. I really prioritize vulnerability in my music because I want my listeners to feel understood when they hear my songs. My songs tend to be unfiltered and confessional, because most of the time they’re written in moments where I’m heavily going through something and need an outlet to process things.
Writing is my safe place to sit with my feelings, and I try to create that same atmosphere for people when they’re listening. I never write with the intention of relating to others, and sometimes I release songs thinking no one’s going to connect to them. But I’ve found that those are usually the ones that resonate the most. I think there’s something really comforting about shared experiences and the way they make us feel less alone, and I love that I get to create that through my music.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up in a musical family definitely shaped who I am today. When I was around eight years old, my mom taught me to play the violin, and shortly after that, my oldest brother started giving me piano lessons. I remember watching him play for hours as a kid and always thinking it was so cool how he could play with so much emotional expression. We were definitely raised to feel through music.
I was homeschooled with my siblings until middle school. In fifth grade, we began studying poetry and we’re given an assignment where we had to write a poem to read for the class. I finished writing mine before my teacher even finished explaining the criteria. I remember going home that day and writing about five more. I immediately fell in love with it, and my mom bought me a little notebook to use for my poetry. Reading them back now, they definitely weren’t works of art, but I’d say that’s where my love for songwriting and lyrics really started.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elsiemaekay/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCin32o9sglfmhfoZ_KjC7CA/videos
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5X3RapLMynGEC8oRqE6tlR
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@elsiemaekay
