Melbourne singer-songwriter Lucy Elle released her debut EP, Silent Side of Quiet, on Friday, 29th July. In the lead-up to its release, Elle shared the singles, ‘Shadows’, ‘Silence’, and ‘Already Gone’, the former of which won praise from triple j Unearthed’s Dave Ruby Howe, who complimented the track’s “understated drama”.
Elle describes Silent Side of Quiet as a collection of “sad songs.” In a statement, Elle explained, “I find myself singing about things I didn’t know were going on in my head.” During the creation of Silent Side of Quiet, Elle took inspiration from artists such as Julia Jacklin, Billie Eilish and Brooke Fraser.
Lucy Elle – ‘Shadows’
10 Songs That Inspired Lucy Elle’s ‘Silent Side of Quiet’
1. ‘Where Do I Go?’ by Lizzy McAlpine
I absolutely love this song. I came across it when I was deciding how to produce ‘Silence’ and it was the missing piece in the puzzle. The honesty in using a voice memo was so sweet to me. To a songwriter, those voice memos can hold and shape your sound, your feelings, your view on life in that season. So, in ‘Silence’ I used my original voice memo melding into the studio version, because it felt like an honest display of the process.
2. ‘Lovely’ by Billie Eilish with Khalid
This song influenced my whole style for a couple years. It’s melancholy, dark and moody, and I related to that. Music takes me to a different space, a place that is emotional rather than physical, and this song was that for me – remembering that there is a depth to life we don’t see or experience every moment.
3. ‘&burn’ by Billie Eilish with Vince Staples
I know, another Billie Eilish song, but I’m not sorry. The harmonies, the layers, the articulation, the bass, the percussion, the structure – everything about this song drew me into the genre and made me stay. It’s pop, but it’s creative. I wanted this on my EP, especially in ‘Shadows’.
4. ‘Crows + Locusts’ by Brooke Fraser
I fell in love with songwriting listening to this song on the way home from school when I was 13. It inspired me to write stories in my songs, to find meaning. I’ve always loved the depth of sound in the bass contrasted with the breathiness of Brooke’s voice, and I think you can hear that in my sound now.
5. ‘Older Than I Am’ by Lennon Stella
The perfect piano pop for female vocals, and so sad. I listened to this song a lot while we recorded, and you can tell.
6. ‘Dry As Sand’ by Madison Cunningham
Madison Cunningham is one of my musical heroes. It might be a little harder to hear than other inspirations, but her rhythms, strange percussive plucking, creativity… I hope you hear shadows of it in my songs every now and then.
7. ‘This Is on Me’ by Ben Abraham
This one pierces the soul a little. I wanted these kinds of haunting layers in my EP, and I hope the melodies cut as deep.
8. ‘Scars’ by James Bay
The electric guitar sound in this song is forever my favourite. I wanted to take this tone and find something similar on piano; a strange endeavour but I think we got there.
9. ‘Wildest Dreams’ by Taylor Swift
The clean song structures, the sharp, rhythmic melodies and phrases – this whole album inspired my sound, and I think you can hear it in ‘Shadows’.
10. ‘Body’ by Julia Jacklin
Arg, talk about songwriting. These lyrics inspired me to be specific in my storytelling. To tell a story people can follow and feel.
Lucy Elle – ‘Already Gone’
Further Reading
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