Q: “Sense of Gravity” is a sultry, dreamy R&B track that is so catchy and fun to listen to. Walk us through your creative process in making “Sense of Gravity”.
Elly Shane: I collaborated with fellow USC student, Ryan Baer. He produced the track and I fell in love with the ethereal feel and the bass line and knew I wanted to write to it. I think because the song already resonated with me so much, the melodies came really fast. I improvised (free-styled) most of the melodies and then wrote the words afterward. I was going through a pretty big crush at the time lol so the words came really easily and were very conversational in writing.
Q: I love your voice; it has such a silky-smooth vibe to it! Who are your biggest musical influences?
Elly Shane: Thank you so much! I studied a lot of 90s R&B, like Brandy and Faith Evans. I also listened to artists like Rihanna, Michael Jackson, and Beyonce who I feel really use their voices in so many different ways and I wanted to attain the full possibilities of mine. Silky smooth is a great adjective haha I think the smoothness may come naturally but I studied so many soulful artists to teach myself how to sing better as I developed.
Q : From the look of the lyrics, “Sense of Gravity”, is about someone you have feelings for, yet they are thinking of someone else. What was the inspiration behind this track?
Elly Shane: Exactly that haha. I was crushing hard on this guy who was living far away from me and I knew he was getting with another girl even though we were still close intimate friends. I was jealous and wrote this song as if I was talking directly to him. And no, it didn’t work lol.
Q: Was there a pivotal moment in your life when you decided to continue the path of becoming a musician?
Elly Shane: I’ve always wanted to be a singer, I can’t remember ever wanting anything else. I’ve had a lot of trials and challenges along the way, but I always decide to keep going because I love to sing and create so much.
Q: Being based in LA, I was wondering what are your favorite places to perform in LA?
Elly Shane: I am actually pretty new to LA- I just moved from Denver, Colorado. So I’m still learning the venue and live scene here. Of course, I already have my dream venues here in LA but it’ll probably be a little while before I play there. I’ll get there though!
Q: I love the genre-fusing elements of “Sense of Gravity”; there are sprinkles of R&B, pop, singer-songwriter, etc. What was your favorite part in creating this track?
Elly Shane: Thank you so much! My favorite part of creating this track was the vocal production. I didn’t talk to anyone for a whole week while I worked on it. The melody and words came so fast, but I spent the rest of the week perfecting the vocals and creating the backing vocal arrangements. It was very effortless because it just resonated with me in every facet artistically and emotionally.
Q: What would you like to say to your fans out there?
Elly Shane: Honestly, I am just so glad my fans and I can enjoy these creations together 🙂 It’s always my hope that my songs can bring us happiness or comfort and I can’t wait to show you more! And I am so thankful for every individual person behind each stream or view… I have so much love for all of you.
Q: Any new projects you can tell us about?
Elly Shane: Yes! My debut EP, Tripwire, is coming out on April 22nd. It’s got 5 songs, similar to the alternative R&B feel of Sense of Gravity but with some more angsty and bigger feelings incorporated. I can’t wait for you to hear it and hope you love it and share!
Interviewed by Melissa Cusano
