Elliot James Reay doesn’t sound like this era. His voice is smooth and full. His love is intense, sunny, and incredibly romantic–an old soul whose entire personality feels surreal in the modern light, yet authentic and unmistaken. With sounds that feel warm and rough edged, as if coming from a vintage player, ‘All This to Say I Love You’ is old-school love songs meet around-the-world getaway trip, vibrant, diverse, and never fails to impress.
“I Think They Call This Love” unwraps the EP from a time capsule. Born out of the pure dream for love and Reay’s own pursuit for romance, the ballet travels through space and time. Something real and something to dream of, the track is hopeful, complete, and celebrative, delivering a wholesome experience where everyone can easily get lost in and dance to. Timeless, classic, and full of flavor.
“Boy In Love” sounds like something that comes right out of a ‘Kill Bill’ soundtrack, but not without a twist. The twangy track is full of personality and movement. “Daydreaming” is the opposite. If “Boy In Love” is Tennessee Whiskey, “Daydreaming” is California dream. The smooth and ethereal track is quietly epic and tenderly smooth. It feels more current than Harry Styles and less emotionally wrenching.
“Who Knew Dancing Was A Sin” is unapologetic and carefree, while “Sweetness” is lighthearted and feathery. “I Can’t Stay Away” feels like a song in love, lighthearted and childlike. It tastes like first love and sounds like a love letter that travels time and space to land in listeners’ ears. What really makes this EP special is how musically inspired each song is. Never a dull moment, ‘All This to Say I Love You’ is a journey that never stops at one destination and shows that love comes in every flavor.
Press Q&A with Elliot James Reay
Q: What were challenges or joy you experience while producing the music video?
Elliot James Reay: We were independent at the time. A lot of videos were homemade. I had to do it myself. It was a lot of fun doing that, to find something that would be perfect to film. I just wanted it to be simple, that it doesn’t overstate the song. That was the main part of the video that I wanted to be.
Q: Traveling saved your passion for music when you almost gave up, can you share what you experienced during those 18 months away from home?
Reay: At the time when I did travel, it was mostly repetition in life. I knew I needed to see something else that wasn’t just my bedroom, four walls anymore. When I left hojme, I just wanted to get outside. The first I went was Bali. We just went with whatever money we had in that bank account and just tried to see how far we could get. Just the excitment of what’s next. What really sparked the want for music was meeting people — the experience in their life. A lot of people took us in and showed us other things we may have never seen before.
Q: Many of your tracks comes strict from the heart, what personal memories did you tap into?
Reay: For me, these songs were written with my first love, which she sat in the room, so it’s easier to tap into these feelings when she’s physically there in the room.
Q: Your songs capture vintage romance feel, did you feel pulled toward the old school love?
Reay: It’s difficult especially my relationship, it sparked during Covid. Having a traditional relationship is difficult. A lot of the first part of my relationship was that way. That was why I wanted to write songs like this. To tap into what I want. What I want is what I reach for.
Q: What do you want listeners to take away from the EP?
Reay: It’s gonna be five tracks. Just all love songs back-to-back, some are happy, and some are sad. It’s mostly I want to take people on a journey and try to show them that love doesn’t have to be this or that. Even for myself, everyone experiences it differently.
Q: Your music channels a vintage sound that feels both timeless and fresh, how do you balance classical influence and what resonate with people nowadays?
Reay: For me, I try to keep everything very in that world, which is very difficult. I would keep it the way I would listen to it. I think the recording techniques that we used was a big thing that really helped make our sound modern. If you would take my record and pull the low end down, it would feel that it would just from the era.
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