A Conversation With Elles Bailey
Award-winning UK based genre-blending roots singer-songwriter Elles Bailey returns with her stunning new album Beneath The Neon Glow. The album, Elles’ fourth studio album, comes out on August 9th on Cooking Vinyl Records.
Beneath The Neon Glow sees Elles intertwine British roots, Americana and blues across ten powerfully, uplifting tracks. Produced by Dan Weller (Enter Shikari) and recorded with Elles’ exceptional and trusted live band, the album is an exploration of love’s myriad forms. Through lyrically vulnerable and brutally honest songwriting, Elles delves into the depths of heartbreak, the resilience of friendship, and the enduring power of love that spans a lifetime. From the fleeting moments to the love that withstands the test of time, she fearlessly navigates through the spectrum of human emotion, offering listeners an intimate glimpse into her journey.
With a top 50 album, achieved independently, an ever growing and adoring fanbase, as well as countless awards and a weekly radio show on Planet Rock already under her belt, Elles is ready to take things to the next step and there’s no better album for her to take that journey with.
NSGs Billy Vitch caught up with Elles to talk about her life, music and career so far.
Billy: Good morning and how are you? What have you been doing today and how’s that going?
Elles: Well, I’m currently sitting on a rock in the sunshine by a river and waterfall somewhere near Oslo just getting in a little bit of downtime before our show tonight at Notodden Blues Festival! Most of the time I never get to spend any time in the places that I play, but we’re doing three shows at one festival which means quite a lot of downtime to enjoy the beautiful scenery around us.
Billy: So let’s start at the beginning. Where did you grow up and what was it like?
Elles: I grew up In the countryside, just outside of Bristol on an old farm. My dad was a used car salesman and there were always old cars at our house and I distinctly remember learning to drive a series One Land Rover when I was about 10 years old by driving around the fields. it was a very, very nice way to grow up. My dad was in a rock ‘n’ roll band. My mum sang in the choir and my brother and I formed a band from an early age. I’ve been surrounded by music my whole life.
Billy: Growing up in Bristol, do you think your upbringing had much or any influence on your songwriting?
Elles: I’m not sure about this. I’m sure in some way or another it has done, however, I really feel like I only became a proper Song Writer quite late into my 20s and at that point, I’d already done a lot of travelling and was really inspired by all the different places that I had travelled to. What I will say is I really appreciate the eclectic music that has come out of Bristol and the talents that have come before me and continue to inspire me from the incredible Bristol music scene.
Billy: Originally you were an independent artist and did amazing on your own! Gaining awards for Song of the Year 2020 at the Americana Awards UK, album of the Year 2020 and 2023 at the UK Blues Awards, artist and Live Act of the Year 2023 at the Americana Awards UK, vocalist of the Year 2023 at the UK Blues Awards and Artist of the year 2020, 2021 and 2023 at the UK Blues awards! Now that you’re signed to a label (Cooking Vinyl). Do you think it has changed how you work and operate now, and does it as an artist actually help, as opposed to being an independent?
(Elles Bailey_Credit: Rob Blackham)
Elles: Well, first and foremost, I am still an independent artist, my label Outlaw Music has licensed this album to Cooking Vinyl (who are an indie label) and I still feel very much at the centre of the story, Im still making the big decisions, but now I have a bigger team around me with decades of experience who are able to do the heavy lifting, which allows me to be the best artist that I can be because it just got to the point where I was spending my whole time as a label owner and not being the best artist!
Billy: Do you feel that the music industry is harder for women than it is for men and if so how, and what do you feel needs to change?
Elles: Sadly, I still feel it is harder for women even in 2024. However, it’s definitely not as hard as it used to be and I’m hugely grateful for the female trailblazers who have come for us to help make it a better industry today. I think it’s really really important that we still have an open dialogue about how women in the industry are treated and feel. I think it’s really important to push for gender-balanced lineups, and I’m grateful for all the work that the PRS keychange initiative has done to do this over the past 8 or so years. I think so much is down to the gatekeepers of the industry to sometimes dig a little deeper, to make sure that the radio shows or their gigs programmes or festival programmes are showcasing as many females as possible. I’ll always go back to the moment when I won Song Of The Year at the Americana Awards in 2020. At the end of the night the CEO at the time, Stevie Smith pointed out that out of the 7 awards that were voted for by members, every single person who had one was a woman, but the greatest thing about that is that no one noticed until it was pointed out and that’s what we’re aiming for isn’t it! We don’t want to be singled out, we want it to be normalised, we have still got a long way to go yet before that happens across the whole music industry.
Billy: How would you describe your sound?
Elles: I’m a singer-songwriter heavily inspired by Americana, blues, rock and roots music. It’s a band sound and it’s rocking!
Billy: To date, you have released three studio albums (2017’s Wildfire, 2019’s Road I Call Home, and 2022’s Shining in the Half Light). Your new album ‘Beneath The Neon Glow’ is set for release this Friday, 9th August. Would you tell us a bit about it?
Elles: I guess you could call this my love album celebrating all the different kinds of love that I’ve had in my life, there’s the love of what I do, and there’s the love of the people that I have at home who help me realise my dream, there’s a pretty big side of heartbreak, but overall I think the album is really uplifting. My take home for the listener would be that they listen to it and feel uplifted by it.
Billy: To date, in your life and music, what is the achievement you are most proud of?
Elles: That’s really, really hard as I don’t think I particularly have one achievement, but I’m most proud of how hard I’ve worked to get to where I am whilst staying true to myself.
Billy:: Being from Bristol, can you tell us three things about Bristol that our readers may not know?
Elles: Wogans Coffee – by far the best coffee in Bristol, Ribena was invented in Bristol, and Darth Vader (David Prowse) is Bristolian, but his voice was overdubbed by another actor!
Billy:: We are a Liverpool-based magazine, have you ever been here and if so, what are your favourite things about our city?
Elles: I’ve toured quite a bit in your city, but there was one moment when I was playing at the Philharmonic Hall and I was meant to record my radio show (I have a show on Planet Rock) backstage before the show with my own gear, but I forgot my lead I needed to record it! So very last minute Planet Rock organised for me to record my show up at the Radio City Tower… That was pretty epic! So my favourite part would be that, but on the flip, I also love the Phil and the Music Room… Two amazing venues!
Billy: If you could sit down for dinner with any three people from history, past or present who would they be and why?
Elles: Taylor Swift (yes I’m a swifty), Jesus (I got quite a lot of questions to ask!!), Mavis Staples (cuz being sat down with Jesus and Mavis would just be the coolest thing ever!!) I’d also like to see who would be more famous – Taylor or Jesus!
(Elles Bailey_Credit: Rob Blackham)
Billy: What’s your best advice on finding happiness and living a fulfilling life?
Elles: Live in the moment and be grateful for all you have!
Billy: What is 2024 looking like for you?
Elles: It’s a busy one. My new album ‘Beneath The Neon Glow‘ is out this Friday, August 9th and we are heading out on an in-store trip tour around the release. That’s followed by the last batch of festivals and then it’s time to take this record on the road! I’m Looking forward to playing Liverpool Arts Club on the 10th of October with the full band, but first of all, we play The Jacaranda on August 12th to celebrate this new record!
Elles is poised for her next big step. Her recent debut on Glastonbury’s Avalon stage highlights her upward momentum. This album marks the perfect point for her continued ascent. As MOJO Magazine put it “Her rise and rise is inevitable”
AUGUST IN-STORE SHOWS:
Sat 10th OXFORD, Truck
Sat 10th MARLBOROUGH, Sound Knowledge
Sun 11th BIRMINGHAM, HMV Vault
Sun 11th LEAMINGTON SPA, Temperance
Mon 12th MANCHESTER, HMV
Mon 12th LIVERPOOL, Jacaranda
Tue 13th LEEDS, Vinyl Whistle
Wed 14th BRIGHTON, Resident
Thu 15th BRISTOL, Rough Trade
SEPTEMBER
Wed 25th LINCOLN, The Drill
Thu 26th NORWICH, Waterfront
Fri 27th CAMBRIDGE, Cambridge Junction
Sat 28th OXFORD, O2 Academy 2
OCTOBER
Fri 11th CARLISLE, Carlisle Blues Festival
Sat 12th GLOUCESTER, Gloucester Guildhall
Thu 24th EXETER, Exeter Phoenix
Sat 26th BRISTOL, SWX
NOVEMBER
Sat 2nd LONDON, Islington Assembly Hall
Sun 3rd SOUTHAMPTON, Engine Rooms
Thu 14th SUNDERLAND, The Fire Station
Fri 15th EDINBURGH, Cabaret Voltaire
Sat 16th GLASGOW, Oran Mor
Sun 17th CHESTER, The Live Rooms
Sat 30th WOLVERHAMPTON, KK’s Steel Mill
DECEMBER
Sun 1st LEEDS, Brudenell Social Club
To follow Elles Bailey CLICK on the links below
