We interview Lindsay Ell about her forthcoming studio album ‘heart theory‘ out on August 14th, talking about her ‘Make You’ movement and her journey since The Project.
Hi Lindsay, how are you? It’s the final countdown to the record release now, so how are you feeling?
Hi Imogen, I’m so good. I’m so excited and it just feels like Christmas morning, I’m counting down the minutes.
The Project was three years ago now. Then we could have never imagined that this would be the scenario for this release but do you feel daunted? This is such a personal record, so do you just feel a sense of catharsis to get this out into the world?
Yeah it really does, it truly feels cathartic and I wrote this record from such a vulnerable and honest place, I feel that music has the ability to heal and bring us together. I wrote this record around the seven stages of grief and in the middle of writing this record, I realised that I was writing them in the order of how I’m feeling them. It’s been super healing for me even to talk about my story and write these songs in a way that is so validating and I just hope that this music can be a roadmap to other people listening that want to go on this journey.
We all focus on singles these days, but you’ve chosen to write a concept record and it’s such a beautiful art to putting together a record like this. Was it important to have the concept around it?
I was just writing the record from how I was feeling and as I was going through it, I thought ‘man, it would be so cool to have a concept record that is in order of how we go through these transitions in our lives, whether it’s through heartbreak, or losing a loved one or moving across the world.’ It’s a transformation throughout our lives, so I thought it would be cool to have a concept album that talks you through my process of it. It’s been exciting and I just hope that from track one through shock, anger, denial… all the stages, you can look in the mirror and accept yourself and know that everything you’ve been through in your life has brought you to this moment. I really hope that I can help a lot of people.
You’ve talked about knowing who you are now with this record, do you feel like it was the time to do a record like this? Has a lot changed in your songwriting and who you are as an artist?
Absolutely! I feel like I’ve just become a lot more open with everything, my favourite songwriters and artists are ones that speak from the heart and are vulnerable and get to that special place of really baring their soul. I think on this record that was what I really needed to do.
We can’t not talk about ‘Make You’ with that in mind. It’s such a powerful song, you’ve taken something so painful and made it almost hopeful. When you went into the room with Brandy – do you feel like you needed to write this song with her specifically?
Yeah, three years ago I went to this program called ‘Youth for Tomorrow’ and I talked to a bunch of kids aged 12-18 who were also survivors of sexual violence and sex trafficking and rape and I was hearing stories from them that were just so horrific and I walked out of that place knowing that I wanted to tell my story. If I didn’t tell my story, I felt like I was holding back the opportunity to help a lot of people and so I knew that I wanted to write a song about it. I had tried to write a song about this, but they always came out so dark and so heavy and that was not what I wanted this song to be about, I really wanted to inspire people through words – everything that happens to us in our lives does not define our future, it’s how we take those things and learn from them and grow from them and what we decide to do with those feelings for our future. Brandy was one of the first people that I thought of, just because she’s so eloquent with her words, I call her the female John Prine of her time, because she’s just so special. I called her and I said that I totally understood if the answer was no, but that I wanted to write a song about my story as a little girl and I would love her to help me. In two seconds, she said yes and she was so fearless about it and said ‘thank you for having the courage to want to do that.’ It’s been a really special past few years because I’ve even gotten to connect with other writers in this town in a different way. Through the song, I’ve also got to launch my own foundation called ‘Make You Movement.’
I love the fact that you’ve taken it wider than the track…
Yeah, I really want to put my money where my mouth is and prove that I’m truly inspired and committed to make a difference and help as many people as I can. The ‘Make You Movement’ focusses on disenfranchised youth and survivors of sexual violence and domestic abuse, specifically working with kids. I remember that thirteen year old girl inside of me, if someone could have taken my hand at that time and said ‘it’s ok, I’ve got you’ – I think that I would have healed so much quicker, and I really want to reach out to kids, as well as grown adults. I think this happens way more than we’d like to admit sometimes.
When music can have a voice like this, I think that’s what all artists are striving for – to connect on that deeper level.
Absolutely, I think it’s that deeper level that we aspire to.
The lead out single on the record was ‘I Don’t Love You,’ which was the only one that you didn’t write. It demarcated this new chapter, but how did that song come to you and what about it really spoke to you?
So I’m always a fan of ‘the best song wins.’ Yes, I’m a songwriter and I write hundreds and hundreds of songs, but sometimes there are songs that come across your path that are just so special. Keith Urban told me ‘Lindsay, if you find a song that says something the way that you wouldn’t say it, but is exactly what you want to say, you need to cut that song. A song is like a jacket, you put it on and you see if you can dance and move around in it.’ It’s just so crazy to be able to listen to a song and be like ‘woah, this is exactly what I feel.’ When I heard ‘I Don’t Love You’ for the first time, I thought it was such a powerful song and inside my heart, it needed to be a part of my story. Best song wins and it made the cut for the album.
Another one that stands out from the record is ‘Body Language of a Breakup,’ which you wrote with Laura Veltz and Sam Ellis. Can you talk a bit about that one?
I love that song so much and I’m so glad that you brought that song up. When we wrote that song that day, I thought ‘man, this is so unique and I haven’t heard it said this way in a long time’ and I feel like everybody is so insightful when they can look at someone else’s relationship. You think they’re definitely breaking up, or they’re good for each other. You can look at someone else’s situation so clearly, but then when you look in the mirror, you get so lost and you have no navigation or clarity. We just wanted to talk about how different those situations are and how hard it is to connect to yourself and have that awareness of your own situation.
Are there any other songs on the record that you’re particularly excited to see the reaction from fans to?
There’s so many moments on this record that I’m so excited about, I really love the song ‘Hits Me.’ It’s the way the record starts, in the stage of shock and I think it’s one of those songs that makes you want to dance. I cannot wait to play this song with my band onstage, it’s got this groove to it that I think we can bring it to this really inspiring place musically. It’s a sadder song with deeper lyrics that makes you want to dance, I call them ‘sangers’ so they’re sad bangers, they make you want to dance but they’re actually super deep.
Thank you Lindsay for taking the time to chat!
