Perhaps a silver lining to come from this pandemic is the increase in ability to adapt. Musicians moved from live in-person shows to live online shows while songwriter sessions went from in-person to Zoom. The show still had to go on somehow, and it did, even if in different forms. And through it all, the fans were still there, ready to see and hear their favorite artists perform from a first row seat via a screen, and waiting for new music. Elyse Saunders is one of those artists whose fans patiently waited for new music, as her last single “Free” was released in May 2020. Fans were not disappointed as the Canadian Country artist released her EP of the same title in October 2021 and achieved several other milestones in her career.
We recently caught up with Elyse to talk about her country music journey and songwriting process, her new single and more.
CN: For our readers who may not be familiar with you, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
ES: Hey everyone! My name is Elyse Saunders and I’m a country recording artist, singer/songwriter currently based out of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I have a brand new EP called Free that came out this past fall that I’d love for you to check out. I love playing live and creating music that’s inclusive and positive. My very first song off the EP was released in the pandemic and what I like to call my breakout song as it was the title track and really represented my current sound and path as an artist. It received so much amazing support and feedback and was awesome to see how it resonated with people. Since then I’ve released more singles from the EP – my newest is “Genes” – and there’s so many more firsts and milestones that have happened. I love what I do and I’m grateful that you’re here checking out my music and story!
CN: At what age did you discover Country music and when did you know that this was the path that you wanted to pursue as a career?
ES: Great question! I’ve known country music for as long as I can remember. When I was a kid in my hometown of Peterborough, Ontario, the only radio station for the longest time was a country radio station. I also grew up listening to whatever my parents were listening to, which was quite a range of styles of music and many of those artists had an influence on me! It was Shania Twain’s album “Come On Over” that really grabbed my interest in being an entertainer at a young age. I grew up songwriting in my room, performing in dance recitals, creating movies on an old camera and drawing.
I loved the arts and knew it was a part of me but didn’t know how or if it was possible to have a career in music. I started singing at competitions across Ontario as a teen and quickly met my first mentor who taught me to sing as an original artist in the studio. I would also hop on stage and make special guest performances with artists and it all started to show me that this is something I could actually do and pursue. We went to Nashville shortly after and I was surrounded by some pretty incredible people. It really set the bar high for where I wanted to go and I made the decision during my graduation year that I was all in!
CN: The Canadian Country scene has been solid for a long time, with artists such as k.d. lang, Terri Clark, Shania Twain having successful careers, and more recently Lindsay Ell, Tenille Townes, Brett Kissel, MacKenzie Porter and Colter Wall. Can you talk a little bit about the current Canadian Country scene?
ES: I’d love to! Canada really has been making its mark with a ton of successful Canadian country artists and a strong handful who are making waves throughout the USA, too. It’s awesome to see! As Canadians, we might bring a slightly different perspective or sound as we have our own cultural experiences but what I love about music is that it’s all about being true to who you are – sharing relatable stories and connecting with people who love great country music. We have a ton of talent and we’ve been hanging out with our neighbours in Nashville for quite some time as it’s an incredibly inspiring place with like minded people and artistic creators. I think there’s room for us all to work more together and create amazing music and reach even more people on all sides of the globe
CN: Which artists have influenced you both personally and as an artist?
ES: So many artists have and continue to! The artists that I aspire to and have since I was just starting are Martina McBride, Shania Twain, Garth Brooks, LeeAnn Rimes, Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash. If I can take pieces of all of them, who they are and their careers or business practices, than I’ve learned from the best.
My ongoing influences can change but I really love what Maren Morris, Miranda Lambert, Caylee Hammack, and Tenille Townes are doing right now. I love the music they’re creating and I love how they touch people with their music! There’s also a ton of up and coming artists I’m influenced by, too.
It could be a song that comes out that I’m blown away by and or I could be inspired by a lyric or how an independent artist brands themselves or how they share their content. To be a creator, we have to be a sponge in our environment so that we can stay inspired. I’m a fan of country music and I’m lucky to be able to be a part of it. I hope what I do can inspire others too!
CN: The discussion about female artists’ representation in country music in the States is well known, what is it like to be a female country artist in Canada?
ES: We’re very much in the same boat over here but I do see some changes slowly taking place. I’m not sure why it got to this place but the world is changing and the industry needs to move with it and I know it will as there’s been steps to do that.
Female country artists are some of the hardest working artists in the industry because we have to be and if you believe in what you do and love what you do, nothing will stop you and you will learn the business and how to get heard, with or without the support of the industry. There’s many hoops that we’ve had to go through to show how serious we are about a career in country music. We must show how our music can sell and create numbers and a buzz, that we can put on an extremely entertaining show and that female listeners want to hear the female perspective too. Females are taking charge out there!
CN: Can you take us through your songwriting process? Where do you pull inspiration from?
ES: I get my inspiration from life experiences, conversations, movies, and such. I try to not get in the way of the song and let the story speak for itself rather than always make it an autobiographical lyric. I like to take an idea, phrase, title, hook and create a story from that. I always compare it to taking pieces of a puzzle and putting it together to create this beautiful piece of work which is the song at the end of it all! My process is that I like to start with a hook/title, find a melody, a direction and start forming the story from there.
CN: You have been a part of co-writes in Nashville, including working with Joey Green (“The Voice”) on your highly acclaimed single “Wine Down”. How does your process differ between co-writing and writing solo?
ES: I love co-writing! I actually do a lot more co-writing than I do solo writing. As much as I love writing on my own, there’s something pretty special about the hang, working through ideas and creating something together. It’s also nice to hear another perspective and work with each other to make the song the best that it can be and to say it the best way we can. If I get stuck there’s other ideas from the other person that help to keep the flow going. I’ve also found that there’s some people you can really click with as a songwriter and others that have a very different type of songwriting style but by working together I believe it all still helps to make for a stronger writer. It definitely forces you to go outside your comfort zone and there’s always room to learn from others!
CN: 2021 was quite the year for you! In April you set a summer tone with “Sunshine State of Mind,” and its music video was featured on CMT.com. In October arrived your EP “Free” which was highly anticipated after its title track was released as a single back in May of 2020. The single earned many accolades and awards including Video of the Year and Song of the Year at the Mississauga Music Awards, Is there one moment from the past year that really stands out to you as “wow!” moment?
ES: Oh my goodness it really has been! My journey has not been overnight as I’m self-made and have taken the time to develop my craft and most of all, how to turn that into a business and the business takes the longest to master. (I’m always learning!) But I feel like I’ve really found my place in the industry and have really come into my own personally and what I want to say in my music. It’s an amazing thing to see where it came from and how far it’s come and it really does make the personal pay off so much bigger. It feels like I’m truly living the dream because I can do what I love and people are into it. If it’s making an impact and resonating with people…as a singer/songwriter, that’s awesome!! I’ve seen a lot of momentum over this past year and a half and I’m thankful to have some great people in my corner to help me funnel everything forward. I’m excited to keep moving and keep creating!
CN: If you could collaborate with any one artist, who would it be?
ES: In general, I just love collaborating so I’m up for collaborating with all. But if it was just one, I’d love to collaborate with Miranda Lambert! She seems like a sweetheart and so down to earth and I believe we could create some great work together. I’ve been a big fan of her work for a long time so that would be a dream collaboration.
CN: What was the first concert you ever attended?
ES: I’m pretty sure it was an Abba tribute band in my hometown. That’s the earliest I can remember! It was in my hometown at a yearly summer festival, I remember my aunt pulling me to the front of the stage, dancing and throwing me on her shoulders and thinking that it was so much fun.
CN: If you could describe yourself in one word, what would it be and why?
ES: Ooh cool question. Hmm.. “unstoppable.” When I put my mind to something I do it. Even if there’s hurtles and challenges along the way, I will always get back up. If I believe in it and I know I can do it, I will do it with true sincerity.
CN: What’s next on the horizon for you?
ES: As I mentioned, my song “Genes” from my EP is my newest Canadian radio single. It’s already received some amazing support from fans and from streaming platforms like Apple Music, who added it to 6 editorial playlists. The video just dropped and I couldn’t be happier. I can’t wait to start playing it at a live shows. I’m also getting back into the studio to record more music again soon and have been writing a ton. So you can expect more music, more music videos, more shows and more updates on the journey! With all of that said, thanks so much for to everyone that took the time to read this, please keep in touch at my socials and thanks again to everyone at The Country Note, appreciate y’all for having me.
For more information on Elyse Saunders, visit her website www.elysesaunders.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.