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Elke: Interview

Sep 20, 2021 | Culture, Music

We caught up with Singer-Songwriter & model Elke (Kayla Graninger) to discuss the release of her latest singles, the Nashville sound & vacuuming. 

It’s clear from your single “Vacuum,” that lockdown might have been good for you creatively? Other than vacuuming, how have you found it?

The whole “Vacuum” concept was actually written a year before covid happened, and the whole record. During lockdown I did a lot of hiking, and learned how to use Adobe Illustrator. I made an ultimatum to learn something new with all of the free time. I also wrote another record, that’s a part of my life I don’t shut down.

Your latest single “The Pink Tip Of A Match Turns Black” feels like you’ve completed a transition to a lighter sound, was this an intentional move away from the energy on your first EP?

It wasn’t intentional. I think it’s important to sing a song as the feeling behind it was intended, free from any preconceived ideas of who I think I need to be. As a song grows more in the studio it becomes evident to me on how I need to project it.

As well as music, you also model, do you prefer one to the other or do they feel like halves of a whole?

It’s hard to call myself a model because I never figured out how to maintain the lifestyle professionally. I’m now just a composer of movements and apply it to my life how I choose.

The production and instrumentation on the latest LP is really diverse and big. Do you keep a lot of creative control when getting in the studio or do you hand your songs over to the producer?

I made the decision before diving deep into this record to hand a lot of the instrumental creation to Zac (Zac Farro, producer). And when I did want to take the lead, it was a sound pre-imagined during the writing process, and was very dead set on. In the past I’ve been quick to interject what comes to mind in the studio, but I had so much trust in Zac with this, and really got to focus on the words & melody. It introduced me to teamwork and how much I appreciate it vs relying on my same skill set. 

Do you find that being based in Nashville adds a certain pressure to incorporate some of that Nashville sound into your music?

 Still unsure what a Nashville sound is. I’ve lived here for a year and have met so many different types of artists that I wonder if Nashville is behind the times on what it is promoting. If anything it’s pushed me to think bigger because I have a backyard now and room to think differently.

Are there any artists and musicians in Nashville you think we should be listening to?

HalfNosie, Becca Mancari, Louis Prince, Hayley Williams solo stuff, Yosemite Mudflap, Vacay Nick, literally just watching Joey Howard play bass on his IG.

 What made you choose the name Elke to release music under?

 It’s both my oma (grandma) and mom’s name. My oma was from Germany, and passed away when my mom was young. Not being able to meet her has always left a painful gap in my life, I picked the name to keep her close.

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