Following on from the release of singles 'Bali,' 'No Talk' and 'Silver Spoon' over the past couple of months, emerging Swedish pop artist Ellen Krauss has released her beautiful brand new EP, titled 'Pearl.'
The EP has an alternative-pop sound throughout and features a collection of original tracks. Speaking about the release of the EP, Ellen Krauss explains:
"'Pearl' is my treasure that I have been working on for a long time. It is a collection of songs that are warm to my heart, written during both good and bad moments in my life."
Despite being only nineteen years of age, Ellen Krauss has already made quite the impact on the music industry, particularly in her home country of Sweden.
Her debut EP was released in November 2019 and has amassed over fifteen million streams. She is an entirely self-taught musician and this is a testament to her phenomenal talent.
The Lowdown had the opportunity to speak with Ellen Kauss about her new EP, her musical influences and more.
You've recently released brand new music, in the form of your EP 'Pearl.' How does it feel to have that out?
"It feels fun! I've been holding on to these songs for a while now, so it feels good to finally share them."
Who are your musical influences? Do you feel that they have a direct impact on the music that you write, record and release?
"My influences are pretty varied. I've sort of had one foot in the world of old Dad rock (Fleetwood Mac, Dire Straits) and another in modern pop. These two worlds have definitely impacted the music that I write, but on a more subconscious level. I listen to a lot of music where acoustic elements are mixed with more electronic sounds. My process when it comes to recording and creating is very organic."
Do you have a favourite track from the EP?
"'Often.' I like it because it's such a typical pop tune, but dressed up in an acoustic suit. I really love the pre-chorus. It's one of the songs I really like listening to."
How long have you been working on this EP for? Has it been a long process from the initial writing and recording stages to the release?
"I've been working on it all spring, but one of the tracks on the EP is one that I wrote about three years ago. When it comes to writing and releasing, I don't really see the whole 'package' at first. I basically just start writing and the rest just takes care of itself. I have professional people who help me out with these things."
Finally, how did you first get into music?
"I've played music all my life, but only as a huge hobby! I released an original song on SoundCloud which ended up on the desk of renowned Swedish producer Christian Walz. We met up in his studio, together with Johan 'Jones' Wetterberg, about three years ago. That was really when the door to the music industry opened for me."
Ellen Krauss' new EP 'Pearl' is out now. You can listen to the EP via Apple Music here. Additionally, the EP can be streamed on Spotify HERE
INTERVIEW BY RACHEL DEMPSTER