Rising Star Eleni Drake Breaks Through with Emotionally Honest Sound
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The British-Greek singer, songwriter and producer Eleni Drake has created a beautiful discography that transports listeners into a world of whimsy and nostalgia. Her sound is reminiscent of Daughter and Billie Marten, but her unique voice is really showcased through her music, accompanied by delicate instrumentals. Eleni told me about her entry into music, which stemmed from the influence from her granddad who used to play the Spanish guitar - noting him as the only musical person in her entire family. This led her to exploring the world of music mostly on her own from a young age, making it a really natural way of finding out what she liked and didn’t like.
As Eleni delved into her development as a musician, she admitted to initially exploring and making music that although she liked listening to, it wasn’t true to her. She didn’t feel connected to something that felt forced. Eleni then came to the thought of making music that she would’ve made when she was younger, what her younger self would’ve liked, and as a result of this, the connection she had with her own music grew stronger. This has allowed her music to communicate as authentic and vulnerable, as she’s writing from a personal place and telling her own stories about her life and her experiences.
I connected to Eleni in my own way, in regards to being an introverted artist. Eleni made note of some of the challenges that stem from this, one of which being making herself known and promoting herself as a musician. It’s difficult when quite often all you want to do is just be closed away from the world, and to be left to yourself to create. But Eleni doesn’t see herself doing anything other than music, and this certainly comes across in her passion for her craft.
Eleni’s newest single ‘Dolores’ is inspired by and named after the main character of the dystopian sci-fi show Westworld. The single explores the feeling of getting into a relationship that feels almost too good to be true, but as time goes along some things start to come to the surface and it no longer feels right. Eleni also adds the idea that “It’s recognising you’re at fault because if you feel like something is not right you should speak up and say it, rather than sit in it hoping that it gets better”. Similarly, her single ‘A Wonder Day’ also explores a past relationship, except this single serves as a thank you to this person and thanking them for being ‘an absolutely outstanding human’. These singles are entangled with soft guitar strums and Eleni’s considerate lyricism, accompanied by fluttering instrumentals of piano, strings and drums.
The upcoming album will showcase a variety of different sounds and instruments, made possible through the collaboration of several musicians on the album, most of which are Eleni’s close friends. Eleni revealed the music on the album to feature saxophone, banjo, lap steel guitar, and strings.
Eleni’s gracious energy is contagious, and I felt very lucky to be able to share some time getting to know her and her music. My conversation with Eleni highlighted how important it is to share authenticity through art, to not only allow audiences to connect with the art they consume, but to connect with each other.
Eleni Drake has an exciting year ahead, as she continues the lead up to the release of her album, she’s also embarking on her very first headline tour through America, the UK and Australia. Check out her latest singles ‘A Wonder Day’ and ‘Dolores’ and be sure to follow her to keep up to date with new releases and her upcoming tour in Melbourne and Sydney!