Elderbrook, a multi-talented musician from London, recently brought his phenomenal live show to Irving Plaza in NYC and also had time for an exclusive interview. Starting his career back in 2015, Elderbrook has released plenty of evocative singles, collaborations, and remixes. From his collaboration with Camelphat, “Cola,” to ‘Numb’ and his iconic “Something About You,” Elderbrook has always released creative and inspired tunes.
At the show, fans got to experience all the feels. The strobes and on-stage production added something special to the overall experience. Notably, Elderbrook sang live and wow-ed fans with soothing, tender vocals.
Impressively, the UK act also played his keyboard during the set, bringing a unique flare to his stage presence. He came down from the stage several times to get closer to fans, which really showed his genuine character.
Being in the crowd while hearing his recent release, the ethereal “Inner Light,” was truly an unforgettable experience. We luckily had the chance to connect with him after the show, getting a little glimpse into his creative process and thoughts on live music during the pandemic.
How has it felt to be able to begin playing shows again?
Incredible. At first, when the shows all came to a halt, I tried to find the positive in it. I wanted to use it as time to recuperate and recalibrate.
It was great, but after so long, I realized I really missed being able to travel and experience the music with people. So I’m extremely happy to be back on the road.
Has the pandemic caused any big changes to your creative process when making music? Any challenges?
It gave me time to approach music in a more structured way. I have a studio at the bottom of my garden, so I was able to go out there at 9am, and have full days writing music and getting lost in my own head all day.
The biggest challenge was collaborating. I’m lucky because I can produce, sing, and record, but I definitely miss being able to write music in the same room with people.
Having said that, some great collaborations happened digitally that might not have been possible in other circumstances.
Have you always incorporated live vocals/instruments into your sets? What sorts of challenges does that bring?
I’ve always sung live and I guess that’s pretty straightforward. It was difficult figuring out what to do with the instrumentation, though.
When I first started recording music, I would play everything all at once with no regard to how that would work onstage. But over time, I’ve been able to find a balance of replacing some sounds and instruments and playing others.
What inspires you most when you’re working on new music?
Just the feeling of getting lost in it. Making something totally different that hasn’t been done before.
Now that the EP is out in the world, do you have any big projects in the works? Plans for 2022?
I just want to tour and share the music as much as possible. Always working on new music too!
Before you go, check out Elderbrook’s new music video for his emotive track “Broken Mirror.” For him, “Broken Mirror” is about a journey of discovery, a message that truly comes through in the artistic video.
