Introducing #163 - Ella Janes
Let us introduce you to Ella Janes - an independent folk artist from Winchester, who takes influence from the likes of Simon & Garfunkel and Francoise Hardy with a silky songwriting. She took a moment to talk to us about her music.
Hey there Ella, how are you?
Wonderful thank you, just off on a trip to the Lake District for a much needed change of scene!
So your track ‘Deux Ans’ is out now, can you tell us what the track is about?
The track is about coming to terms with the end of a relationship and all the things we have to process when someone so close to us suddenly becomes a stranger.
It mixes English and French lyrics, what led to that choice? And how difficult is it singing in that style?
I studied French at University of Exeter and lived abroad in Nantes for a year so became fairly fluent in the language. I am very inspired by the classic, melancholy songs of artists such as Jacques Brel, Barbara and Françoise Hardy and wanted to capture something of them in this creation. I found natural rhymes using both languages and thought it would add to the song’s intrigue to drop in some narrative clues for my English speaking audience. I find it easy to switch between the two when singing as the song intentionally contains a lot of space (pauses between thoughts I am processing as each occurs to me throughout the song).
Your are based in Winchester - what is it most famous for?
Winchester Cathedral
Where do you go for musical kicks?
Sofar Sounds concerts
Who would you say are your key musical influences?
Simon & Garfunkel, Leonard Cohen, Melody Gardot
What next for Ella Janes? Will we hear an EP or album any time soon?
I released my debut album ‘The Hypnotist’ on 28th August - copies on vinyl and CD are available to order on Bandcamp!