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She's a true force to be reckoned with with her explosive live shows and bouncing tunes blowing up the airwaves, but Brisbane muso/producer/artist/streetwear label owner (and more!) G Elenil is only just scratching the surface with some recent singles enchanting the world and a brand new EP in the very near future.
Having already released a few hints of new music from the forthcoming EP 'Kin', there's certainly a lot to look forward to if bubbly lead singles 'Something' and 'Good Time' are anything to go by - and to sweeten the wait unti her May 4th release date, G has also recently dropped a cinematic wonderland with a brand new vid to accompany 'Good Time'.
While the new EP 'Kin' may delve deeper into the artist behind the creation, The Soundcheck grabbed a moment with this absolute powerhouse of a woman to chat passion, storytelling and how embracing who you really are can pay off in unimaginable ways. Interview below.
'GOOD TIME' MUSIC VIDEO (G ELENIL)
TIANA SPETER: Thank you so much for your time! You’ve been an extremely busy lady of late with new music dropping, and also the news your debut EP is finally going to unleash in May! How’s the reaction been so far to ‘Good Time’?
G ELENIL: Thank you! I’ve been really excited about how Good Time has been received. Every song reaches people differently, and I noticed that with this one, people were really happy to see a new side to my music. That was probably what made this release one of my favourites so far.
TIANA: And ‘Good Time’ isn’t the first hint of what’s to come from the ‘Kin’ EP, we’ve already heard ‘Something’ which was a balmy delight! What has been your biggest motivation behind ‘Kin’, you seem to always have a way of playfully addressing some pretty important issues with your tracks…
G ELENIL: Hahah I guess so! I think I was writing the EP while I was coming to terms with what family and community means, not just to me, but also as a concept. The EP takes you through my own experiences of realising who I am, and how that reflects my surroundings. There are songs in there though that are sort of that big “F*** You” to the people and communities that have held me back from myself. So.. the EP is centred around exploring these concepts, it doesn’t necessarily paint everything in a golden light.
TIANA: It’s not enough that you’ve skyrocketed into the scene in a very short space of time – you’re also a producer, visual artist and you own a streetwear label as well, to name a few of your side projects. Do you have a one true love amongst all of that? Was music always the goal, or was it something that just naturally evolved from other creative avenues?
G ELENIL: Oh my gosh stop! I dabble in a bit of everything because I’m the kind of person who can’t sit still. Music and performing have always been my absolute favourite things to do, no doubt about it.
TIANA: You’ve had some pretty impressive live outings, sharing the stage with the likes of Little Simz, Jesswar, Miss Blanks and Futuristic to name a few…I was lucky enough to catch you with Miss Blanks at BIGSOUND last year. Do you love the live performance aspect of all of this? Your performance style has been described as “playfully aggressive”, what are your thoughts on this?
G ELENIL: I love it!! I have always been a very active and physical person, and it used to be something I felt embarrassed about when I was a little kid. Being free to perform the way I want is something I’m so so grateful for and I love that something I used to be ashamed of is now a selling point for me.
TIANA: And what’s your favourite live show memory so far? Anything stand out in particular?
G ELENIL: One of my favourite memories is from a while back, Miss Blanks asked what would later become most of the Fempress Cypher to come do some guest tracks in her opening set for Little Simz. I got to perform to a great crowd but it was also one of the first nights that I got to spend with other female rappers.
TIANA: There’s something so insanely likable about all of your tunes – it’s like bad-ass cotton candy that you can’t help but groove to. But I’m intrigued to know, what sort of music did you grow up listening to when you were younger? Did you always have a pull to stuff that fell more into the “hip hop” world?
G ELENIL: Thank you! I definitely got to listen to a huge range: my mum loved Aretha and ABBA and Led Zeppelin, my dad loved traditional music, my siblings loved anything from the Black Eyed Peas to System of a Down to the Dropkick Murphys. But my favourite and most of my friends’ favourites was always hiphop.
TIANA: There seems to be such an incredible influx of female hip hop/RnB artists in Brisbane at the moment – how does it feel to be a part of this? Who are some of your favourite local artists kicking around in the scene at the moment?
G ELENIL: It’s so great! I love seeing so many people with unique stories making interesting music, it’s time people listen to these voices instead of ignoring lives outside of what is expected of the typical Australian narrative. My favs are obviously the whole Fempress Cypher, Jesswar, Kaylah Truth, Miss Blanks and Aywin. Plus Blaq Carrie, who has the coolest track/video, “Sendereka”. There’s also GNIGHTZ a producer/rapper/singer, plus ARIG, who just released “Mama Said” it will give you chillssss
TIANA: So obviously the EP release is looming in the near future – but what else can we expect from G Elenil in 2018?
G ELENIL: I have a bunch of great multimedia stuff coming, plus I’ve been looking at collaborating a bunch more with other artists, and of course I’ve got more live shows to be announced.
TIANA: Thank you so much for your time. Really hope to catch you live again soon!
G ELENIL: Thank you!
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BY TIANA SPETER