ELODIE REVERIE

Photos by Arthur Lang

Ethereal, Mesmerizing, Intriguing.

What inspired you to begin a career in music?

In December of 2018 while I was living in LA working as a documentary production assistant I decided I wanted to learn to produce music using Logic. Although those close to me would agree it came out of the blue, they’d also agree that it made sense.

I’ve played piano since I was 5 years old, which allowed me to hone my naturally instinctive ear.

In college for an assignment to create a documentary, I’d recently started voice lessons and made a documentary about my quest to write a song, deciding at the very least it would be a good portrait on dealing with gender, elite higher education, and failure, and I surprised myself and the songwriting seed was planted.

I loved jazz singing so much, I even opened for Macy Gray and Wyclef Jean at a Jazz Foundation of America event for an audience of 500 people.

I was discouraged by the Amy documentary, and decided to focus my efforts on documentary and moved away from music.

It was always on and off. I remember when I was living in LA, I went on a karaoke date with a CAA floater and I BOMBED so I quit for months. and at the center of the storyline was an incredibly creative inspirational coach, and I think being exposed to her was formative for my creativity and decision to create my own music.

In December of 2018 I set my resolution to create music. I think LA gave me the space to dream and think and let my mind wander in a way New York(where I’m from) didn’t.

I stumbled into a free intro to Logic class at the Apple Store in January of 2019 and I created Fire in the Desert.

I began to release music under the stage name Elodie (rhymes with Melody) Rêverie (also rhymes with melody and means daydream in French). Within a year I had 12 pages of google results, close to 200 reviews of my music, traveled to Scotland for a songwriting retreat, and opened for Hoobastank. I’m approaching 2 years and haven’t looked back.

Describe your sound in 3 words?

Ethereal, Mesmerizing, Intriguing.

What differs you and your sound from other upcoming artists in the music industry?

One key thing. I harness my emotions, and other people connect with my lyrics, voice and melodies on an emotional level. I think we should all be taking our time to create music we want to hear in the world, and focus on that emotion. Today, there is so much music and so much of it sounds polished and well produced but it lacks emotional depth and thus gets lost in the noise.

You have just released your new single ‘Red Carpet.’ Can you please describe the meaning behind the single and the creative process?

Red Carpet was inspired by an experience I had 18 years ago. When I was 10, I had the opportunity to be in a Sundance film called Pieces of April written and directed by Peter Hedges(What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, About a Boy, Dan in Real Life) starring Katie Holmes. I had a small role, but I was allowed to walk down the red carpet because Peter knew how much would it would mean to me. It meant a of a lot to me, because I’ve written about it nearly 20 years after the fact. After releasing my most recent single Under the Radar(July 2020)I saw that 68 people were listening at once on my Spotify for Artists app and I texted my mom saying that I felt like I was walking the red carpet again.

Everyone experiences good days and bad days, as a musician, when you have a bad day, what motivates you to keep moving and look ahead to the future?

Sometimes I do wallow, or get lost in the noise of my own thoughts. I haven’t found a quick fix, yet for whatever reason I keep plugging away. One thing that motivates me is the thought of my grand-children listening to my music.

Throughout your musical career, have you experienced any ‘wow’ moments? Those moments that you stop to reflect and can’t believe you are where you are?

Yes! One exhilarating moment I experienced was opening for Hoobastank at the Mesa Music Festival. I befriended a fabulous women who happened to take me to Guitar Center during the weekend I was there for the festival!

During soundcheck I decided I needed a sign with my name and Instagram since I was playing on the main stage, and I texted her asking if she could get poster board and markers for me.

I hand drew the sign right before going on.

I remember singing out into the open air and she and her son were in the audience. My mother and my best friend’s parents were also there who were hosting my my mom and I for the weekend, and I employed letting go in the moment without judging how I was sounding and it was exhilarating.

In your own opinion, what is the most meaningful song you wrote? What makes you say that one?

My song Skeleton Castle has an interesting back story.

I wrote it on a retreat in Scotland I found off the internet led by Grammy nominated Verlon Thompson. I was the youngest person in the retreat, and the song is inspired by a family trip I went on when my parents were married. When we landed, I convinced my family to drive four hours, followed by a two hour hike in the mud to see a Castle Threave, which was home to my ancestors centuries ago. There was barely anything left of it, but I thought it was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. The song is about connecting to my lineage, and also the peace I made with my family’s divorce I felt returning to a place I associated with my happiest family trip. The production is up beat so that you can move along with it and you can take in the lyrics if you want to. I produced it entirely by myself in my hotel room in London and was so excited that I recorded it the next day at StrongRoom.

What personal advice would you give to someone wanting to pursue this career?

A career as an independent musician is well-suited to someone nerdy who will arm themselves with as much info as possible!

First and foremost, focus on the music. Make music you want to hear. Learn how to produce, in a basic way. Packaging and branding is important, but think of it like this: if you see an amazing ad or Instagram for a cookie, but the cookie tastes bad, the product isn’t going to thrive.

What does the foreseeable future hold for you as an artist?

We will have to see! In the short term it be cool to see you watching my animated video for Under the Radar: https://youtu. be/b-DiP7Wz_PA

Connect with her on here social media: https://www.facebook.com/elodiereveriemusic

https://www.instagram.com/elodiereverie/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH_qu2y8t3kS-mlOm78S3Qg?pbjreload=102

https://open.spotify.com/artist/2wgprKjXOQKYR90B6XfFQO?si=oQK4cquKSvuPAl6pr7t5QQ

https://www.elodiereverieofficial.com