Photographer / Santiago Felipe
Makeup / Colby Smith
Stylist / Sheyna Imm
Ellinor Olovsdotter aka Elliphant is unlike anything we have ever heard and also like some of the things we love the most. Think- some of your favorite Swedish pop stars, some of your favorite reggae classics all mixed in one delicious dancehall delirium. If you need specific references think Diplo, MIA, Santifold, Bjork(yes Bjork), Peter Tosh, Bob Marely, etc. If you need a specific term google, “danskhall.”
Elliphant was formed through the course of a summer traveling in the UK with her thoughts and her headphones for company. After falling for the dancehall scene of London she returned home to Stockholm and perfected her MC skills and some serious lyrical prowess and created the sensation that everyone is jamming to now.
She is slowly winning over the hearts of music editors, lovers and creators everywhere and establishing a message we can all take into consideration in the process.
We chatted with Elliphant recently about all of the above. Read more about this babe here and check out her newest video and single,“Could It Be.”
So you signed with SONY Records in the US, what was that like for you getting that call that SONY wanted to sign you?
Well I was calm, I’m very secure and comfortable with the whole signing that everything just happened so yeah I’m very excited about it, it’s one of the biggest things that’s happened to me in my life. It’s awesome, I’m just excited to see what can come out of it or what’s the difference you know, (laughs) with this label. So yeah, we will see what’s going to happen but I’m excited. I’m happy about it.
What inspired the song Down on Life, especially the lyric, ‘we’re waking up in a pile of shit’?
My whole album is kind of like those lyrics, the whole album is focused on society and being inside this society bubble. We are waking up in a pile of shit every day we try to get like a lost in distracting things to get away from the fact that we’re actually pushing so much beauty away because we don’t want to accept our peers and we don’t accept that is actually beautiful to cry and it’s not just about the television and the make-up, and popping pills but it’s about life and making sure that you know what you’re doing in society. People are so distracted so that’s what it’s about trying to get down on life and the backside of life, waking up in a pile of shit it’s just like it’s special, we’re so buried.
I love listening to that son -especially when I’m depressed it makes me feel so much better.
What were u listening to when u were a teenager?
I listened to a lot, jazz and R&B, a lot of old school R&B and hip hop. One of my first idols was Gwen Stefani, I listened to that a lot. I was also into this whole nineties, like ska rock thing, I listened to a little of everything, The Beastie Boys, Portishead, and also Prodigy, I loved Prodigy.
You and your DJ you tour with seem to have a special bond. How did u meet?
I met him at a mosh party in Sweden, he wanted to make music together and we did. He’s like the daddy of Elliphant, because without him- well he’s the one that had the idea from the beginning.
Your outfits on stage are so cute and sporty. Do you just like throw on clothes or do you think about what you’re going to wear on stage?
No I actually I never really think about what I’m going to wear on stage because I think so much about other things. I’ve always been an easy dresser. I never put a lot of thought into what I’m going to wear I just want to be comfortable and be able to walk around. I just like to be very comfortable.
Your music is really good I’m glad that you’re making it because it’s good stuff.
Thank you me too I’m so happy everything’s falling into place I never had a chance to experience it like this but it’s nice I don’t have to do so much now I can just hold on and keep the message and the vision clear because right now I just feel like everything is falling into place and all these beautiful people are coming into this project and yeah it’s very special.
