Can you tell us where you are from?
The sunny Gold Coast in Australia. It’s overcast today though, perfect day for song writing.
At what age did music interest you?
My mum recently found a picture I drew when I was five years old. It was of me in front of an audience with the words, “when I grow up, I want to sing in front of 1,000 people”.
You have worked with some of the world’s best, including Terry Britten (who has written with the likes of Tina Turner, Cliff Richard, Olivia Newton-John and the late Michael Jackson), Nick Coler and David Lowe. How much did they influence you and what did you learn working with these great writers have on you?
I love the idea of working alongside other songwriters who have their own style and learning their techniques in the studio as well as what they bring to the song writing process itself. Being in a room with someone new is always really exciting, as you don’t know what is going to happen, but I’ve found that’s when the creativity flows for me, when something starts to go in a direction you wouldn’t normally go in on your own and you apply your own elements to it, or vice versa – it’s exciting!
Who was it that introduced you to music, and who was your first inspiration?
My mum loves listening to music at home – music like Fleetwood Mac, Elton John – my mum has good taste! My first real songwriting inspiration was probably Canada’s City and Colour. He and his band write such honest, emotive music. I still listen to him, but these days I listen mainly to female powerhouses like Florence Welch, BANKS, Halsey.
Wanderlust, your EP has been quite successful for you, how did you react to the traction and interest it has received?
The reaction was just what I’d hoped for, beyond what I could have imagined actually – the doors that have opened since taking that initial vulnerable leap of faith with the release, have made the whole process really worthwhile. It’s overwhelming, but I love the idea of having a wide range of people all over the world listening to and connecting with my art. In a way, it’s a sense of community.
When you write your music, how do you go about the process? Do you write with Guitar or keyboard, do you need to be in a quiet place, and/or do you set aside time specifically to write?
It’s always different – the more you exercise the muscle though, the more it’ll work. I set aside time (an afternoon, evening, whole day) for song writing, however I always need a pen and paper on me and the voice recorder on my iPhone gets used A LOT. I always start with lyrics, or poems that turn into lyrics and then transition that into a song.
Do you like horror movies, or movies with lots of drama and suspense? I only ask this, because your video clip and music, ‘Unknown Water’ certainly has a suspense feeling in its undertone, while being very breezy with strong a powerful feeling to it.
I definitely don’t haha. I am a bit of a wuss when it comes to scary movies – I think for me the tension is emotional tension that build and builds until a release, which in a way is constructing thematically in a similar way to a horror movie.
What are you plans for new music? Anything new coming soon we can look forward to?
2016 is proving to be a huge year already, myself and my drummer Sarah are heading to LA, Nashville, New York, Toronto, London and Brighton all to perform, network and record music. Toronto in particular will be fantastic, as we’re showcasing at Canadian Music Week (CMW). CMW is a music showcase and conference, similar to BIGSOUND in Brisbane, so we’ll be learning from and networking with industry delegates and other artists as well as performing. We’ve also got shows in London and then in Brighton to perform on an alternative lineup at The Great Escape Festival. The time spent in the USA will mostly be networking and songwriting. I’m hoping to collaborate with some local musicians in these areas to continue planting musical seeds in other countries.
I’ve been cast as Snow White in the La Boite, Opera Queensland, Brisbane Festival collaboration. It’s a very dark, very twisted version, which is super exciting. That’s in September, so I’m planning a release for later in the year after that wraps up, followed by some more travel and touring on the back of it. That’s all a bit hush hush at the moment though!
Thank you Ella Fence, It was an absolute pleasure.
You can follow Ella's journey through her website and social media accounts
Ella Fence Website: http://www.ellafencemusic.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ellafencemusic
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ellafencemusic