By Ron Evans
Wenatchee-based singer/songwriter Elaine Eagle is likely playing somewhere right this second. I feel like just about any venue I pop my head into these days I see her sitting at the keys, filling the room with her powerful (but somehow gentle) voice. Eagle often plays covers but for years she has been crafting her own originals as well. All that would be enough to keep her busy but somehow she also finds time to belt out some impressive (and intimidating) vocals for local Pink Floyd tribute band Artemidorus - and in the J.J. Cale tribute group Cajun Moon. I mean...are we sure there aren’t more than one Elaine Eagles?
In early 2025 she will release her brand new EP titled “Hesperides.” I reached out to chat with the busy and productive performer to learn about her songwriting process and the production of this new release.
How long have you been writing your own songs?
As long as I can remember, the two things that I loved to do most were write creatively and play music. When I was about 15 years old, I realized that I could put those two things together and create my own songs. So that’s about 11 years now of writing songs. It was a whole new way of expressing myself; I really fell in love with not just writing music and lyrics, but creating a soundscape to tell an emotional story.
Has your songwriting style or process changed or evolved over the years?
Thankfully, yes. I’m very grateful that my early songs will never see the light of day. I was not well acquainted with my voice at that point, and didn’t have a strong grasp of what I was trying to accomplish with my writing.
When I started writing songs, I relied heavily on ‘the muse’ or feeling inspired in order to be able to put anything down on paper. If I wasn’t inspired, I wouldn’t write. The biggest fear I had was writing something bad (or cheesy, cringey, dumb…you name it).
From 2020-2022 I completed my BA in Songwriting from the Berklee College of Music. I gained so much from my education, but I would say that the biggest songwriting tools I gained were practical strategies. Learning to write when feeling uninspired or hitting a writer’s block has completely changed my productivity as a writer. I tend to see songwriting more as a craft now; something that can be honed and perfected, not just an emotional release or response. The magic, of course, comes when you’re able to combine the two.
Do you tend to write alone, or collaborate with others?
I love to collaborate and co-write. I’ve found that I need that push of accountability in order to not give up on certain songs or ideas. If they only live in my head, then sometimes it is hard for me to force them out into the light, or give them a real voice. Collaborating really enables the creativity to flow, and I love when everyone in a co-write is vulnerable with their ideas. So often you have to voice the ‘bad’ ideas to get to something great.
I always say that one of the main reasons I’ve chosen music as a career is because of how much I love musicians and creative people. Difficult sometimes, yes - myself included. But I have always been drawn to wanting to work with musicians. I want to be around them, I want to poke around in their head, I want to share my ideas and dreams with them. Songwriters especially are probably my favorite group of people in the world.
I had the opportunity to attend a fantastic songwriting retreat in Nashville last year where I met and spent a week writing with an incredible group of people. The connections I made were invaluable and I met my co-writer for my upcoming project there. He lives in the UK, so writing over Zoom has been a fun challenge to overcome, but we make it work.
The Wenatchee area is also home to some great songwriters and I love hearing their work and sharing mine with them. It is a very homey feeling to be surrounded by such creativity and talent.
What genre would you say your music is? Have you dabbled in other genres?
A dreaded question. I think defining yourself and your work is always hard to do for an artist, but it’s something that is so necessary, especially in today’s world of branding and niche marketing. It’s difficult to pin down an exact genre for a few reasons: I have a lot of different inspirations and influences, and each project I make sounds a little different. I would say that when I started writing music, I leaned a bit toward an acoustic/country-ish sound. Very folk in the instrumentation and the lyrics. I think as I have progressed as an artist, my sound and my lyrics have become a bit darker and more piercing and poetic. I also have worked a lot with my voice over the past number of years, and my voice really loves a bit of blues. I also sing and work with different groups of musicians, and a lot of them are rock oriented.
So - final answer. I would classify my music as living somewhere between folk and blues, with definitive soul and rock influences.
Do you tend to start with lyrics or music first? Walk us through a bit of your writing process.
I am almost always a lyrics-first writer. Usually a line, a rhyme, or a title will come to me and that ignites the process. I usually compile a ‘word bank’; this could include everything from descriptive words, rhymes that I like, and synonyms to quotes, colors, smells, and pictures that fit the ‘vibe’ I have in mind. Think of it like a mini-Pinterest board for the song idea.
This will usually point me in a direction musically and I start noodling around for a melody or a rhythm from there. Chord structures are very helpful to me, so I try to get a structure down and fill in the melody piece by piece. It really is like a fun math problem, fitting all the pieces together. At some point, I will get stuck in one of the usual pitfalls; a second verse, a bridge, an ending, etc., and that’s usually when I bring the song before another set of ears to help troubleshoot.
It’s also happened many times where I ‘hatch’ the original idea with a co-writer and during a session we’re able to get the bones of the song completed. I find it very helpful to have a roadmap of where we are starting and where we are going emotionally in each section of the song. Usually, if I have that, I am able to complete the song on my own and then confer with my co-writer for a final edit and review.
Cover for the Eagle’s forthcoming EP "Hesperides” - photo by Sunday Brunch Photography / design by Miriam Thomas
Tell us about your latest project.
My newest project is a 5 song EP titled “Hesperides.” I had an incredible opportunity earlier this year to partner with Plaid Dog Recording in Boston, MA. I saw an ad for the studio on my social media and decided to reach out to them-I’m so glad that I did! Plaid Dog’s mission is to help small artists fund their projects. In January we launched a crowdfunding campaign to fund my studio time for this EP. The campaign was a huge success and, with the help of so many amazing friends, family, and fans, I was able to reach my goal of $10,000.
While I was in the studio for a week, I had live musicians for guitar, bass, drums, and cello. It was a very emotional and fulfilling process to hear these ultra-talented people playing my songs and bringing them into the ‘real world.’ I am so grateful that they lent their talent to my music.
I co-wrote these songs with my friend Tom Larkin (an artist from the UK who I met in Nashville), and I think we have really hit on a great writing partnership. He knows how my mind works and what I am trying to achieve with my songs, and I love working with him. I would classify my songwriting as a mixture of mythology and modernity. I grew up being so fascinated by myths and legends, losing myself in stories and classic literature. That has carried over into my artistry, and I find so much catharsis in connecting my personal feelings and struggles with ancient characters and stories. This EP is no different.
“Hesperides” will be available in early 2025, wherever you listen to music. My social media is the best place to get updates about release dates and my live shows (where you’ll get to hear these songs live and acoustic!). I cannot wait to share these songs with you.
Where else can people find your music?
Pretty much anywhere you listen to music! Spotify, Apple, YouTube, etc., all under Elaine Eagle.
Upcoming live performances:
Dec. 23rd & 27th: JJ Hills
Dec. 29th: Off The Hill
Dec. 31st: Pybus New Year’s Eve