Calgary-based singer/songwriter Elle Celeste releases the second single, “So Few,” from her debut solo album Call On Me, due out in Autumn 2022. Much like the title track, shared back in March, “So Few” offers another powerful glimpse of Elle Celeste’s stunning artistic vision that combines familiar folk-rock elements with cinematic atmospherics, all propelled by her haunting voice, reminiscent of Cat Power’s Chan Marshall and Sharon Van Etten.
“This song was inspired by the original Blade Runner from 1982,” Elle Celeste says. “I enjoy the gloom and dread in the film and the feeling that everyone is just existing. Vangelis did an incredible job on the score. I tried to emulate his synth tone in the intro. Overall, this track is my ode to the rise of machines.”
Elle Celeste’s new material builds on the “21st Century folk music” approach of her former band Copperhead that blended punk, ambient and electronic sounds with traditional elements. She wrote eight of Call On Me’s nine tracks, later crafting them with longtime musical collaborator Kirill Telichev and producer Casey McMechan, better known as the electronica artist Tyrek.
Beginning in December 2019, the trio assembled Call On Me over the next 18 months, building sonic landscapes to complement Elle Celeste’s unflinching lyrics, many based on her personal experiences. Upon hearing “So Few,” some keen-eared Neil Young fans will also likely recognize its unmistakable beat.
“I feel I’ve matured in almost every way making this record,” Elle Celeste adds. “It’s motivated me to keep looking for ways to connect my experiences and song concepts with audiences.”
In all, Call On Me provides a dramatic first impression of a dynamic new voice on the Canadian independent music scene. With an ear trained to the past, but with her eyes firmly set on the future, Elle Celeste is an artist with unlimited potential.
