If this is the first time you’re catching wind of [Ellise](https://www.instagram.com/ellise/?hl=en), prepare to fall in love. Hailing from the Bay Area, the recording artist establishes herself as a force to be reckoned with in the music industry, arriving with her own unique sound, style, and swag that straddles the lines of dark and bubblegum pop.
In describing herself, Ellise states, “I’m a singer-songwriter, I love songwriting just as much as I love singing and music in general. Vocals are probably my favorite part of making music, I love vocal producing and directing. I’m making pop music that’s kind of dark and Halloween-like.”
Taking a leap of faith and moving to Los Angeles to pursue her music career full-time 6 years ago, Ellise released her first original song at age 19, and signed to EMPIRE just two years later. Now, she’s proud as ever to be independent, putting in the work behind-the-scenes while forever perfecting her craft.
Fast forward to 2021, Ellise unveils her newest project titled _Letting The Wolf In_, inspired directly by Grimms' Fairy Tales and her real life experiences. This arrives on the heels of her debut album _CHAOTIC_, released earlier this year. Additionally, she recently re-released her standout single “Soul Sucker,” and a music video to accompany, tapping two boss ass females DeathbyRomy and Mothica on “Soul Sucker, Pt. 2.”
Flaunt caught up with Ellise in downtown Los Angeles to discuss her biggest influences, roots in the Bay Area, signing to EMPIRE at 21, new project _Letting The Wolf In,_ love for Halloween, “Soul Sucker, Pt. 2,” fashion sense, studio essentials, goals, and more!
**How did you get into this dark pop space?**
Honestly, this is what I was inspired by when I was younger. I really loved Lana \[Del Rey\] and Melanie Martinez, Marina and the Diamonds.
[**I interviewed Melanie Martinez**](https://flaunt.com/content/tag/Melanie+Martinez)**!**
I love her visuals, her visual world. Her, Lorde, and Lana Del Rey’s visual world, and sound obviously too, is really what inspired me as a pre-teen teenager to be like “that’s so fucking sick.” Because not only are they making music, but they’re also creating this whole universe around the music. That’s what inspired me as a youngin’.
**I’m from the Bay also, we grew up to the Hyphy movement!**
Honestly growing up, all my friends are playing Iamsu and HBK Gang. I was listening to Bay Area rap as a kid, but I don't really rap. When I hear that music, when I'm home in the Bay with my friends I grew up with and we're slapping that shit, it’s so nostalgic and nice.
**What was the turning point when you realized you could do music?**
It really all started with singing. Even as a really young kid, there’s videos of me singing, making up my own songs and playing piano. Somehow I knew even from a really young age that music was the only thing I wanted to do. It’s the only thing I’ve ever been really good at. It's the only thing that’s ever made me feel super fulfilled and happy, so it was the one option.
**Talk about signing to EMPIRE at age 21.**
I did sign my first deal right after the pandemic hit. I met with them in late February 2020, then by March 2020 we were all in Covid time. They said “okay but we’re still trying to sign you.” \[claps\] I said “okay let's do it.”
**What was the grind like before signing with them?**
Before I was with them, for the whole time I was dropping music. Until then, I was literally doing it independently. I was uploading my songs on Tunecore, I didn't have a manager or a team really. I had people I could go to and consult with, who’d help me out but I never really had a solid team. I'm happy things went the way they did because I got so much knowledge of the music industry by having to figure it out by myself for a few years. I was finally ready to step in to having a team, having management and a label, all that stuff.
**How does it feel?**
It’s fire, the difference is night and day. Obviously there’s pros and cons to everything. When it's just you and you’re independent, you don't have to clear any decisions with anyone. You can literally do whatever you want but for the most part, I love my team. They're really supportive and haven't really given me any trouble like “you can't do that.” They let me have so much creative control, it's awesome.
**_Letting The Wolf In out now,_ how are you feeling?**
I’m so happy! The amount of stress I went through on this project. \[laughs\] I'm so happy it's out, I’m so happy how it turned out. It was crazy because I had dropped my [debut album Chaotic](https://open.spotify.com/album/6nUQsCdTK0xbG6FjyqJUXq) in MAy of this year, then really quickly after that, literally a week after that dropped, I made the decision to do a Halloween project this year. I did one in 2018 and 2019, but I skipped it in 2020 because I was going through it. I was not ready to do all that. \[laughs\] I didn't want to skip it again this year, I really love doing it. With input from my team, we decided instead of making it a small 4-song EP, which is what I had done in the past, to make it more of a full-length larger project. The stress really came from bringing something into creation out of nothing, from June to September. I was in grindmode, but honestly I'm so happy because I love how it came out.
**Can you describe the wolf?**
The title _Letting The Wolf In,_ it's so crazy because a lot of the songs on the project are about the same stuff I talk about in _Chaotic,_ where it’s this insanely fucked relationship I had in 2020. While I was with that boy, he’s so extra and dramatic. He one time told me, “you’re literally Little Red Riding Hood and I'm the wolf. You’re letting the wolf in.” I remember him saying that and I thought “that's actually fire, I'm going to steal that.” \[laughs\]
**I don’t even remember what happens in that story.**
Honestly, I don't remember either. \[laughs\] Basically, the wolf eats her grandma and pretends to be the grandma. Some shit goes down.
I wanted to call it that because Letting The Wolf In to me means you’re engaging with someone who is fucking bad for you. It's already been proven time and time again they’re not going to treat you right, theyre going to keep fucking you over, but you’re still letting them in anyway. It’s the wolf because they’re the antagonist. The villain.
**Does he know it’s about him?**
I’m sure he does, I don't know. \[laughs\] I have him blocked?
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**How was it shooting the cover art?**
It was fun. Two of my really good friends, Marc Heller and NAS NIXX, are both insanely amazing photographers. They came and we shot it. It was really easy, it was my close-knit team all there. We got this cool creepy looking house and shot the cover art, that's it.
**Favorite songs and why?**
One of my favorites is “Wicked Witch of the Westside” because when I was making the album, I felt very lost in the beginning. I couldn't really find a direction. Every song I was making, I didn't love it. This is not the vibe that I want. I made “Wicked Witch of the Westside” and said “okay, now I have the direction for how I want the rest of the project to go.” Other random inspo for that title is the song “west side” by Ariana Grande. I'm in love with that song so I said “Wicked Witch of the West,” but make it Westside.
**One thing you want fans to take from the project?**
I hope during October, fans listened to that project and it made them hyped for Halloween. That's always my main goal with this. The Halloween projects I do are a special thing for me and my fans. I love doing it and they love it, it's this inside thing we’ve had for all these years. Every time I do one, I want to do it almost as a happy Halloween gift for them.
**How did you celebrate Halloween?**
I went to Heav3n and performed a couple of songs. Heav3n is a party thrown by this gir[l Lulo](https://www.instagram.com/itslulo/?hl=en), she’s really sick. She does all these parties every month or so. They had their biggest thing for Halloween.
**How’d it feel performing those records?**
It was really fun, it was my first time singing anything from the project. It was very chill. It was last minute, she asked “do you want to perform?” I said “yeah sure.” It was fun.
**Talk about re-releasing "**[**Soul Sucker” with DeathbyRomy and Mothica**](https://haulix.promo/p99)**.**
I'm very excited we were able to do this! It's a remix of a song that's on the project. We got Romy on it first and her verse was so fire. Her aesthetic is so nice. I thought it’d be sick if we made this a full-fledged, bad bitch anthem and put another girl on it too. Romy and Mothica, spooky queens.
**How did the collab happen?**
We all know each other. I reached out to them and they said “let’s get it.” They both snapped.
**The video is cinematic, talk about the aesthetic.**
The soul sucker pt. 2 music video is probably my favorite video I've done this year! It was so fun to be able to create a concept centered around multiple artists instead of just me. Roxana Baldovin directed, we also did my "Bruises" video together a couple months ago. She's so talented and I feel like her and I are really in tune with each other creatively.
The video is sick, we’re all different spooky characters. I'm a vampire, Mothica’s the devil, Romy’s the Grim Reaper. It’s very Hex Girls, evil Powerpuff girls vibes.
We shot it at this Peerspace, this really weird room with all this strange Halloween decor. It was cool.
**How would you describe your fashion sense?**
It's so funny you’re asking me this because yesterday, I thought “man, I’m really in my basic era right now.” \[laughs\] I’d describe my fashion sense as dark. I hate the word edgy, but a little bit dark and airing on the more goth side. At the same time, I love pink stuff. I love dressing super feminine and girly, so a mix of those two.
**3 things you need in the studio?**
I definitely need a Starbucks because if I'm recording, I need some coffee. That's really bad for your voice. Coffee dries out your vocal chords, I guess caffeine but I don't give a fuck. I hate tea, I’m not a tea person so I have to have a Starbucks coffee. I need to have my laptop so I can be writing words and writing things out. What’s a third thing? I'm not even going to say it but really my vape. Ooh, I love a good studio candy bowl. You know when you go somewhere and they have a bowl of candy and chocolate? That's my favorite thing in the world.
**Best encounter you had with a fan?**
I had such a nice encounter with a fan at Halloween. I was in line at the Halloween Town store in Burbank. I was in the very back of the line and this really sweet girl came up to me like “are you Ellise? I really like your music. Do you want to come behind me in line?” It was so nice. So cute, I’m like “girl, you’re the MVP for this.” The line was so circling around because it was on Halloween day, she literally saved my ass.
**Goals for yourself at this point of your career?**
Oh yeah, a ton. My main goal is always to keep growing as an artist. Keep sharpening my skills and getting better at songwriting, singing, all of that. Also this coming year, one of my main goals is I’d love to start producing, I’m going to try to really get into that. I’ve been dabbling a little, trying to start getting it, but luckily I'm roomates with my brother and he’s a fucking insane producer. I’m going to force him to give me lessons. \[laughs\] I’d love to tour this coming year, that’s one of my biggest goals is to just get on the road. I put out so much music in 2021. Now, I need to go perform it and sing it for 2022.
**Anything else you want to let us know**
Really excited that the “Soul Sucker, Pt. 2” music video is out now. Stream _Letting The Wolf In,_ and stream “Soul Sucker, Pt. 2.”
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