Tempo Talks: A Conversation with Anastasia Elliot

THE RELEASE

Anastasia Elliot, a name that symbolizes rebirth, has triumphed over extraordinary adversities, shaping her life and artistry into a compelling narrative of resilience. Inspired by a near-fatal plane crash on her way to record her song "Crash Landing," Anastasia transformed her trauma into a prolific songwriting journey, crafting over 200 songs. Her path to creating this album spanned 13 years, marked by challenges like vocal surgery and navigating the tumultuous music industry. With unwavering determination, she secured her creative vision and ownership, emerging stronger and more independent. Anastasia's mastery extends beyond music, as she adeptly navigates the realms of DIY visual arts, from music videos to fashion design, forging an authentic connection with her fans, The Purple Cult, and igniting a creative revolution for all to discover the extraordinary in the ordinary.

Anastasia Elliot's album is an extraordinary musical journey, opening with the mesmerizing "Cigarettes and Gasoline," where her ethereal falsetto vocals captivate listeners. The haunting melodies build into a must-hear experience. The second track tells an incredible story of “Crash Landing”, set against a backdrop of intricate piano and vivid lyrics, setting the tone for the visual album that wouldn't exist without Anastasia's own near death plane crash experience months after its recording. From the dark, dominate, marching feel of "Crimson & Violet" with its distorted vocals to the final track "Good," which explores the theme of reincarnation with bold vocal vibrato and alternative drums, the album takes you on a daunting yet liberating journey. Anchored in analog production, every sound is meticulously crafted with real instruments, reflecting an old-school recording approach. This remarkable piece of musical art is a must-listen for all.

THE INTERVIEW

If you had to create a Mount Rushmore of inspiration, what four individuals molded the artist you are today?

This is a really tough question because I don’t think I really consciously pull inspiration from anywhere so whittling down inspiration to four individuals feels impossible! My upbringing in Opera and classical music has a huge influence on my love for drama and grandness and growing up around high fashion definitely had an impact on my love for creating custom wardrobe for everything I do. My dad’s love for 80s music and powerful female vocalists shaped my desire for badass music with very strong and commanding vocals. I am constantly taking in the world around me and twisting it into my creations. If I had to choose 4, my musical Mount Rushmore would have to consist of Beethoven, Freddy Mercury, Kate Bush, and David Bowie.

Were there any personal experiences or stories that influenced the creation of the album, and if so, how did they shape the final product?

The concept ideation for La Petite Mort began when I was in a Southwest plane crash months after writing my song Crash Landing. After surviving something so life changing, I set out to make a visual album about the phases of trauma and healing that I went through as I was going through the experience in real time. This album was how I emotionally and artistically processed this challenging time in my life and transformed something that was so dark into something beautiful and important. It might sound crazy, but without the plane crash, this album would never have existed and despite the ptsd, I am grateful for all that it has taught me and brought into my life and wouldn’t trade the experience for anything in the world. There are easter eggs in each video that relate to the plane crash and the overall healing story I am telling. The engine sounds and radio control tower talk from my actual crash is also featured in the bridge of Crash Landing!

How did you approach the selection and arrangement of the songs on this project to create a cohesive and impactful listening experience for your audience?

I feel like the songs and I collaborated on that. When I chose songs for the album, I just knew where they should fall in their order. I wanted the album to feel like it went through the ups and downs of trauma healing in both the production and the lyrical order. I actually didn’t consider any other order than what it is now! When I listened to this track list, it felt like the healing journey that I went on beginning with the essence of confusion and denial, plunging into the depths of despair, and coming out the other end GOOD again. The songs themselves were as much a part of choosing where they wanted to go as I was.

How do you see this album representing your artistic evolution or progression, and what new elements or techniques did you experiment with during its production?

I wrote over 200 songs for this album so the songwriting for LPM spans over the course of a few years. Taking my time creating this album is how I was able to capture the full spectrum of the healing journey I went through in the aftermath of my crash. Some of the final versions of these songs are wildly different from their demos so even sonically I evolved what I wanted this project to sound like after I had written some of the songs. I wanted the production to be entirely analog so everything is created with real instruments and sounds we created ourselves. I had a very old school recording approach to this record. There are so many fun stories from our 17 days of tracking. We had lots of cool instruments brought into the studio like a harpsichord from the 1800s for London and a vibraphone for C’est La Vie. We also had an upright piano brought into the studio from my engineer's home because it was the perfect piano to use on some of the songs. We used lots of cool vintage synths and strings and different treasures we had picked up at salvage yards and junk stores to sample. In Lion’s Den, my guitarist actually played one of the parts using a power drill! We also had a vintage amp catch on fire in the studio!‏

Can you share any memorable or profound moments from the recording or writing sessions that had a lasting impact on you personally or creatively?

The creation of La Petite Mort has been a 13 year process and I have had more memorable and profound moments with it than I can count. I think the biggest thing I have learned from making this visual album is that anything is possible when you just commit and say you are going to do it. My tiny DIY team creates all of the costumes and sets and productions in addition to making creative websites and the first AR enabled merch that comes to life. Even when we don’t know how to do something or we have no clue how we are going to pull off a vision, the sheer commitment to executing our full visions always gets us there. We worry about the logistics and the dirty details after we have already set the plans in motion. I am learning new skills daily in order to realize the visions I want to bring to life. Creating art can have such profound power. Pushing myself and setting impossible standards for this album has made me grow so much as an artist and as a person. This album has shown me that anything I want to create in life can be achieved as long as I believe in it and don’t stop until it’s real.

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