Tempo Talks: A Conversation with Eleri Ward
THE RELEASE
Eleri Ward is a talented performer living in New York City who excels in acting, singing, songwriting, and music. Her unique pop song has received praise for its soaring and dreamy elements. Notably, Eleri recorded and produced her indie-folk Sondheim album, "A Perfect Little Death," solely within her closet, in 2021. This CD, released by Ghostlight Records, masterfully blends musical theater with indie folk, earning praise from Forbes and American Theater Magazine as "an incandescent new record." Eleri's artistic path involves a spectacular national summer tour opening for Josh Groban, followed by the contemplative release "Keep A Tender Distance" in 2022. She holds a BFA in Musical Theater from The Boston Conservatory and a BFA in Songwriting from Berklee College of Music.
"Grieving the Future," Eleri Ward's newest song, is a heartbreaking study of the human proclivity to concentrate on unfulfilled ambitions, leading to a loss of the present moment. This emotionally powerful composition makes use of vocal tremolos, imaginative chord progressions, and a dynamic musical structure that follows the textual journey. Ward demonstrates her skill for making pop music that is profoundly based in storytelling in "Grieving the Future." The song explores the idea of "crying over nothing" while actively attempting to recapture the present, providing listeners with an emotional musical experience that highlights her talent as a musical storyteller.
THE INTERVIEW
If you had to create a Mount Rushmore of inspiration, what four individuals molded the artist you are today?
Caroline Polachek, Sufjan Stevens, Andrew Bird, and Lianne La Havas.
Were there any specific experiences or events in your life that influenced the song's lyrics?
I began writing this song during the pandemic when it felt like everything I knew about my future was completely turned upside down and suddenly void. I then picked the song back up and began editing the lyrics during a time when I felt like things in my life weren't turning out as I thought they would and I wasn't getting where I wanted to be. Being an actor, we are constantly having to mourn the jobs we don't book and the future plans we so easily draw up in our heads when we think we might get the job. But even just being a human being, regardless of your experiences or occupation, having to reckon with the things that don't come to pass is a tough pill to swallow sometimes- especially when you want something badly enough.
Can you share any interesting anecdotes about the song's development with your co-writers or producers?
I left a lot of space for creativity in the moment when I brought this song into the studio. I didn't have a set plan on instrumentation or harmonies, but in a way, it let the song shape itself and organically find where it wanted to live. It's always more fun leaving some things to the moment when recording a song because then you get to be informed by the present moment, and thankfully my producer Allen Tate is great at getting me to have fun with that!
What was the biggest takeaway or lesson you learned while creating this song?
Knowing I began the writing process in the summer of 2020 and now I'm releasing it in September of 2023, my biggest takeaway I've gotten from this song is that each song I write comes in its own time, in its own way. I'm usually a very "chop chop" person who likes to get things done! But this song clearly needed to take its time and find its path to finally being released for the public to hear. I'm grateful for it though because it wouldn't be what it is today if it hadn't marinated for all that time with lyrics changing and arrangements being re-arranged, etc. I'm grateful for this song allowing me to let go and let it all happen in divine timing.
How has your recent growth as an artist influenced the direction of your future work?
It's huge! And my growth is so directly linked to the direction of where I'm heading next. From recording and performing covers for the past two years, the growth I feel in releasing this song alone- it being original- feels like a whole new world opening up for me. While I've released original music in the past, I didn't have the audience I have now bearing witness to it, and I'm so grateful I can feel empowered to share something so new and different to an audience that has heard music that, to me, almost feels like the inverse of this. I've grown leaps and bounds since I began writing this song, it almost feels like now releasing it is a stamp for how far I've come, signifying how far I've yet to go.
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