ELLISE Talks ‘Pretty in the Dark,’ Her First Headlining Show and Her Upcoming Halloween EP
Halloween might not be here yet, but dark pop maven ELLISE is starting the celebration early with her new single, "Pretty in the Dark," alongside Ashley Sienna.
The bewitching, The Craft-inspired track finds the duo manifesting their partner's attention and ultimate obsession: "Run through your veins, got your heart to keep," ELLISE commands, later followed by Ashley's haunting call, "Worship like I'm godly/ I'm the air you breathe, feel my energy." The hard-hitting bass juxtaposed with soft, airy vocals have become a trademark to ELLISE's sound.
This era is ELLISE at her most confident, as she reveals to Sweety High, and "Pretty in the Dark" is only a sneak peek into the vault of music she has yet to uncover that showcase her sultry, empowered side.
Below, discover what's in store for ELLISE during the rest of 2023 and hear exactly what she had to say about the making of "Pretty in the Dark," her first headlining shows and more.
Sweety High: What inspired the making and overall concept for "Pretty in the Dark?"
ELLISE: "Pretty in the Dark" is a song that was already half-written by Ashley Sienna, who is on it with me.
We met when I was performing in Southern California in May and she opened for me. After the shows, she was like, "Hey! I have this song. I really want you to feature on it." And I listened to it, and I was like, "Oh my God! Yes!"
The first half of the song was open, so I basically went in and wrote it. It was super easy for me to write because Ashley already had such a strong concept behind it. I just had to fill in the blanks, and it came together really cohesively.
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SH: What was your experience like working with Ashley?
ELLISE: Working with her has been amazing. I love her. She's great, and she's super talented. Like I said, we met through my shows, but we instantly hit it off and became friends.
Her vibe is very similar to mine, where we both like to write about darker, more sinister stuff. The spooky Halloween pop. So, it was easy for me to get on her brainwave and match her energy.
(Photo Credit: Natasha Austrich)
SH: Does your songwriting process differ when you work on a collaboration rather than a solo track?
ELLISE: Definitely. Even if it's not a collaboration—like if I'm writing with other songwriters—it's a different vibe. I love collaboration, and I think it's one of the biggest keys to success, especially in this industry.
I always love working with others because everyone bounces ideas back and forth. Someone will say something that you never even thought to say. It's all those different perspectives in one room. And it makes a song have more depth and strength.
At the same time, I enjoy writing alone, particularly when I'm going through something that is deeply emotional and personal. At a certain level, I am shy, and I don't always feel comfortable sharing my deepest, darkest secrets with other people in the room. So, it can be therapeutic to just sit on my bed, pull out my Notes app, play a loop on the piano and write everything. I won't care about structure or melodies—I just need to get the words out. And then, once I have the lyrics, I can format it into an actual song.
SH: You mentioned it earlier—you have a very distinct and consistent aesthetic. Do you feel like it's a genuine extension of yourself? Or is it more like an alter ego?
ELLISE: It's a mix of both. You can see me right now. I'm not dressed in goth clothes every day, doing crazy, evil things. (Laughs.) It's definitely somewhat of an alter ego. But that alter ego formed from an extension of what type of media I consume and the artists I look up to.
As a kid, I was always interested in horror. I loved horror movies, and I loved artists who talked about the darker, tougher subjects. And I grew up a bookworm. My mom would punish me by taking my books away.
Femme fatale, horror and the darker stuff are things I can't implement into my everyday life as Ellise, but I can implement it into my music.
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SH: Do you ever have a piece of media that exists as a representation or mindset of whatever song you're working on?
ELLISE: Yes, and it's different for every song.
For "Pretty in the Dark," I was inspired by The Craft. We wanted the visuals to be similar to that film. All the witchy vibes.
For my last song, "Black Balloons," the inspiration was so random. I was watching a movie called The Black Phone, and the antagonist had a huge bouquet of black balloons. I was like, "That would be a cool song title." So, I said, "Let's make a screwed-up, crazy birthday song and call it 'Black Balloons.'"
SH: What's next after "Pretty in the Dark?"
ELLISE: I'm working on a Halloween EP. It's something I've done a few times—I did it in 2018, 2019 and 2021. I decided to do another one this year, and I'm very excited for it. I think it's going to be my best Halloween EP yet.
The songs are a lot more mature. They're sexier, more empowering, whereas in the past they were more like, "I'm sad. I'm heartbroken. I'm a victim."
SH: This time, it's like a Halloween party anthem.
ELLISE: Yes, exactly!
SH: How has this current era been different than the making of your debut album, Chaotic?
ELLISE: I learned a lot through Chaotic. When you do anything big for the first time, it's a learning curve and experience. There is a lot of trial and error.
Chaotic took years before I put it out because I was cycling through different songs, finding my sound, thinking I had the album and scrapping it. So much indecisiveness.
As I'm making my next project, that whole process of trial and error and trying to get the right thing has been a lot less crazy and intense. I have a much better sense of the direction I want to go, and it's come to me a lot more naturally.
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SH: Since you've been working in the music industry for over a decade now, do you think your relationship with music has changed?
ELLISE: At the end of the day, music is a passion. It's a hobby. It's an art. When you work in the music industry, it becomes your job and source of income, and there is a lot more pressure compared to someone who does it for fun.
Honestly, it made me a little bit jaded. It kind of messed with my head because I had been dealing with so much on the industry side. I started to get really uninspired and went through writer's block.
Within the last year, I've left that place, which I'm very thankful for. I've connected with it again.
(Photo Credit: Natasha Austrich)
SH: It's probably a lot more exciting going into this next project.
ELLISE: Yes, absolutely.
I have a whole new team. I'm an independent artist, which I'm so happy about. I have really good people around me. A great boyfriend, great friends and family. In my personal life, I'm in such a better place now than I was before, and it's allowing me to be excited about what I'm doing and making. In the past, there was so much pressure and going that I never had a second to stop and enjoy the moment.
SH: This year, you also performed at your first-ever headlining shows. How was that? Any more stops in the making?
ELLISE: Headlining was amazing. It was a dream.
I remember I was sitting in the green room, asking my friends to go outside and see if there was anyone there. I was so scared no one would come. But the second I went on stage, all the nerves went away. It gave me the touring bug.
The best part was being able to meet my fans in person. That's something I haven't had the opportunity to do very often. It was really, really surreal to hug and speak to the people who are like, "I love your music."
Nothing is solidified right now, but I would love to tour in the fall and the beginning of next year!
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