Lopez Blogs

The grey skies of London sparkled a little brighter on Saturday night when Elouise bought her live show to the capital. Produced by the wonderful Steve Anderson, it was destined to be a fine introduction to the powerful and emotive vocal stylings of Elouise and a reminder that voice and performance is still important and needed in the world of pop music; a flashback to times when Judy, Shirley, Dusty et all would simply take to the stage and command a presence from start to finish. A full set list is available on Steve Anderson's blog (I remain quite pleased that recently when I sent Elouise a list of musicals songs she should one day cover, I had inadvertantly guessed one which made this list!) and it's hard to imagine any other contemporary singers who could perform these songs in one sitting and make it seem so effortless and engaging. There's epic balladry in there, but it's mixed in with danceable delights (One Night Only, Could It Be Magic, Xanadu) and delicious campery (Fireman Of My Dreams). For those that weren't there, I'm sure videos will pop up at some point on youtube - in the meantime, sample clips at Elouise's various webpages. Stardust Melodies EP should be available in October to add to your collection :)

I got the opportunity to ask Elouise some questions a few weeks back - here's what she had to say :)

So Stardust (the song) has just aired on Larry Flick's morning show - it seems like it's part of a much bigger musical landscape happening yet works well as a tune on it's own (i'm thinking of songs like Copacabana and Cabaret...) Does it set a template for the theme of your next Ep/forthcoming album?

You know I love Copacabana! Well I think the track ‘Stardust’ is one on it’s own. It sums up everything about Stardust in a song. The big musical production, the big voice, and it introduces the way for my own stardust melodies to follow on the EP. The next EP will be all covers, as well as ‘Stardust’ I have taken on two of the greatest melodies/anthems of all time, and these two songs are very much the powerful torch epics that I think people expect from me, although they’re so big I’m a little nervous about everyone’s response to these great classics!

It's also tinged with a sadness and pathos, that is offset by the sheer power and determination in your voice, matched with that gorgeous brass section which really brings it to life. Was the brass section there when you recorded the tune and do you draw on any experiences to bring out the emotion in your voice?

I always draw on my own personal experiences when I record and I always put every bit of emotion that I can into them. One of the songs is very personal to me and my family, and I put so much emotion and drama into it when recording that I nearly passed out!!!! (Although this was probably because I was hungry, and after a big bowl of pasta I was fine!)

I actually found the recording of ‘Stardust’ vocally challenging, as the vocal is huge throughout! The brass section wasn’t there when I recorded the track no. Once the vocal was down myself and Steve Anderson listened back to it, and Steve said it needs real brass!!!! So he made a few phone calls and pulled in the Kylie brass section! How cool is that! I don’t think you can beat real brass, and I can just imagine this song with a full live band one day in a fabulous dress at The Royal Albert Hall! ;)

Stardust (the show) is due in just a couple of weeks now - and you've been tweeting the gowns, the shoes, the dance routines - which are you most excited about?

The gowns, no the dance routines, no the gowns! I don’t know, all of it! The dresses are more fabulous than ever, and I now have a choreographer so the dance routines are fabulous too!!!!

And can you tell people who are/aren't attending what the show will deliver? What's the ultimate goal for you in performing this concert?

The show hopefully will deliver a night of glamour and a rollercoaster of emotions. I want the show to be a spectacle and I want to draw people into my world for that short space of time. The show takes on a magic section, a diva section, a heartbreak section and a love section. I use some of the greatest songs of all time to explore these emotions and tell my own stories through the music of iconic women such as Dusty Springfield, Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand. I also have two wonderful girls with me on the night, who also get to sing and dance in ridiculously high shoes and sequins, and we perform numbers like ‘No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) & ‘You Don’t Own Me’ together! It’s lots of fun!!! Not to mention I have a bit of eye candy in the show too.... I have a special support act on the night, ‘City Gents’ (below). These four gorgeous men are a cross between Il Divo and Michael Buble, and their voices are simply gorgeous! I have sneakily borrowed the men for certain numbers in the show too..... without saying to much... BOND, FIREMAN, and SEQUIN HOTPANTS.... well that kind of says it all doesn’t it :/ ...!!!!!!

The ultimate goal for me with this show is to vocally get through it! Almost every song is a show stopper in Stardust and it will be a huge vocal challenge to take on! At the end of it all though, I want the night to be a success, I want the audience to have had a wonderful night, packed with high glamour, drama, tears, laughter, fairy cakes, and fabulous songs.

Last time we spoke, we discussed working with people like Terry Ronald and Steve Anderson. You are continuing to work with them - is there anyone else you are currently working with/would like to work with?

The track ‘Stardust’ was written by Hoagy Carmichael, and this version was originally recorded by The Three Degrees. Steve Anderson has produced all three tracks on the next EP, like ‘The Stardust EP’, and I really think we have completely found my sound now. Working with Steve is like a dream come true and I feel we are creating something really magical with the music now. I hope myself and Steve will go on to produce a hit album, and continue to work together and make all these Stardust dreams come true. Having Steve, Terry Ronald and my creative team behind me is all I need and I have no ambition to work with anyone else. Although I still want to do a duet with someone at some point….!

The response to your first EP of songs seems to have gathered you a really dedicated following and larry flick has been promoting you like crazy! Have you noticed a discernable change in life yet or is everything still plodding along nicely while you wait for the next stage of your singing career?

No, I am still spending my rent money on sequins..!!!! The support from Larry Flick on Sirius XM in New York has been really incredible though, and I feel extremely lucky to have him support my music and my ambitions. The fans that I have gained from the first EP have all been truly wonderful, and I will be forever grateful for this early support in my career. I cannot do this without you all and I treasure every one of you!

You don't fit into a traditional pop genre. You sort of transcend the trends to create a more timeless sound - you are more a chanteuse for the ages than perhaps the next Lady Gaga. Is this because this is the type of music you love/grew up on? Is there ever a temptation to just belt out a Bad Romance floorfiller?

Oh totally! I love Bad Romance! We actually had an idea to do a mash up of the song for the show, but there just wasn’t time amongst everything else!

I think my voice just lends itself to this genre of music that I am creating. I love powerful dramatic songs full of emotion that have a beautiful melody and strings soaring on them! I think this is why myself and Steve get on so well! I did have a collection full of Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler and Judy Garland when growing up! I think this probably started from my love of the musicals, and watching these fantastic women in films like ‘The Wizard Of Oz’, ‘Gypsy’, Funny Girl, ‘Meet Me In Saint Louis’. I’ve always been completely fascinated by them and their ability to move people through their performance, and it was something that I’ve always wanted to try and touch on in my performances.

How do you think your songs will fit in at radio? I think you have more of a sound that will sell a lot of albums rather than a lot of singles, but then again you only need a big Celine Dion-type ballad to launch a career...and a niche market can be incredibly lucrative in terms of dedicated fans craving your sound.

Absolutely. I have been working towards making this album happen for a long time now, and I am getting closer. If I could have a hit album one day that would be the dream come true. I think my sound will take some time to break into radio, but like you say all you need is that one song… have I got that song in the bag… maybe… ;)

Has it been hard to get to where you are currently at? Where you ever tempted to do Pop Idol/X Factor/A Song For Europe?! You could have been charting at 124 with That Sounds Good To Me!!

Oh my goodness can you imagine!!!!! I was actually asked to go and audition for Eurovision, but it seems they didn’t want the diva in the dress and the epic torch ballad after all… ;)

A few years ago I was tempted to go for Pop Idol, X Factor, yes… in fact before these shows all started I went for an audition. It was a long audition process all over the country and I was actually chosen for the band, but then after lots of discussions they decided they should have filmed the auditions, and we were all dropped, and then the launch of Pop Idol started, in which I did go back for but was turned away at the first audition. From this moment I knew how fickle the industry can be, and this gave me my determination to do this the hard way, and I feel I am now getting there.

I'm still obsessed with Fireman Of My Dreams - what's the reaction been like to that song? It's camp and funny and glorious all at once!

I know isn’t it! The reaction to ‘Fireman’ has been really great! I think people liked the subtle cheekiness of the song, and enjoyed hearing me sing something a little different. I’ll be performing ‘The Fireman Of My Dreams’ in Stardust, the audience might even get to see a real fireman’s helmet if they’re lucky…! ;)

So after Stardust the show - what are your plans then?

Well, I’ll be releasing my second EP, ‘Stardust Melodies’, and then hopefully working towards a single, and of course an album!!!! We also hope to try and get my show ‘Stardust’ on the road for a mini tour, so lots to do and be working on!

If you could do a cover version in your own style of any current (ish) song, what would you do and why?

Well, I’ve had ideas about covering a Britney song recently actually, something we might try in the future… There’s a few songs I’ve thought about covering actually, from Kylie to Skunk Anansie to Erasure! What cover would you like to hear me perform..? Maybe I’ll be able to do it… ;)

Well you know, I have a whole host of songs I'd like you to cover - in particular a musicals album. But most recently - hmmm, how about putting a female spin on Shame by Robbie Williams?! Right, what's currently on your iPod that you would recommend?

My ipod is currently taken up with songs from ‘Stardust’!! I do have a few others in there though, In fact Steve Anderson has got me into a wonderful artist called Rumer. Her voice is like Karen Carpenters, it’s really gorgeous soothing music, and I’m loving Katy Perry at the minute, she’s good fun.

Oh, I really like Rumer! I've written about her once, mainly because of Steve tweeting about her! Now, you've done a lot of Abba tribute concerts in the past - are you the AnniFrid or Agnetha?! And have you ever thought of recording one of their tunes for yourself? They certainly do heartbreak and sadness incredibly well (ditto Karen Carpenter) (note: I asked this question before Winner Takes It All had been announced as a recorded track! I'm two for two!)...

I feel like you can read my mind….!!!! Yes I have depped for a few Abba bands in the past, and I am an Agnetha not a Frida! I quite like being blonde actually for a short space of time!

As you will now be aware I have covered ‘The Winner Takes It All’! For me, this is one of the greatest pop songs ever written, the song has a beautiful melody and at the heart of it is an incredibly sad story. I wanted to try and give a piece of myself to this song and see if I could pay tribute to one of the greatest classic songs of all time. I am incredibly proud of the version myself and Steve Anderson have created, and I hope it honors the song. If you liked this song though, wait to you hear track 3 on the EP….!

and finally, what of Steve Anderson’s tracks would you cover?

You know I really love ‘Confide In Me’ but it has been covered twice now! I just love the opening musical production, it is like a Bond theme and I love it!!!!!! I don’t know, I would just like to sing my own song that Steve and myself have written one day.

Thanks Elouise for your time in answering these questions :)