ELLE WINTER — GMARO Magazine | Fashion | Beauty

GMARO Magazine - Celebrity Edition Vol. 24 November 2022

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Singer / Songwriter / Actress - ELLE WINTER @ELLEWINTER

TikTok - ELLE WINTER @ELLEWINTERMUSIC

Photographer - DAE HOWERTON

PR - ICON PR @ICON_PR

What first got you into music?

My mom says I started singing before I started talking! I always loved music and performing. Growing up in NYC provided me with so many easily accessible opportunities to pursue my love of the arts, including acting, dance, and voice classes with such talented people. I was fortunate to connect with a musical director/band leader in NYC when I was 9 years old who became my “music dad”. We began writing and recording music together, and we would perform at venues in and around NYC including the Bitter End, one of my favorites. I realized at a young age that I loved performing for live audiences.

Who inspired you to make music?

I was so inspired by the strong, female artists I listened to growing up like Christina Aguilera, Beyoncé, Avril Lavigne, and Amy Winehouse. I was also influenced and super inspired by the female artists of the 60s, like Lesley Gore, Diana Ross, and girl groups like the Supremes and the Ronettes. These women broke boundaries and revolutionized the way in which women could use their voices and share their stories.

How would you describe the music that you typically create?

I create music that tells my own stories in an empowering, yet vulnerable way. My music, especially my new EP “Yes Please,” has a real retro quality that incorporates a lot of the musical elements I grew up listening to—live instruments and rich harmonies with an anthemic feel.

What is your creative process like?

I am inspired by my own life experiences, so I am always jotting down thoughts, ideas, and concepts throughout the day which I then bring with me into the studio to flesh out. I usually arrive at the studio with something in mind that I want to write a song about, but of course I’m always open to write about something else if the energy and creative mood is otherwise. Sometimes I am super inspired by just jamming out in the studio and developing a song concept based on the melodies we create at that moment.

Who would you most like to collaborate with?

I would love to collaborate with Meghan Trainor. I love her energy, she’s a vocal queen, and her fierce and sassy storytelling is so unique and powerful. I also love how she channels the 60s so authentically.

If you could go open a show for any artist who would it be?

I would love to open for Bruno Mars. He is an amazing artist and performer, and his music is uplifting and inspiring. Every performance he gives is so full of life and an extraordinary energy that is truly infectious. A tour with him would be one giant celebration of music which would be incredible to be a part of.

What has been the best performance of your career so far?

I have been fortunate to perform at so many different venues in many different cities across the United States. I have enjoyed so many of my performances whether it was with a small intimate crowd or for a larger audience. However, one of my favorite performances was my appearance on the Today Show on NBC. It was such a surreal experience for me. To sing live on the set of a national television show for the first time was an experience I will never forget.

How will you cope with being away from home for long periods?

I am currently living in LA and have unfortunately become used to living far away from my family who live in New York. I am in constant contact with them by phone, and I try to get home to New York or have them visit LA often. I know my mom and sister will visit me wherever my career takes me. I do miss my dog, Skye, dearly! She is an Australian Shepherd. I wish she could kiss me through FaceTime!!

What is one message you would give to your fans?

I would say thank you for listening to my music and giving me so much love and support! I feel so blessed to share my music and my stories and to be able to connect with all of you.

What is the best advice you’ve been given?

That once you create a plan B, you create a necessity for it! For me, I have always focused on having a career in music. There is no other path for me to pursue in life. I believe that when you give your all to whatever it is you are doing and believe in yourself, everything will work out. I have been so lucky to be able to follow my passion and work in music.

What is your favorite song to perform?

I love performing my song “Yeah, No”. It was released in March 2020 on my prior EP “Yeah, No”. The song is my anthem describing a breakup I had with an ex-boyfriend. Not only do I feel so empowered when I perform this song, but I can also feel how the song connects with the audience whenever I perform it.

What is your dream venue to perform at?

Growing up in NYC, Madison Square Garden has always been my dream venue to perform at!!

What’s your motto or some good advice that you live by?

That everything happens for a reason! I have learned over the years that when something may not seem to go my way, or I am disappointed in a situation, something else will happen that was meant to be for me. Sometimes when I lose one opportunity, I gain something better. Having a positive attitude and the ability to manifest a positive outcome has worked for me in my life.