Visit Liz Fanora Jones: http://www.lizfanorajones.com and follow her
Visit Ellow: http://www.ellow.nl and follow
Read the interview and listen to their music!
Where did you grow up?
Liz: I grew up in a beautiful town right along the Missouri River, in Chamberlain, South Dakota.
Rik: I will never grow up! But i've spent my childhood in a small town called Someren in the south of the Netherlands.
Eline: I’ve been born in the same small town in Someren as Rik, and I’ve grown up there too. But I must say we haven’t met there. Our childhoods were quite different.
Can you tell us about your musical background?
Liz: Music has been constant in my entire life. I began making up songs and singing since before I can remember. I remember the day my Mom asked if I wanted to start piano lessons; I was 7 years old and I was excited because I thought that singing was fun so piano must be really fun also. But I had no idea how much having those piano lessons would shape my entire life. I was really fortunate to have access to a great music program and amazing teachers all throughout my schooling. I pursued flute lessons in band and was first chair flutist in high school, and probably started “closet” songwriting with voice and piano in junior high. I never told anybody I wrote songs, not even until my second year in music school at CalArts, because I was always too embarrassed. But it was my third year at CalArts that I really embodied my art, I switched majors from voice to musical arts, which was a more open, build-your-own-program kind of a major. I studied world music from Indonesia, Africa, Bulgaria, and North India and I also studied songwriting. It was really the support I received at CalArts, along with the fact that I had been trained how to be a musician from the years I spent in lessons as a child, that allowed me to become the musician I am today.
Eline: I started singing in a choir when I was about seven years old. I was inspired by my dad. He was a singer in a blues rock band and he had a rehearsal room at my grandparent’s home. Here I could try out all kind of different instruments, like the keyboard, the drums and of course the microphone. At my other grandparent’s home there was a piano. My grandmother played and sang, directed a choir and also was a big influence on me. When I was about twelve years old we got her piano, because she was over 80 years old and couldn’t play that well any more. I started my piano lessons at that age. Began singing lessons at 15 and went to music school when I was 18.
Rik: At age 15 I got my first bass guitar and gained a lot of stage experience playing in several punk, hardcore and metal(core) bands for over 10 years. My dad plays guitar so i've always had a couple of those at my disposal. And Eline helped me a lot when started playing organ and piano about 2 years ago.
Can you remember the first time you decided you wanted to be a musician?
Liz: Always always always. It may have been my “secret dream” for a lot of my life, but it was when I was 21 years old that I decided to let go of all of my fear around it and really just go for it!
Eline: I always wanted to make music. Since I was little. Since I saw my dad on that stage and heard my grandmother play her piano.
Rik: Haha, good one! Let's see if i can locate that picture of me as a baby with a beautiful handmade Ibanez Musician on my lap! But it made me cry instead of the other way around. ;-)
Liz and Eline, at what age did you start singing?
Liz: I started taking voice lessons with my piano teacher when I was eleven. But I was always singing for as long as I can remember!
Eline: You’d have to ask my mother, I don’t really know. But I started singing with the choir when I was seven years old.
How many instruments do you play?
Liz: I always have to count: piano, acoustic guitar, voice, flute, ukulele & cajon (those are all the ones I would say that I play seriously) But I’m also learning how to play mandolin, bass, electric guitar, and the accordion!
Rik: About 6 I guess?
Eline: What he means to say is that we will play any instrument you put in our hands. Even if it’ll sound crappy :P just kidding of course. Riks main instrument is the bass and mine is the piano. But I must say, we’re getting pretty good with the ukulele. So I’d also say ‘about 6 I guess’ (counting piano, bass, drums, guitar, percussion, organ).
Which artist(s) inspired/inspire you in your life and what genres of music do you listen to?
Liz: I have always been inspired by badass female artists like Regina Spektor, Amy Lee, and Amanda Palmer and I draw a lot of inspiration from The Beatles and also classical artists such as Beethoven and Debussy. I love listening to other singer songwriters as well and was really inspired by a lot of the other artists I met at CalArts, such as Bianca Gisselle, Mischa Mandel, Tom Hatfield, and Anthony Starble to name a few, whom you should definitely check out! It was actually my friend Tom who introduced me to the music of Pomplamoose, which later led me to more amazing songwriters such as Lauren O’Connell, Julia Nunes, Danielle Ate The Sandwich, Ryan Lerman, and, of course, Jack Conte and Nataly Dawn. I love listening to indie dance music, and I’m currently super inspired by Avan Lava, Atlas Genius, Noah and the Whale, Beirut, and Chairlift.
Eline: That’s a tough one. From my childhood, a singer that always stayed with me was K.D. Lang, but I don’t listen to her any more. My musical taste was horrible when I was a child. From Spice Girls to Five and then a switch to Linkin Park and Papa Roach. Oops.. Now I have three musicians I must say that have my deepest respect; Matthew Bellamy of Muse, Amy Lee of Evanescence and Norah Jones.
Rik: Jessy Buglione of the band Lagwagon was a big inspiration, just as their singer Joey Cape. It ranges from punkrock to classical music. I don't care, as long as it sounds good!
Rik & Eline, how did you meet?
Eline: I was for about three years in a band called ‘Edgar’ with this guitarist called Menno. This band split up when I was about 24. A few years after that, he called me again. He found a bassist he wanted to make some music with and he asked me if I was interested in joining them. That bassist was Rik. Sadly that formation fell apart and we went our own ways.
When did you decide to create a group?
Rik: Pretty quick after that. I had some songs and needed a singer. But since I didn't want a real band I asked Eline. We just started to make videosongs inspired by Pomplamoose. And we are enjoying this course ever since!
Who chose the name "Ellow" and why?
Rik: Well, the working title for the songs I had was Ellow. It basically means nothing more than "Hi!" or in slang "What's up bro!?"
Eline: And I liked the sound of it. It was like saying hello to our viewers only with the name of our band.
I fell in love with Eline's voice. Did she immediately established herself as the lead singer of Ellow?
Eline: Aaawh. Alain you make me blush. Like Rik said. He already started working on some songs and needed a singer. So that automatically made me the lead singer. But… We just finished writing a song that Rik will sing, so I have to say that we don’t need to conform to this standard form of making music. I let Rik sing too :p or something that sounds like it.
Who wrote the lyrics to your songs?
Eline: It changes per song, but mostly we both have given our input on the lyrics.
Rik: We both do. I normally come with an almost complete song as a canvas and we start moving things around. Changing or completely rewriting lyrics.
Liz, As a music teacher and musician, how many songs have you recorded and written?
Liz: I’ve written dozens and dozens of songs, but not every song is actually worth being recorded or even written in the first place… But every song is an expression of art, and recording gives me a chance to share them! I’m fairly new to recording, but I’ve so far released a few singles and I’m excited to be working on an album currently (release date TBA!)
Eline: I will also start teaching this Tuesday ^^ pretty excited actually ;)
What/whom inspires your lyrics?
Liz: My lyrics are always inspired by life, and I realized that if I want to write good lyrics, I have to remain inspired in my life always. So I like to go to shows, see good movies, and write about my own life experiences and relationships. Also, I just love listening to lots and lots of music!
Your song 'I Love to be with you’ is very often shared on my page, it was covered by Nataly Dawn (from Pomplamoose). How did you meet?
Liz: I’ve been following Pomplamoose since college, my friend Tom was the first who showed me a few videos of theirs on YouTube, and they inspired me to continue making my own YouTube videos! I love their music and I supported Nataly’s Kickstarter to fund her debut album and in return she covered my song, which was basically a dream come true. I first met Jack and Nataly in person when I saw their show in San Francisco back in 2012, which was one of the first shows I went to after I moved in Sonoma. They are really awesome people.
Rik: May I add that I absolutely love that song and the way Nat and Ryan covered it! It must be so cool to have THEM to cover one of your tunes!!! Go Liz! Go Liz! :-)
Eline: Yeah I love that song too Both your and Nataly’s version. It’s basically the same song, but they really changed a lot. Liz, what did you think of that? Do you love their version too?
Liz: Haha, thanks guys! I’m glad you like it! I was completely stoked when I first heard their cover. I had no idea how different they were going to make it, but I absolutely loved it! It reminded me of 1980s music (which I completely love) and I was super stoked that Ryan and Nataly worked together on it! Ryan Lerman’s music is so amazing, and I’ve also been really inspired by his album Pinstripes, The Sky.
The cover: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2uAAm6CyT4
Did you ever think about handing one of your songs to another artists?
Liz: I’ve indeed thought about it! But mostly, I just love to collaborate!
How did Liz and Ellow met?
Eline: I think Rik got bored and started talking to Liz. She was just crazy enough to talk back ;)
Liz: Haha, basically! I met Rik and Eline through Patreon, which always just blows my mind. I’m so excited to be a part of the amazing community that is Patreon and I just love how it brings artists together. I also met Liz McBride (who I did my Christmas video with this year) on Patreon!
Who proposed the idea of a common video and who decided to cover a Pomplamoose song?
Rik: Liz was being really annoying and kept asking if we would do a collab so we finally said okay… haha, no just kidding! It came up when talking about videosongs and thought it would be a nice idea to team up. And since we all play a wide range of instruments it took more time to figure out who was going to play what than figuring out which song we would cover. So no fights! Haha, just long enthusiastic email conversations!
Eline: I saw the whole conversation after it was decided we would do a collab, but of course I couldn’t say no any more ;) or else my kneecaps would be busted. Just kidding (what are we, a duo of standup comedians now.. we have to keep our sarcasm in check Rik…) No Rik kept me posted and I love the idea they had. Of course it had to be a Pomplamoose song, they are such an inspiration to us. I was so happy Liz wanted to do a song from them too. Bust your kneecaps was my favorite but it was Liz that proposed that song.
Liz: We collectively decided that it would be awesome to collab and Pomplamoose was our first choice of a band to cover, almost as an homage to them. “Bust Your Kneecaps” was always a favorite of mine!
How was the recording for the duo and who made the final video?
Liz: The recording process was really fun! Rik would send me tracks to work with, and I’d record my parts and email them back! Rik ended up mixing and editing the final video, which was rad! Computer issues slowed the collab down a bit, but nothing can stop us! ;-)
Eline: We divided the instrumental parts (this came almost naturally, only I just had to do the drums, this was something I haven’t done before) and just started with the basics. Layer over layer we recorded our individual parts, with little comments to each other through the video’s. Mixing and editing the videosong was kind of a mess. With computers crashing and projects becoming corrupted. Liz had a lot of patience. Love her for that. Because that part of the project was Rik’s part. I think he still has nightmares.
Rik: I still wake up screaming in the middle of the night
Eline: That would be around 5AM for us.. ‘round 9pm for Liz.. I think.. The time difference was a head breaker too…
Rik: But worth it!
Liz, thanks to the pictures you mailed me, you have become the symbol of my pages. You may be the most watched singer with specs. How does all this attention feel?
Liz: I’ve always been so honored to be featured on Girl Singers With Glasses. So many of the artists on the page are so amazing! I just feel so blessed to be able to share my art and people actually watch it and support it! It feels amazing!
Liz and Eline, are your specs a complex or an asset? Has my page changed your opinion of glasses?
Liz: My glasses are definitely an asset, I’m legally blind without them (-5.75 prescription in both eyes!) It’s kind of funny, because when I was little, i really liked the look of glasses, I thought they made you look smarter, and most of my family had glasses. So I BEGGED to be able to get glasses! I didn’t really need them at first, but I think I may have forced my own prescription to get worse over the years. I do love my glasses, but I sometimes wear contacts as well.
Eline: I must say it did change my opinion. I hated my glasses. When you interviewed me earlier (july last year; Ellow) I told you briefly about the necessity of my glasses and injuring my good eye. Between the ages of 12 and 22 I didn’t need my glasses and was so happy. Because of that injury I now can’t do without and my bad eye is too weird for contacts. And sometimes I hate that.
Have you discovered singers through my page? If yes are there any, in particular, you may wish to work with?
Liz: It would be a dream come true to work with Danielle Ate The Sandwich! Her lyrics are hilarious and amazing and I love her videos!
Eline: I think they are all very talented. I love to see all those girls with different backgrounds and so many different glasses. I would love to work with any of them. When I have time, I listen to them and watch their video’s. There is one singer with glasses as an icon I loved before I knew of your blog, but I don’t know if you added her to your list: Melody Gardot.
If there was a international tour called "singer's with glasses," would you be honored to attend it?
Liz: That would be an AWESOME tour! Yes!
Rik: I'd buy glassed right away! Or maybe you should start a fb page: Male bassplayers without glasses? That would be an instant success! No? Dammit! Haha!
Eline: Of course! But I think there are many singers with glasses that sound very different. Do they fit together on a tour, I would wonder.
Rik: That would make the tour a lot more interesting. Especially if they started doing things together.
How important is your overall appearance?
Liz: Appearance is something that should never matter. I’m all about natural beauty and I think that all women who feel pressured to have a certain appearance don’t need the extra stress that it assumes. Love your body without judgement is what I always say!
Eline: Uhm.. not that important. I mean.. I shower and eh.. use makeup.. and so on.. but I don’t spend houuuuurs in front of the mirror. And I only go to the hairdresser once a year or something like that.
Do you have a web site to publicize your music and can you give us the main links?
Ellow (Eline and Rik):
http://www.ellow.nl
http://www.youtube.com/ellowband
http://www.patreon.com/ellow
Liz:
http://www.lizfanorajones.com
http://lizfanorajones.bandcamp.com
http://www.patreon.com/lizfanorajones
https://soundcloud.com/lizfanorajones
What plans do you have for 2014?
Rik: Record an EP, play some cosy shows, have fun, drink wine, be happy :-) At the moment we are working on some demo's for the new ep that will be released this year and a show we will play in the foyer of a theater this March. It will be something different than the livingroom shows we did earlier.
Eline: And don’t forget the Garden Sessions (or something like that). Like the Livingroomshows, but in the garden hehehe. Just.. keeping busy I guess.
Liz: Release a lot of original songs and make tons of videos on Patreon! I’m also planning on playing some shows, in person and on the internet via StageIt!
You posted the same video on your channel so which video would you prefer I post at the bottom of the interview? ;)
Rik: The one with the lowest amount of views. At the moment it's the video on liz her page with 150 views so it'd be the wisest choice.
English translation: Nina Sarenka Rud
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