Coming from the small and unassuming town of Halsted in Essex, UK, artist Ella Hayes has lived a life in stark contrast to the sleeping rural idyllic of her roots. During her twenties, she ended up on a downward spiral into alcoholism and drug addiction that resulted in her losing her home, family and almost her own life.
After reaching the painful lows of her turbulent life she managed to pull herself out of the depths of darkness and turn things around. Spending time in rehab, she had a new awakening and began a road to recovery that would see her use her new found drive for her artistic endeavours.
Bringing us her debut EP titled Colour Me In, she shares an intimate sonic reflection of her stormy path. Shining light on her journey from despair to hope, with the six original songs on her EP she spins a hopeful and optimistic sound wrapped up in her delightful indie pop sound.
Commenting on the EP, she offers, “I definitely think there’s a message in this record, I find my inspiration through my own experiences, and this EP is very personal to me. It’s about my battles with alcoholism and addiction. At the beginning of the first lockdown in 2020 I hit an all-time low but I’m glad to say that I’ve found recovery and today I’m in a really good place.”
Adding, “Writing this EP was a great way for me to just get it all out, everything that had been going on, everything that I was feeling at the time. So this record really covers the days of my drinking and using, but also the days of my getting better.”
With tinges of rock and blues and carried by her commanding vocal work, Colour Me In reveals a talented singer-songwriter and performer on a release that’s an inspiring testament to determination and self-belief. Weaving her own story into her writing, she lays down a stunning artistic work that perfectly conveys her pain and struggles across the EP which ebbs and flows through an emotive journey.
“I just hope that by sharing my experience that someone listening can relate to it and that it can help them to understand that addiction doesn’t have to be a life sentence. That there is life after addiction and that recovery is not only possible, but that it’s possible to go on and live happy fulfilled lives. If I can help people to see that, and believe that, then that’s a win for me,” Ella shares.
Listen to Colour Me In below
More from Music
Frannie B drops new single “Echo”
Based in Oxford, Frannie B has been making an impact in the UK music scene with a pop-focused sound that …
Brand new single from Nick Norton-Smith
London-based composer and multi-instrumentalist Nick Norton-Smith has built a decorated career across an unusually diverse musical landscape, moving between film, …
New full-length record from Divergent
While some musical ambitions take a little longer to find their moment, the journey for Iowa-based trio Divergent has been …
