Indie Folk from Elise McQueen

Coming out of the indie folk pop scene of West London, 21-year-old newcomer Elise McQueen is rapidly making a name for herself. Initially gaining traction on TikTok, Elise has transitioned from social media sensation to a promising independent artist.

With a deep musical lineage inspired by her father’s vinyl collection, her sound pays homage to legends like Joni Mitchell, Tracy Chapman,and early Adele. Yet, her songwriting and production style resonates with contemporary influences such as Maggie Rogers and Clairo.

Elise’s official debut came with the single “Waiting in the Wings,” released in early March, produced by Scott Verrill of the band Good Neighbours. This marked the first steps of her journey as a recording artist and has already struck a chord with scores of fans around the world. Additionally, her collaboration with Isabella Summers, known for her work with Florence and The Machine and creating scores for Netflix’s Devil in Ohio and the upcoming Lisa Frankenstein, highlights Elise’s versatility and expanding sonic repertoire.

Building on the success of her debut, Elise McQueen’s sophomore single “In Her Place,” produced by Melo Nada, continues to showcase her evolving artistic vision. The track explores the raw vulnerability and insecurity of feeling overshadowed by a past relationship, a theme that many can relate to and Elise distils the topic with a graceful vulnerability that shines in her songwriting and vocal delivery.

Written a year ago during a particularly turbulent period in Elise’s life, “In Her Place” reflects the emotional struggle of comparing oneself to a former partner of a loved one. Initially penned as an acoustic demo, the track underwent a significant transformation in the studio. Under the guidance of Melo Nada, “In Her Place” evolved into a more upbeat, pop-inspired song while retaining its melancholic lyrical essence and folk inspired origins.

Brought in by Elise’s delicate vocal leads hovering above soft acoustic guitar, the downtempo indie folk sound lulls the audience with blissful melodies and poignant lyricism. Building with the subtle punch of percussion, the arrangement builds with layers of guitars and piano that wrap around Elise’s alluring vocal performance as she spins elegant yet catchy melodic leads, resulting in a truly charming song that floats between stripped back, dreamy verses and lofty, anthemic choruses that showcases the stunning sound of this exciting new artist who continues to go from strength to strength as a solo artist.

Commenting on the single, she shares, “In Her Place is about the ways in which a past relationship lingers in a current one, creating the feeling that I’ve taken the place of somebody else.”

Listen to In Her Place below

Photography credit: Amelia Hawes

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