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Hi Eli, welcome to VENTS! How have you been?
I’ve been good! Excited for my new album and getting back on tour again soon.
Can you talk to us more about your latest single “I Wanna Tell You”?
One of the fastest songs I’ve ever written. Just started with three chords and a strumming pattern and the words and melody just poured out. I imagined singing not just to a past lover but to my past self, and explaining to both that I am a different person now.
Did any event in particular inspire you to write this song?
Age. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized there are places and people I can’t go back to, no matter how much I’ve romanticized them or think I want to. It just hit me one day: those windows are closed, and I can look back but I can’t join in – and that’s absolutely ok and for the better.
Any plans to release any sort of video for the track?
Yes! Got the lyric video coming and already in the works for a full feature music video – it’s going to be full on awesome.
The single comes off your new album True North – what’s the story behind the title?
True North is the fourth installment of my Four Directions album series which is inspired from my time as a middle school teacher on the Navajo Nation in northern Arizona. I learned about the four directions during my time there and wanted to honor the people and places that taught me so much about myself, so it became the framework for my entire music career up until this point.
How was the recording and writing process?
Transformational. Working with Taylor Rigg was a deeply powerful creative experience as we used all live instrumentation on these songs. Building the tracks with banjo, piano, mandolin, electric guitar, drums, fiddle, brass, was a truly special process and I couldn’t be happier with the full organic sounds of these sincere and personal songs.
As the final installment of this series its been going on for a while – did you approach this as a standalone record or like the final piece, you retrieved back to themes you’ve been exploring so far?
Both actually! Two songs on the album are songs from my past that I’ve reworked with Taylor, and two are brand new tunes, with the fifth song being like a coda on the entire project. I definitely got teary eyed when I heard them all together as one EP, and can’t wait to listen to them all within the context of the overall 20-song project.
What aspect of the indigenous traditions did you get to explore on this record?
Reflection, harmony, and balance are the main themes of True North – as north is the fourth and final direction in the four-directional cycle and connects with night and the color black. It’s an important stage right before renewal where one looks back at what has been accomplished, absorbs the lessons learned and wisdom gained, before continuing on the path.
Where else did you find the inspiration for the songs and lyrics?
The world slowed down when I was writing and recording True North. I don’t know if that will ever happen again in my lifetime. It was a weird and trying time in my life, but allowed me to go on a deep dive into myself and the things I truly care about. I struggled with themes of change, what happiness looks like, and who I am becoming in this next stage of my life – and it was an intense and beautiful experience that I can’t wait to share with the world.
What else is happening next in Eli Lev’s world?
I’m currently working on a male-female harmony infused duo project called ‘Wild Whispers’ with Megan Leigh. We’ve got three singles out already and are currently working on a full length album with our favorite Nashville producer, Ben Reno.
Getting back on the road so I can perform these songs live for my community is also a top priority, so I’m excited to share some upcoming national and international tour dates soon.
Stream here: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/elilev1/i-wanna-tell-you
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