We caught up with singer songwriter and producer Ellie Dixon ahead of her headline gig at Deaf Institute on Monday 2nd October…
Introduce yourself! Where are you from and how did you get into music?
I’m from Cambridgeshire and music has always been a part of my life. I started learning piano when I was 7 and I’ve always been in school choirs, but I started taking it seriously when my dad downloaded some music production software on the family computer when I was about 13. I fell in love with making music, took music at school, started singing lessons, and then slowly evolved into writing and performing my own songs around my town, and I’ve never stopped since!
Who are your main influences and how have they impacted your writing?
When I started out writing songs I was very influenced by folky singer songwriters like KT Tunstall, Ben Howard and Suzanne Vega. As I’ve grown up I’ve become more influenced by alt-pop, jazz and hip hop artists like Remi Wolf, Still Woozy, Doja Cat and Anderson .Paak. They’ve manifested in my musical sense of humour, bassline-driven writing, and love for rhythm.
You’ve just finished a pretty busy festival season – how was it? What was your favourite performance and why?
It’s been amazing! The stages have been such a step up this year and I’ve learned so much as a performer. I love festivals because everyone is so relaxed and crowds are up for anything – it makes shows extra fun. My stand-out performance this summer had to be Glastonbury. It was my first time at the festival and such a bucket list performance. And the tent completely packed out for my set! Dream come true.
You released your EP ‘In Case of Emergency’ back in July. What was the creative process behind this?
I wrote all the songs in my bedroom, and I think you can really feel the intimacy of that. All the tracks on the EP are deep-dives into my brain and how I process my emotions, and they were all written during times when I was struggling with something. It’s really a form of therapy sitting at my desk and letting my brain explode with everything I’ve been feeling. You can also feel the fun in the writing process. I sampled loads of random objects from my kitchen, from my desk, etc. and really let myself get lost in these fantasy musical worlds.
What is your dream venue to play and why?
I think the Royal Albert Hall would be a very special place to play. I love beautiful venues and theatre-style shows always feel very interesting because there’s a blend between music and drama.
Are you working on anything new at the moment?
HELL YES. I’ve got a lot of new music coming that I’m really proud of. It’s some of my most vulnerable songwriting and I’m taking my time to really craft them. I can’t wait to expand my musical world and really show more sides to me and my music.
- How are you feeling about your headline gig at Deaf Institute on 2nd October? What can we expect?
I can’t wait for my show! It’s my first headline show in Manchester, and every support show I’ve played there has always been such good energy. This tour show is really special and I’m doing some new things I’ve never done live before. There’s some powerful moments, some really funny moments, and I think people are going to leave having really seen a show.