Digging Deep with Elliot Lee
Interview by Lexie Dopwell
Graphic by Emily Lantzy
Haven’t heard the name Elliot Lee yet? Well, get ready, because that’s about to change – and you’ll be kicking yourself for not having gotten to know her before all of your friends do. With over a million Spotify streams under her belt already, the spunky alt-pop princess possesses a personality that’s just as bright as her hair is, along with a passion for weaving the intricacies of being transparent about her mental health struggles into every song she releases. On what felt like the millionth Wednesday I had spent in quarantine, I had a chance to speak to Elliot about all things music, fashion, and Hello Kitty.
I stalked your Insta and saw that you covered Billie Eilish from your bedroom in 2017, and by the end of 2019, you had hit over a million streams on Spotify! Did you ever see this coming?
It’s always crazy to try to think of all of this objectively. Have you ever been really into a task, project, game, etc., and then when you sit up to stretch and yawn, you realize you’ve been working for an entire day without eating or drinking and it only felt like a few minutes? Maybe that’s just me haha, but that’s how this has all felt. It’s like I was just having fun working on something I really enjoyed, and when I got up to make tea, it had been 3 years and I was signed to a label and verified on social media. I’m having a hard time getting back into the focusing phase right now because I'm busy taking in the view around me.
Your fans seem to be really sweet and super supportive of you. What’s the coolest thing one has done for you so far?
Whenever someone reaches out to me for advice in their life, or to just vent something they’re going through, it makes me feel like I have a purpose in my life. I’ve always felt like I was drifting around, pulled in whatever direction the people around me dictated, and just kind of grasping for motivators to keep me going. Having these people who feel comfortable talking to me about stuff that they don’t feel comfortable talking to anyone else about helps me stay afloat. I want to keep existing so I can keep being here for them.
How would you describe your personal aesthetic? To me, it seems like it’s a mix between kawaii and grunge, like a goth Hello Kitty.
I love that descriptor! I think my aesthetic is kind of like if Usagi from Sailor Moon grew up with Hot Topic. Streetwear really inspires me too!
You were a pre-med student, right? What made you decide to take the leap from being in college to focusing on music?
I went through a really low time in my life, both internally and externally, and I found myself grasping at reasons to keep existing. I had no outlet, because I felt like I didn’t deserve one. Then I sat down one day with my ukulele and started playing chords and just venting what was in my head while my iPhone voice recorder was rolling. It was like I had pulled the plug on a drain, and I couldn’t hold it all in anymore. So I just kept writing, and it became a lifeline for me. It wasn’t even really a matter of choice – after that, I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else with my life.
You get invited to the Grammys, but you only have an hour to get ready! What are you going to wear?
A “Sailor Moon” t-shirt, my cargo pants with giant pockets, (people who follow me on instagram will know what I mean haha) my crossbody bunny bag, my lolita cat ears, and whatever accessories speak to me that day! Also, I’d call my friend Sierra to come over and do my hair; she’s the one who dyes it for me.
What’s the coolest thing about being verified online? I’ve always wondered about that – are there any particular perks you’ve uncovered thanks to having a blue check?
There aren’t really any perks. For me, it just serves as a visual form of validation that what I’m doing is being acknowledged. I’m bad at internal validation; I always ask my loved ones for their support and love when I do pretty much anything.
I’ve heard that you moved around a lot as a kid. Did any places in particular stick out to you?
Hawaii made a huge imprint on my life! I lived there when I was a toddler, and my earliest and dearest memories are from there. It shaped my palate too; all of my favorite dishes and comfort foods are the ones I ate in Hawaii – spam musubi, macaroni salad, onigiri, and ramen are some faves.
If you could have people to listen to one song of yours to get to know you, which would you pick?
I would ask them to listen to “A Note,” because it’s the first song I ever wrote, and the production is unbearably bad, but if they can sit through it and understand what the lyrics mean, they will know all they need to know about me as a person. It’s somewhere on Soundcloud if you deep dive, I think, haha.
Do you like Brooklyn more than anywhere else you’ve ever lived?
I love New York; moving here felt like fitting into a puzzle piece. It feels like a home I never knew I had. Being able to finish work at 2 AM and go grab curry in Koreatown is an aspect of existence that I was missing for the first 20 years of my life.
What are some songs that you’ve been loving lately?
“Find an Island” by BENEE and “Level of Concern” by Twenty One Pilots!
What’s one random fact about you that no one really knows?
I was in Tae Kwon Do as a kid, and I broke a paver brick when I was in 4th grade!
Can we expect an album anytime soon?
I don’t have the attention span or patience to be able to keep myself from putting out songs long enough to compile an album haha. Also, I still use music as a means of venting, and putting a song out when I’m no longer feeling those feelings just doesn’t seem right to me. So, for now I’m going to keep releasing stuff whenever I think it needs to go into the world! But, I’m sure someday an album will feel right.
What are your go-to self-care activities?
Bullet-journaling and skin care! On days when I don’t have the motivation to do anything, I lay in bed and watch old episodes of my fave shows (like “Sailor Moon” or “Monk.”) That counts as self-care, right?
What color do you think you’ll dye your hair next?
Pink and blue again! But I think more blue this time. Maybe I’ll try some minty tones?
What’s one thing that you want your fans to know?
You are never, ever alone in what you are going through. Your feelings, experiences, thoughts, etc.; all of it is part of being human, and all of it is okay to talk about. I’m here for you if you ever feel like you have no one to open up to, and my music is here for you when I can’t be. We’re in this together, and we’ll make it through this together, no matter how long it takes.
Elliot Lee’s latest EP, GoodBadUgly, is available on streaming services now.