What is your name? 
Elisa Nicolas

What is your genre of music?
Reality Pop

Give us a little bio about you.
I’m a Canadian-born, Ohio-based multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter. I’ve been writing and recording a bunch of styles including rock, jazz, country, pop, and R&B for almost three decades now. These days I spend almost as much time recording other musicians as I do working on my own stuff. I enjoy it all.

What made you go into music?
Music was one of the priorities in my house growing up. My mother, brother and I all played piano and my sister played the violin. We were all involved with lessons or city orchestra practice or marching band. At some point, my Dad brought home a guitar. It wasn’t long before that was all I really wanted to do.

Who are your influences?
Rickie Lee Jones, Aimee Mann, Jonatha Brooke, Everything But The Girl, Sam Phillips, and everything I’ve ever heard and everyone I’ve ever played with.

Are you signed?
Is that still a thing? No, I’m happy as an independent artist.

Your new single ’No Answers’, tell us more about the single.
I’d had the seed of this particular chord progression for weeks, but couldn’t exactly finish the rest. I finally put down what I thought was a working form, but it still didn’t sound quite right. I love orchestral strings so I wrote some counterpoint to the guitar. Then I had to get it edited down to single length because I’m never thinking about a single when I’m writing and recording. Which is one of the benefits of being independent.

What is the meaning behind the single?
Ah, the question every songwriter dreads! The lyric speaks for itself, hopefully. We ask a lot of questions of our partners and sometimes they don’t have the answers. My own concept of what a song’s about can change over time and my hope is that listeners can take their own meaning. That’s one of the things I love about music.

Who did you work with on the single?
I was lucky enough to have some seriously world-class musicians on this album, which was a real treat and privilege. On No Answers, Jeff Ciampa produced and played bass. He also helped with the editing. The amazing singers Nikki Wonder, Megan Palmer, Cathy Wicks and Jason Quicksall did the harmonies. Tony McClung did the drumming and Josh Hill played electric and Thomas Bryan Eaton played the pedal steel.

Describe the track in two words.
Epic Misunderstanding

What was the writing and recording process like?
I feel so lucky to have such talented friends and even more lucky that they all said yes when I asked them to play. There were some logistical challenges doing it during a pandemic, but everyone involved is such a pro that it was honestly a joy. I was wrote a basic framework in my studio on acoustic guitar and then added a string and woodwind tracks.  I sent files to Thomas and Megan in Nashville and they added guitar and vocals, in their respective studios. I really left everyone to their own devices more than I normally do, which sometimes took things in interesting and unexpected directions, like that epic pedal steel slide at the front of the song. All Thomas Bryan Eaton.

Will see a music video for ‘ No Answers’, what will the creative process be like? 
That is actually still in the planning process. Hopefully it will be done by the time this goes to print.

Will we see an EP or Album and if so, what can we expect from it?
Year Of The Locust is an album in the traditional sense – fits easily on two vinyl sides. I hope the album sets a mood with the songs and there’s plenty of ear candy in there to keep it interesting for folks who like to listen closely. It’s easily the most fun I’ve had working on a record.

What else can we expect in 2021?
Well, hopefully a fair amount of touring if we can get on top of this pandemic. A lot of the stuff I’m recording for other artists will likely be released as well. I’ve been writing original music for a documentary series called La Gente de la Tierra about indigineous Peruvian peoples. And I’m just finishing work on a record for a band out of Toledo called Luddite.

Where do you see yourself now in 5 Years?
Recording, writing, performing, experiencing.

What quote or saying do you always stick by?
I do have a favorite quote. It’s from dancer Martha Graham.  When I start second-guessing myself during the creative process or comparing my work to someone else’s I remember this quote. “There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost.”

When you are at a gig, what are 5 things you cannot forget? 
Guitar, tuner, setlist, lipstick, and my bottle of water.

Do you have social media accounts so your fans can follow you?
I do!
Instagram
Twitter
Facebook