Intentional Songwriting with Elena Erin

Recognized for her vibrant, creative flair, Canadian Alternative Pop sensation Elena Erin crafts a striking fusion of Alternative, Electronic, and Dance influences, underscored by her emotionally resonant storytelling. Her breakout single, “Build A Ship,” soared to #2 on the CBC Top 20, propelling her onto the international stage and inviting over four million streams across her repertoire. Elena Erin’s music has been on SiriusXM, across Canadian radio, and on blogs and podcasts around the globe. Likened to trailblazers such as Billie Eilish, Halsey, Gwen Stefani, and Cyndi Lauper, Elena Erin masterfully intertwines her sharp, introspective lyrics with intricately designed melodies.

Elena talked about her song What are you doing here? Download the lyrics to follow along.

We talked about:

• Why don’t movies look like *movies* anymore? video
• Overlapping your sung melodies between song sections
• Creating a melodic and rhyhmic hook
• Highly structured vs. loose narrative melodies
• Album songs vs. singles
• Learning from other songwriters to explore new technqiues
• Developing a song over many stages