Nicole Brice
Oct 23, 2024
Elle's impressive discography, with its lyrics of love, self-discovery, and resilience, is a testament to her growth in sound and lyrical depth.
When I was first introduced to Elle Hudson, better known as Elle H., I was instantly drawn to her magnetic personality and beauty. Elle is the type of woman that oozes confidence and sensuality while also being tough enough to kick your ass.
Well-loved and respected in the Lafayette, Louisiana, music scene for her artistic contributions and overall vibe, Elle H. is an electric force of female rage mixed with the sympathies and heart of art and life. A powerful voice for women with deep and personal lyrics, she wrote her first song at 6 years old and had the talent and drive even at an early age. After watching Kelly Clarkson perform on the first season of American Idol, she instantly knew she wanted to be on stage performing from that moment on, and she is currently on a path to make a name for herself in the ever-evolving music world.
Elle's impressive discography, with its lyrics of love, self-discovery, and resilience, is a testament to her growth in sound and lyrical depth. Her music tugs at your heartstrings. It makes you feel emotion; to me, that is the ideal formula for a musician to leave a lasting impression. Each energetic and captivating live performance of Elle’s is a chapter in her journey, entertaining her audience with her expressive vocals and authentic persona in a truthful, poetic, and angelic way. Her presence alone is so captivating that one is instantly drawn to the energy surrounding her, feeling a part of her journey.
At 13, she had a profound spiritual moment at a concert. This unbelievable feeling of life and energy overtook her, putting her in a trance for three days. Upon emerging from her trance, she started to have a more significant appreciation for life. Now, at 23, Elle has been writing and making music for over ten years without slowing down. By channeling her trauma into her art, she continues to craft poetic songs that exude female sexuality. We had the opportunity to sit down with this empowering female recently to chat about her music and more. Check out our conversation below, and then go down that rabbit hole and check out everything she has put out. I assure you that you will be a fan soon after.
MaM: Thank you for the honor of speaking with you today. What would you say is your driving force to make music?
Elle: I know how powerful music can be, how powerful honesty and transparency can be, and how lifesaving they are. I want to help people through my music. That’s why I do what I do.
MaM: When you saw Kelly Clarkson perform on American Idol, it made you realize your destiny. What other musical artists have influenced you?
Elle: Nina Simone, Gwen Stefani, Lzzy Hale, Nicki Minaj, Etta James … I like a little of everything, but I am drawn to powerful women. That’s the main thing.
MaM: Which genre of music would you say is your favorite? … or are you all over the board with music tastes, like me?
Elle: I love everything and plan to do a little of everything in my career, but I would have to say R&B is probably what I listen to the most. R&B is such a broad genre so that many topics can be discussed under that umbrella. I was actually part of a hip-hop collective for about four years.
MaM: I’m a huge fan of hip-hop, too. That’s awesome. I had no idea.
Elle: It’s a significant influence on who I am, and I also have hours' worth of original R&B and rap songs that I just haven’t gotten around to recording yet. I’m just going with the flow for now, though.
MaM: How would you describe your music for someone discovering it for the first time?
Elle: Well, it changes depending on the project. My slogan for the recent album has been Heartbreak Queens or Heartbreak Hot Girls. I am trying to redefine what it means to be a sexy, hot girl. I want people to know that radical authenticity is sexy, and that vulnerability is alluring. In a day and age where shallowness is sold to us through the media, I want to show that there is more underneath it all.
MaM: I really dig that. Your insight is refreshing.
Elle: I had to realize that once I got my woman body in the twenties, people would interact with me differently depending on how I was dressed. I realized that I could use my sex appeal to make you listen to me.
MaM: I know you dabble in burlesque, too. Tell us a little more about that.
Elle: I do. The burlesque was never anything I imagined myself doing, but it was an opportunity that I had happened upon, and it has inspired me. The dancers I have met along the way, too, have helped me to refine my craft. My burlesque side is more of an homage to the more secure and timid version of me because, honestly, there is a version of me out there that would have judged the hell out of me for doing this 100%. She was very conservative and scared of everything. So, on the one hand, it’s an homage to self, but it’s also a way for me to take control of this again … this fantasy that people have projected onto me. If you think I’m sexy when I feel I’m awkward, I’m gonna use that to my advantage.
MaM: Take us through a little of your musical history. You released the Introduction EP in 2017, correct? Was that the first recorded music you put out, or did you have something before that?
Elle: I have a few covers I recorded in the studio, too, but I’ve never released them. They were really more for me. That was my first project, though. I was about 15 years old when we started and 16 when it was released. I was actually given the studio time by my mom as a birthday gift.
MaM: So, after the Introduction EP, you released a series of singles and then came out with Symmetry.
Elle: 'Symmetry' is a whole other bag of rats.
(laughter)
Elle: So, my mom actually passed in June 2018, and this project initially had over six songs that were finished. After she passed, my life abruptly changed, so 'Symmetry' is really about my grieving process. I look at it as a dissolution of self. I questioned my spirituality. I questioned my identity. I even questioned my sexuality. I pushed a lot of people away because I was feeling so much. I tend to isolate until I feel better.
MaM: I do the same thing, so I can relate.
Elle: Right? I need to be able to break shit in my own comfort. I need to be able to scream if I want to scream and get it out of my body. You know what I mean? I need that space to feel, which is what 'Symmetry' was. The songs are an ode to my mom and our complicated relationship.
MaM: I think that it’s incredible you were able to channel those feelings into something spectacular. So, I noticed that you collaborate with some of the members of First Street Hooligans. I love that band so much. Tell us a little more about that.
Elle: So, Matthew Richard, lead singer and guitarist for the Hooligans, is my band's guitarist. I had just broken away from my hip-hop collective and felt drawn to the rock scene. I would jam with this band called Slightly Sour, which was a metal band. I was good friends with the drummer, Sebastian Elias. He then introduced me to some other people, and then I met Matt, and I showed him all the music I wanted to do. Matthew is very talented. I haven’t met many guitarists with the ear he has. I played him the beats that I had, and it kind of went from there. We decided to go under Elle H. or Elle H. and The Untitled. In the process of that, I met the rest of his band, and we all clicked really well. It was just a fun and laid-back collaboration that seamlessly came together.
MaM: That’s awesome. So, this next question, I always like to ask this question because I get some interesting answers, but tell us about your best and worst shows so far.
Elle: So, this one show, I had this heckler. Elle H. and The Untitled were supposed to play, but then bad weather happened, and it ended up just being me and my guitarist. This show was out of town, and the venue was dead, but we were just trying to fulfill the night. The same people had been in there all night without anyone new really coming in. There was this one group of rowdy, drunk married couples. They were older, and the men kept hooting and hollering because before the rainstorm happened, it was supposed to be a swimsuit party. So, I was wearing booty shorts and heels in my swimsuit amongst a sea of Cajun men.
(laughter)
So, we’re in the middle of playing ‘Too Much,’ and as I’m hitting some high notes, this guy in the back starts mimicking me, and I didn’t want to make the venue mad, so I just let it go, but it was pissing me off. Later, as I’m getting into the songs I’m singing, this man starts saying, ‘Take it off! Take it off!’ and crap like that. Finally, the bartender told him to shut up and get out, so he finally left. After he left, it was great!
(laughter)
MaM: Ok, so best show?
Elle: Ok, so I have to put a lot of thought into this because I will say we have put on some really great events. I will honestly give myself credit for that. My favorite one has got to be the house party we put on as a band. It was to announce ourselves as a band because we all have different projects. The audience was a diverse group from various parts of the city. We had everything from 19-year-old frat boys to 32-year-old guitar heads. We made a big batch of punch and had a great night. It was in Matt’s garage, actually. It was fun to open up and show people who we were. However, after this year’s Fete du Void, that will probably be my favorite gig.
MaM: Is there a key message you want people to take away from your music and performances?
Elle: I just want to help people awaken their hearts. I want my shows to be a safe place for them to just be themselves.
MaM: Hell yeah! So, in the next five years, where do you see yourself? Anybody you’d like to collaborate with?
Elle: I would love to collaborate with Miley Cyrus. Her song ‘Midnight Sky’ came out as I was leaving a toxic relationship, and it was exactly what I needed at that point. I would love to be a household name eventually and be known for my authenticity.
MaM: What’s on the agenda for the rest of 2024 and beyond? Are you doing any writing?
Elle: Honestly, I write every day because it’s hard for me not to write, but I actually plan to take a trip with Matthew, and we plan to record in the mountains using the sounds of nature to create an amazing project. I definitely don’t want to stop doing shows, but I’m hoping to manifest a tour soon where we can move more towards Texas and New Mexico.
As Elle continues to forge ahead artistically, she will no doubt continue to carve her path through the modern music scene due to her unwavering drive and will to succeed. She is not just a rare talent, but a beacon of authenticity, a quality that resonates with us all. I look forward to witnessing the future unfold for Elle H.
To learn more about Elle and to experience her music, just hit one of the links below.
Facebook: Elle H.
https://www.facebook.com/selftitledelle
Facebook: Elle H. and The Untitled
https://www.facebook.com/ellehandtheuntitled
Instagram: Elle H. and The Untitled
Elle H & The Untitled (@ellehlive) • Instagram photos and videos
Instagram: Elle H.
Elle H (@selftitledelle) • Instagram photos and videos
Spotify and Apple Music:
*All photos by Gary Governale
Questions or comments? Reach out to us at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com.