Originally posted on March 24th 2020 here is a Q & A with singer-songwriter Eleesha Prothero. She talked about her experiences in music.
Where did it all start for you getting into music?
It was my Mother and Father who were huge music fans when I was very young. I was born in 1985 so hearing them play on vinyl Kate Bush, Fleetwood Mac, David Bowie, Marc Bolan, Boney M and many more was such a massive part in my life for music as I grew up. My dad was also in a band and was the lead singer and played the acoustic guitar. I grew up loving the record player and cassettes were so awesome. Who are your influences? My biggest influences when I was younger was The Corrs, Aaliyah, Samantha Mumba, Lincoln Park, Papa Roach, LL Cool J, Natalie Imbruglia, Limp Bizkit, and even advert music I found super cool! Now my biggest music influences are Marc Bolan, The Beatles, Jimmy Hendrix, The Stooges, The Jam, The Clash, Mazzy Star, Eddie Cochran, Kate Bush the list could go on for days.
With songwriting where do you tend to get your inspiration from e.g how do you start your songs & what's your process?
My inspiration comes to me when I’m feeling very calm and I find going for walks helps me feel creative, learning about past musicians, and feeling like I’m in my own bubble. Also playing my beautiful guitar helps as I learn new riffs and jam in my studio room it inspires me.
All my songs normally just come to my head and I write them down . I never try and be or copy anyone just what ever comes to my mind (which is normally very random) lol. Once I have written the song down and completed the guitar riff I try and imagine what other instruments I will needs for the sound I am looking for. My friend Mat Roberts normally helps me out with that part at his studio (Effort Studio) . We will jam there until we can piece it all together.
How important is it do you feel it is to listen to current music as well as music from the past?
I feel it’s very important to hear modern day music although I am a huge fan of old music I love to hear what new sounds are being created. I feel that even if a song isn’t something I love I would always still appreciate the beauty and art behind it. Every song has it’s own beauty.
Do you feel it is important to watch other acts perform and to watch other live music?
I feel it’s very important to watch and support other acts and musicians as they can be very inspiring. And you can inspire them too. I wish more musicians would support each other more these days. It’s a very courageous thing to do to get on stage and sing an original song. I really rate highly people who just do it.
Finally what tips do you have for anyone starting out when it comes to songwriting & performing?
Just be yourself, you will sometimes feel down and discouraged by better singers or musicians but the secret is to find you’re area and own it. Be confident. Never compare yourself to anyone else because only you can rock being you.
Being a girl playing the electric guitar (which I have only been playing for 12 months) is very hard but I love it! I currently have “I Wanna See Ya”, “Dopamine”, “Beautifully Ugly” and “Black Haired Beauty" out now. Coming out on the 27th March 2020 is “Cherry Lips” and on the 7th April 2020 is “Lost On Your Highway”. I would also like to say a big thank you to Mat Roberts as I wouldn't have got to this point without his help and guidance.
To find out more about Eleesha go to https://www.instagram.com/vanityrose_el/
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