Nashville-based artist Ellen Starski debuted in 2018 with her album The Days When The Peonies Prayed for the Ants, featuring Americana, indie-folk and pop genres. Her latest album features a thorough folk-pop sound titled Sara’s Half Finished Love Affair, out on May 8. Ellen shares that the album is “a step back into the artist I was prior to motherhood. When I sat down and started working on the music, and album title I was somewhat unaware of who Sara was, but as the project progressed it became obvious that she was emerging from my subconscious as yours truly.”
Ellen released her first single “Pure Intention,” on Valentine’s Day sharing that it’s “one of my personal favorites from the album that was influenced lyrically and melodically by Billie Holiday.” Ellen released her second single “The Satellite That Changed Its Tune,” which she explains is about “a relationship and its evolution. The couple no longer exists in the same way they had: he’s stuck in his old habits and new interests as she evolves into the realm of positivity ultimately having to cut the cord carrying an appreciation for him always.” Sara’s Half Finished Love Affair is also Ellen’s first experience in co-writing, with five tracks on the album written with other artists, including her husband and father.
In our interview, Ellen spoke with us about her recording process for her new album, Billie Holiday’s musical and lyrical impact on her, co-writing with others, how she’s dealing with quarantine and her fun music favorites.
You’ll be releasing your sophomore album, Sara’s Half Finished Love Affair, in May. What was the recording process like for it?
Ellen Starski: The recording process was three dimensional as the core in pre-production was a trio in and of itself that included producers Lucas Morton, Max Hoffman, & myself. These guys are multi-instrumentalists and understood my influences diving headfirst into what the albums sound would become. We spent two weeks in a basement studio referencing our favorite artists and garnering inspiration from one another. After we completed pre-production there was a two-month lapse before we entered the studio to record the bass, drums, strings, organ, vocals, & backup vocals at the Shoebox in Nashville. The experience was very heady for me and I feel the emotions conjured throughout the process truly came through in the music.
Album cover of Ellen Starski’s Sara’s Half Finished Love Affair
The first single from the album, “Pure Intention,” is influenced lyrically and musically from Billie Holiday. What specifically about Billie’s music impacts you personally with your music?
Ellen: I’ve been listening to Billie Holiday since I was a young girl, and hold her performances in the highest regard. In my opinion, there is a heaviness and longing in her vocals that outweighs any other vocalist to date. She really takes you there, and that’s what I wanted to do with this melody. There’s a line in “Pure Intention”, “I want to feel the chains unbinding, & love my man” that I can actually imagine her singing. There’s also a quote regarding her vocal performances by Jack Kerouac that has always stuck with me where he projected that “Billie Holiday had rocks in her heart.” If that quote doesn’t describe her voice, then I don’t know what does.
What is your writing process like?
Ellen: My writing process is sporadic and has developed through the art of surrender and divine inspiration. I’m very in tune with nature and the human condition, and because of this connection, I’ve had to learn how to protect myself from negative energy/vibrations allowing the creation to sweep through me into art form. For instance, the song “No Ending” came to me in the middle of the night after learning my brother’s family dog had passed away. The lyric and melody to the line “If it where up to me there would be no ending, just you and I floating along real gently” awoke me and a writers fury, and the next three verses just poured out in regards to my loved ones and the perception of our existence, and how to stay connected through every dimension. Writing is not something I’ve mastered, but my spirit is awakening now in a new field of understanding.
You mention that this album is “a step back into the artist I was prior to motherhood.” Can you share more about this, and who is “Sara” to you then and now?
Ellen: Sara is a manifestation that now lives as a character in a back story I’ve written for this album. I was encouraged to write a story and had no real guidelines so I just started writing, and Sara emerged a time traveler. The album is conceptual within the idea that the Sara story coincides with the track order. It reflects her struggles and travels in life to reach her ultimate destination with her true love.
Every point of destination in the story are places I’ve personally visited and experiences I had in these different parts of the world. There are three different characters (complete strangers) I met while traveling that are real people I ran into or chatted with briefly in my travels. These three people (I’ve only kept in touch with one, Lucky Cabrel) have now become a part of this story though I’ve elaborated their backgrounds.
This was your first experience in co-writing. What did you learn from it creatively and personally?
Ellen: Co-writing is interesting, to say the least. I was fortunate enough to co-write with my husband, father, & a fellow Nashville songwriter Michelle LeBlanc. Michelle and I were introduced by Erin Anderson (Olivia Mgmt) via the recommendation of producer Lucas Morton that I find people to write with. Erin has a magic way of connecting people with their perfect match which was exactly what Michelle and are. We connected instantly on a spiritual level and have nurtured a friendship through this writing process. She helped me finish ideas for half of the songs off the album. I had hatched a ton of ideas and she and I narrowed in on them with an openness that the production would figure out which way to ultimately take the songs. Working with my husband (Shawn Starski) has always been a beautiful challenge. He pushes me and I push back…I walk away and he pulls me back until we have an idea to run with. My father (Henry Deible) has been my main inspiration with creative writing. He tests boundaries and seeks the poetry and freedom prose desires, so having him co-write on “More” was a dream come true. The song wouldn’t be anything without his creative mind and cool presence.
With the current state of affairs, do you plan to do any online shows, and eventually tour?
Ellen: I want to tour this album with all my heart and soul. Playing this music live is my ultimate goal. I can actually visualize the performances and hope that happens as soon as the world is in a safe state again. As for online shows…Shawn and I have been recording live videos for a series called “Raising Vibration” that will most likely lead up to a FB live release show in May. This is not the way I saw any of this going, but what can we do but push through, and support each other in these unprecedented times. I truly believe releasing new music right now is exactly what people need. Like they say music is the “universal language” that can unite us all through these quarantined times.
Fun Questions
Who was your first concert, and who has been your favorite so far?
Ellen: My first concert was Fleetwood Mac at Starlake Amphitheater outside of Pittsburgh, and my favorite show to date was probably Feist performing at The Ryman while touring her Metals album.
What was your first album on cassette, CD and/or vinyl?
Ellen: The first CD I ever spent my own money on was Mazzy Star’s, So Tonight That I might See album and I also vividly remember buying Chris Issak’s, Forever Blue album a couple of years later. I still love both of these works deeply. They’ve stood the test of time.
Which five albums and/or artists would you not want to live without?
- Shawn Starski (my husband)
- Beck
- Tori Amos
- Radiohead
- Julie Andrews
Do you have a guilty music and/or entertainment pleasure?
Ellen: I love Yacht Rock something fierce. You can catch me jammin’ out to Christopher Cross, or Hall and Oates at any given time. Also, I love classic game shows like “Wheel of Fortune,” “Jeopardy,” and “The Price is Right”…I mean who doesn’t?
What have you been listening to, reading and/or watching lately?
Ellen: I’ve been listening to Nils Frahm quite a bit. His song “Re” soothes me in these uneasy times. Max Hoffman just released an album called All Lovers, All Enemies that I just started diving into as well. He’s a musical genius, and I feel so honored to have worked with him and now call him a friend.
During these days of rest I decided to start reading “East of Eden” and completely understood why it’s considered a classic ten pages in. The flow of Steinbeck’s words leave me in awe, and the way he portrays the Salinas Valley has me planning a road trip for next spring.
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