Interview: Elyse Saunders

(July 2021) Elyse Saunders is the kind of artist who seems to arrive just when the room needs a little sunlight. A Peterborough-raised country singer with a polished voice, a songwriter’s sense of heart, and a work ethic sharpened by years in the trenches, Saunders has been steadily turning small-town roots into big-stage momentum. Between CBC Searchlight attention, Boots and Hearts buzz, CMA Ontario recognition, and songs like “Free” and “Sunshine State of Mind,” she’s carving out a space where country music meets pop shine, summer-road freedom, and the stubborn belief that if you keep moving, sooner or later the world starts moving with you. We chatted by phone…

Elyse: Hey Michael, how are you doing?
Mb: Hey Elyse! How are you doing?
Elyse: Good, good.
Mb: Are you home?
Elyse: I’m actually at my guitar player’s place. We just finished full-band rehearsal and now we’re going to work on a couple more things. We’re starting to come back together as a band again.
Mb: Nice. And you’ve got so much going on.
Elyse: Lots on the go these days. It’s like you go from nothing because of the pandemic to everything happening at once, which is exciting.
Mb: Well, it’s great that you’re able to keep busy during these times, even writing and recording. And the video.
Elyse: Yeah, I like to keep busy. It gives me purpose. It keeps me moving forward. When it first happened, my plans were totally different. I was supposed to be going on my summer tour. I was supposed to be recording the album, going to Nashville to record a duet, and then it all stops. I was like, okay, now how can I keep moving forward in a brand-new world? So yeah, just trying to find ways to keep busy. But it’s been a bit of a blessing in many ways, because now there have been these opportunities coming out of it. It’s been nice having that time to really put a lot of work into it.
Mb: The latest video, “Sunshine State of Mind” — did you do that during COVID? I was wondering if that’s why it’s just you. Your other videos always have other people in them, so it was a stark difference. Was that the reason, or was that a creative decision?
Elyse: We did things a little bit differently. “Sunshine State of Mind” is going to be coming out this July, the music video. With “Wine Down,” we just wanted to make it more simple. We wanted to almost make it like a movie — cinematic, and just a story about a couple. Then the one we did for the song “Free,” I was actually supposed to record part of it at the Musicfest stage in Del Crary Park. We had a whole bigger story concept for it, but obviously with restrictions we couldn’t do certain things. So then we made the decision: let’s just have fun, go to a cottage, and it will all be open air, so restrictions won’t be as big a deal. It ended up being such a highlight of summer 2020. So it was a little bit of a mixture of restrictions and artistic direction, just to show different sides.
Mb: Right. So the video I’m watching on YouTube—
Elyse: Yeah, that was exciting. And how that one came about is funny how these things work out. I was asked to be a part of something called PA Shop out of London. The Live Nation guys that run that have this huge factory space with all this equipment, lighting and stage setup. They were like, why don’t we just make it available for artists to come in? They can play some original music and then we’ll share it for free content. So I said to them, this is a beautiful space — why not do that and then record my lyric video while I’m here too? They were like, yeah. So I had all this professional gear there. It was fun that we could just play around, and then we ended up with that lyric video, which has gone over really well. I think because it’s kind of unique with those panels, the imagery, and it’s just a neat space.
Mb: Yeah, yeah. And almost timely in that way.
Elyse: We got it in right before Doug Ford made an announcement that we had to take a break from letting people do studio recordings or whatever. So we got it in right in time. My timing worked out nicely.
Mb: All of these competitions you’re about to win too — what’s going on there?
Elyse: Fingers crossed. That would be amazing.
Mb: No kidding. The CBC one is a huge deal.
Elyse: Yeah, that’s a huge deal. Boots and Hearts has been on my artist bucket list forever, and I didn’t realize they were doing that this year. With the restrictions, I didn’t know if they would do the competition. It was another artist friend of mine who said, “You should be submitting.” I would have missed it if he didn’t tell me, so I’m so glad I sent something in. It was my song “Free” and the music video that they loved. So now I’m just moving on, seeing what the deal is and how we move forward with it. That’s a compliment. And then this CBC Searchlight contest is another huge deal. I had no expectations because I checked out all of these people who submitted and I was like, wow, there is incredible talent from across Canada. So to be chosen was cool. And to be the only country artist, and the female country artist, to be chosen was neat. So fingers crossed.
Mb: Yeah, they usually lean more kind of bohemian, it seems.
Elyse: Yeah.
Mb: I was surprised, not just in the context of what they were choosing, because they don’t really play a lot of country on CBC.
Elyse: I was surprised too, for the same reason. But what does make sense is also the Country Music Association of Ontario nomination. With the CMA Ontario nomination happening, that was cool. I think they were excited about the song, and everything that’s going on too. All this stuff that’s come out of it — to have that Ontario support is key, I think.
Mb: Yeah, which I could see happening within the year, for sure. Something like “Free” is a monster tune. I’ve got it on a playlist I made for all the artists that came out of Peterborough, and I spin it. That’s a monster track.
Elyse: It is. I love it. Dan Swinimer was the producer on that one. He just killed it. That song was actually inspired by “Rise,” because “Rise” was that anthem song based off our equestrian Olympian. Then I saw the response that I got on it, and it had this crossover with the DJ Dandy remix, so I got these new fans from that world too. So I was inspired to write something that would include some of those fans. That’s what I thought was unique about “Free.” We wrote it with the idea of bringing some of those elements into country music. I think that’s why it went really well. It’s like a summer anthem song.
Mb: Yeah, it’s a great video. Real fun. Is that your dog?
Elyse: No, it’s a family friend’s. They own this beautiful farmland that’s been in their family for centuries, and they have all these beautiful fields. They were like, yeah, film at our pool. And the dog was there, and we were like, perfect. It worked out really, really well. I think again why it did so well is because of the timing of everything. Every time I watch it, it brings me back to that experience. I think everybody kind of lives for the video and those experiences that we can all relate to.
Mb: And it’s a co-write. Are you co-writing a lot of your material? How do you go through that process?
Elyse: Yeah, I co-write all of my songs. I write on my own, but I always like to co-write just to make the song the best it can be. That one was written by myself and Shawn Moore and produced by Dan Swinimer. I usually like to go in with the idea — either it’s a title or a hook. I usually at least like to have a hook and a title together, and then a bit of a storyline. Then we build off of that. That way at least it’s coming from my authentic voice, compared to if somebody else came with the idea. I always like to make the hook my own, just so it feels like me.
Mb: Well, you’ve got to sing it.
Elyse: Exactly.
Mb: And lyrically, I imagine you’re writing all the lyrics?
Elyse: Yes. “Free” was inspired a lot by Peterborough too — just my experiences growing up in Peterborough and having that time in life where you’re kind of living for the weekends and you feel a little more free of responsibilities when you’re young. Now life gets busy with this career, which I’m grateful for, and I love to be busy. But I also believe in the importance of scheduling that time to feel free as well. It helps keep me sane. It keeps me grounded, and then refreshes me to be able to keep doing what I’m doing. So yeah, Peterborough is a big part of that song too.
Mb: So “Sunshine State of Mind,” the video comes out in July?
Elyse: Yes, it comes out in July. It’s a unique video again. We have some scenes where I’m at a place called Neon Demon Studio. It’s all neon. Then we got some shots at Sandbanks Provincial Park, which tells the story of this couple there. Obviously, such a beautiful spot. “Sunshine State of Mind” was written by myself and TJ Simpson. We wrote it just before everything shut down with the pandemic. We wanted to create something that was summery and fun, and would take the listener on a bit of a vacation in their mind. But it shares the message as well that you don’t have to be on vacation to experience paradise. We can find paradise no matter where we are, as long as we have the right mindset or we’re with the right person. We’ll always feel like paradise.
Mb: Great message. Anything else you want to plug?
Elyse: I have some shows coming up. I will be back in Peterborough for Peterborough Performs. That’s coming up in September. I have a drive-in concert coming up, so a few shows here and there. People can always check out where I’m at.
Mb: Congratulations on all the success. I know you’re going to make it up to the next level of the game, and it’ll be great because Peterborough really doesn’t have a big country star that we can call our own yet. Between Three Days Grace, Thousand Foot Krutch, Serena Ryder — everybody’s playing in the other worlds. We don’t have a hometown country icon yet.
Elyse: Yeah, I feel like things are coming as well. I can sense that’s coming for sure. I do.
Mb: Attention from all over the place too. A whole bunch of people will swoop in and want to make money off you.
Elyse: They know they can make money from me for sure.
Mb: Well, that’s what propels the career. They understand.
Elyse: Yeah, it’s great. It’s obviously been a long journey. You’ve known me since I was young too, just being a part of the scene. It’s a journey of development. I always say, if you’re an artist, it takes time to go through the school of what the music industry is. It’s like going through the business of learning it all. Then you get to this point where you can kind of shine and, like you say, you can start making money. It becomes a valuable business. I feel like I’ve really come into my own as a songwriter, my voice, all those things. It’s a good place to be, for sure.
Mb: Well, it all looks fantastic and very professional. It sounds great. Hooky tunes. Good luck. Everything’s there. The package is there. They say about the business, if you want to make it, just keep going. Keep trying. Ninety-five percent of the people who never make it give up.
Elyse: Exactly. I don’t know what it is. I just keep taking the beatings over the years. I refuse to give up. I’m just obsessed with it.