Hey Elyse, how the heck are you?

Hi there!! I'm doing pretty well. Keeping myself busy and productive in any way I can. I hope you're doing great too.

So tell me, where are you right now? And what are you up to today?

I'm at my place in Toronto currently eating my dinner and speaking to you. Today I was able to get a home workout in, do some phone call meetings, working on some vocal exercises and getting some to-do's checked off my list. There's always something to do in this career but I love the feeling of completing a goal which all goes towards my big goals.

Introduce yourself to our lovely campers.

Hi everyone! My name is Elyse Saunders and I'm currently based out of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I'm a country recording artist, singer-songwriter and love to bring joy to people through my music whether it's a live show or a new tune that I've written. I've had the fortune of working with some amazing people and have had some incredible opportunities. The stage is my home and being a creator is my life. I have two cats (Dolly & Pearl, named after our country greats), I love a good pizza & wine and I'm a big fan of bon fires by the lake!

And tell me one thing about you that I couldn’t possibly know.

Hmm... my first days on stage were when I was growing up as a dancer and I'd perform jazz, tap & hip-hop!

Your most recent single is ‘Wine Down’, what can you tell me about the song?

That's right! ‘Wine Down’ is a song that I wrote with my pals Joey Green & Daryl Scott during a writing trip to Nashville. I've been going back and forth between Canada and Nashville since I started in this thing and Nashville has always inspired me. We were out at an industry night and ran into Joey and said that we had to get a write in before we headed back. During our time there, Daryl had mentioned the title ‘Wine Down’ to me and I knew right then and there that we had to write it. I told him to save it for me and knew it was special the day that we wrote it. We really wanted to create a song that would be a play on words of "winding down" with a glass of wine. I love creating songs that have a lot of visuals and texture to them and I'm so happy with how it turned out. When I went into the studio to record it, we really wanted to give it a feel that would capture the essence of wine... classic, sultry and timeless. 

How did the songwriting process work for “Wine Down”?

It started with the title and then we spent some time really figuring out the story we wanted to tell. It was like Joey was reading my mind, when he started strumming the chords on the guitar it was exactly what I was imagining in my mind too. The song seemed to write itself as it was written in just a couple of hours. I usually like to start with a title and hook but the melodies happened pretty organically as we went along. And like I mentioned before, we really wanted to use words that would give the listener a lot of texture and visuals.

I hear you’ve an album coming out this year, what can you tell me about it?

The album has a couple of feature producers on it who are incredibly talented and bring a slightly different approach to each song. The album is titled Free named after my debut single ‘Free’ and represents where I'm at in my life and career and the freedom to show different sides to me as a vocalist and writer. There will be some ebbs and flow with the overall thread, with each song having a message of being in the moment and self-empowerment.

My next single to be released from the album is called ‘Sunshine State of Mind’, which just dropped!

You’ve just been nominated for a couple of awards by the Country Music Association of Ontario, how does that feel?

It's pretty exciting and what a compliment! I've been a part of the country music industry developing as an independent for a number of years and I feel like I've most recently reached new heights as a recording artist, entertainer, and singer/songwriter. To know that my peers and fans are rooting for me means the world. I'm grateful to be nominated as Female Artist of the Year and Rising Star alongside some crazy talented folks. It's an honor!

How has the last year been for you personally?

It's been a year of growth mostly. Although the initial shock of it all was difficult, I've really spent this time working on becoming mentally stronger and putting all my time and efforts into what I love to do. I've had to adapt to the new environments in the entertainment industry by finding ways to connect with my fans online. It's been really important to me to bring them in on who I am and what I want to share with the world. I love giving them content whether it's YouTube vlogs, a full produced live concert online with my band or giving them new music with music videos. It's been a fun learning curve and I've had some unexpected results that have taken everything to a new level.

What’s the Canadian country music scene like?

It's like one big family. Everyone is connected through the scene in some way or another. What I've always loved about country music is authenticity. I love that we can all share our stories and be true to who we are. And the fans in country music are always a fun crowd and so loyal. When they're in, they're in!

If you could recommend one artist to hear this week, who would it be?

Mickey Guyton. She's a powerful woman with a powerful voice that's changing the industry. I've followed her career for quite a long time and she's the epitome of an artist that works their ass off. She's been deserved to be seen for a long time and I'm proud to see everything she's doing. 

What’s the question we should have asked you today but haven’t?

Who is a dream duet? I've always said it but I'd love to create a duet with Chris Stapleton because he's so freakin' cool and has so much soul. I think we'd create something great together. Or my super talented Canadian buddy David Boyd Janes. We've wrote a pretty killer song that I'm dying for people to hear.

Finally, how do you take your coffee?

I'm a chai tea latte kinda girl. But if I'm just at home waking up in the morning it's usually a little milk and a little sugar to get me going.

To find out more about Elyse then check out her official website. You can also see what she’s up to on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.