Ellur - “Free”
Photo by Nick Porter
We are no strangers to the talent of Ellur, as we’ve proudly featured her past work, including the raw “Now I’m Alone” and the more upbeat “Anywhere.” And today, the Leeds-based artist once again appears on the blog with her latest indie-rock stick of dynamite: “Free.”
This one begins with an upbeat rhythm via some lively drums and a cleanly played electric guitar. Ellur’s signature vocal soon follows, brimming with that unrestrained idiosyncrasy that solidified us as fans the first time we heard it. Upon pressing play on “Free,” listeners shall marvel at the way Ellur completely refuses to be pigeonholed into any specific genre, as this number boasts some characteristics that are reminiscent to ‘90s alternative, while also keeping its feet firmly planted in today’s sound.
The lower, emotional registers of the verses allow the heightened impact of the hook to deeply resonate among all who hear. The second verse invites some lead guitar to serve as ear candy, at first melodic, then building in intensity as it underscores the vocal delivery. In addition to the well-written choruses, a highlight here, for us, is the inclusion of a hard-hitting bridge, an aspect which many artists seem to forgo entirely these days. But there is simply no denying the dynamic vigor that it adds here.
“Free” is an exemplar of modern songwriting and will remain with you long after it ends. Ellur’s craft is refreshing in an age where many others fall prey to obsessive autotune and we simply cannot wait to hear what she does next.
Speaking about the track, Ellur explains: “’Free’ is about a character who visited me in a dream and caused me to question my sense of free will and my entire life situation. At the time, I’d been working part time as a bartender and the song became a metaphor for working for people who don’t respect you and how that has put me in some of the worst mental states of my life. It actually inspired me to take the leap into full time music and quit my day-job.”
Catch Ellur on tour:
1st Nov -Liquid Rooms, Edinburgh*
2nd Nov -QMU, Glasgow*
3rd Nov -New Century Hall, Manchester
4th Nov -Rock City, Nottingham
6th Nov -Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth
8th Nov -Electric Ballroom, London
10th Nov -O2 Institute, Birmingham
11th Nov -SWX, Bristol
13th Nov -Epic, Norwich
14th Nov -Junction, Cambridge
16th Nov -The Welly, Hull
17th Nov -Empire, Middlesbrough
18th Nov -Foundry, Sheffield
*supporting The Pigeon Detectives
-HD