Eli G Interview
Destany Long: How long have you been making music and when did you first see its potential?
Eli G: I started making music with my phone and Apple headphones when I was 13. It became more enjoyable for me, so I upgraded to FL Studio, and now I just have a studio in my closet. I don’t know the specific moment where I knew I had potential. Music was more of a love thing for me rather than a career choice. I realized that I had a love for it when I was around 15 years old. I noticed that all the money I was earning was going back into my music, and it never felt like a waste of time. I knew this was where I should be and where my investment should be.
Destany Long: Indianapolis has so many amazing artists and you got a chance to perform at the Summer Showcase this year and you’ve also been collaborating with local talents, how has those experiences impacted your art?
Eli G: It was very humbling and hopeful. I would be very cautious when it came to working with folks in the city. When I first tried to work with artists in the past, one thing I noticed in many of them was a lack of identity. It seemed like they were scared to establish their own identity, and were only trying to indulge in these other kinds of waves. Once I started to see that Indy music scene for what it is, it was a lot more intricate than what I was giving it credit for. There are a lot of passionate artists that I’ve started to work with now, and I definitely think it’s rubbed off on me. I’ve gained a lot of dedication, influence, and drive from those artists.
Destany Long: Speaking of performing, I saw that you’re going to be performing at Chreece this year! How does that feel? Any nervousness you’re trying to shake?
Eli G: It feels good man. I know that’ll be nervous but I also believe in my music and my craft and I’ve been practicing everyday for it. Juice (@westsidejawill) gave me some really good advice. I remember him saying, “You’re going up there to prove yourself, you’re going up there to prove that you love what you make.” It’s insane though, like words can’t describe the gratitude that I have for being accepted. I feel like it will be a really, really fun time!
Destany Long: Are there any local artists that you enjoy listening to or working with?
Eli G: Her name is Kye. We’ve done a few songs together. She has really, really, really good writing, almost reminds me of a Rapsody. There’s a track called, “TTYL”, her verse is really good! It’s very inspirational writing, you can see the passion in her lyrics.
Destany Long: I want to get into some of your music. You not only write and record your own tracks but you also mix and master them. What’s your process for making music? What part comes first for you?
Eli G: It definitely starts with the writing. Sometimes, I have trouble sleeping, so at night, I can’t sleep; I just start writing. I’ll either get my beats from specific producers I know or find them on YouTube. The complete song can take hours to days to weeks, depending on my morale at the time. I think the biggest struggle I have currently is the recording process. I’ve been doing my own mixing for a while, but a lot of times, the audio engineering part can seem like a void of creativity in comparison to the writing part. I fucking love the writing part, that shit is great, but I also wouldn’t go in the studio and have someone else do the recording part. No diss to anyone that doesn’t record their own shit because it does take a lot of work. I feel like if you have control over how your voice is sitting on a track, it really does add to the authenticity of it.
Destany Long: It sounds like you spend the most time writing. Are there any writers, whether it be lyricists, poets, etc. that inspire you creatively?
Eli G: I would say Kendrick or Earl are very poetic artists that inspire me, but I also would give credit to some comedians, like Dave Chappelle. It might not be the exact words he's saying, but it's the mannerisms that keep people captivated. Many of Dave Chappelle’s quotes are integrated into his sets in a way that makes you feel like you're having a conversation or giving advice to people, and that’s what influenced my writing style.
Destany Long: Can listeners be expecting any new releases?
Eli G: Yeah, I have a new EP coming out on August 9th. Some of the songs on this EP were written over a year ago and I feel like my process was a lot different back then, but the EP is pretty much done. I’m just doing the visuals for it then I’m getting right to the next album.
Destany Long: What’s been your proudest moment while creating this project and do you think listeners will be able to experience that moment while listening?
Eli G: My proudest moment during the making of this project was letting go of whatever criteria I had previously set in place. I always used to think that since most of my more popular tracks were my rap/hip hop tracks, I'd have to lean towards that for this EP to make it more appealing. At some point something just clicked and I stopped caring about that criteria. Being authentic and appealing are so polar-opposite, and I had to steer from that mindset to make this project that I'm very proud of. I don't know if the listener would necessarily experience that atmosphere of me not ‘caring’ as much, but if they do, I hope it helps them be less critical of their own art, and more open.
Destany Long: If you could describe this EP in just one word, what would that word be and why?
Eli G: Liberating! It brings me back to when I was first making music at 13 with my Apple headphones and some third party app on my phone. I was just making shit because I wanted to, and that’s all this project really is, and that’s all I hope the rest of my discography will be.
Destany Long: What’s one goal you want to accomplish by the end of this year (2024)?
Eli G: By the end of the year, I want to have one million streams but more than that, I want to be 100% happy with every song that I dropped this year. I don’t want to feel like I should’ve done something else. I want to know that if I’m making a track, it will be the best it could be.