Love of nature and folklore showcased in album
Cavan-based indie-folk singer-songwriter Elena Duff’s debut album has been brewing for the last number of years and has now finally been released.
‘In the Wilderness’ is a concoction of ‘dark and quirky’ songs produced with a slightly experimental edge, blending acoustic and electronic elements. These atmospheric and often hypnotic songs invite you to step into other worlds and lose yourself in stories of love, loss, folklore and never-heard-before tales.
The album title ‘In the Wilderness’ refers in part to where Elena, originally from Dublin, currently lives, in rural Cavan and also to the state of being in emotional wilderness.
A graduate of NCAD and visual artist - she painted the album cover on canvas - Elena only took up music a few short years ago, later in life. A cheap ukulele was her gateway drug and it is with this that she began her songwriting. Later followed guitar along with other instruments and soon Elena’s interest in learning to play multiple instruments, writing, arranging and recording songs escalated, culminating in studies in audio engineering and music production during lockdown.
’In the Wilderness’ is a result of this musical exploration. The songs were written variously on guitar, stick dulcimer or ukulele and topped off with Elena’s deep and rich vocals.
The songs have a strong folk influence, but also veer off from this traditional sound into other intriguing directions.
A love of nature and folklore is evident within the lyrics and production.
Birds chirp in vengeful forests. There are songs of stolen children, of mermaids, long-gone lovers and calls to embrace your inner-beast.
‘In the Wilderness’ is the result of one singer-songwriter having absolute creative control over their songs from beginning to final completion. This distillation of her creative ideas has formed songs which retain their original acoustic origins, but which also have their own unique characteristics and atmosphere.
In the Wilderness can be streamed on all the usual platforms or purchased as a digital download or physical CD from Elena’s Bandcamp now.