Lyndsey Elm

Anyone who knows me well knows that I love sports, especially tennis. But, I also love music. So when the opportunity to write about both those things arose, I had to serve that opportunity, and in the process, I had to sing my feelings.

My chance has come with the release of a wonderful new album by a wonderful new musical artist. The album, Onward (https://play.spotify.com/album/5ozSRG42TnNHnbHDRatWT6), is an EP of four meticulously and beautifully crafted songs by 23-year-old Bay Area singer-songwriter, Lyndsey Elm.

Elm first got some national notice when she appeared last fall on The Voice – NBC’s Emmy-winning reality show singing contest – becoming one of the few performers to get the voice of approval from all four of that show's judges. I have been singing her praises ever since.

What I find remarkable about Elm's debut work is that there is nothing merely "debut" about it: nothing merely "promising" or "good for a newbie" or whatever. A bit like Hemingway when he debuted himself to the world at age 23, as a fully formed artist showing us his first stories of fiction, Elm has created here songs of stunning skill and maturity.

Onward is mostly pop, and it packs a pop and then some. The EP's quartet of songs is lyric-driven: they tell strong, compelling stories and paint vivid pictures. A loving spirit arches over and shines throughout, like a sunny rainbow – one completely fresh and authentic. So, to begin my tennis talk: point for Elm.

The production on the album is superb and is the work of Elm's creative partner, Tim Atlas, like her a Voice Season 9 alum. And, it was produced within the modest confines of a home musical studio. Elm says he's a musical genius. Point for Atlas.

Elm, however, remains firmly at the helm and envisioning where she wants to take the sound. Another point for Elm.

The album’s first track, released in late March as a single, is “Nothin On Me”. It’s an R&B-pop vibe that flows through the song, a mellifluous tune of confidence and strength in the wake of a romantic split. Almost immediately the listener is enveloped in a profusion of sonic lushness, and Elm’s vocal riffs carry you on and on to the end, bluesy and soulful whitecaps on a buoyant wave of R&B.

Next up is “Superficial”, which is full of lush pop sounds: lots of horns, and buoyant and breezy vibes. The song is a sweet and joyous plea for authenticity in our Internet culture of Photoshop and digital “friends”. It recalls the jazz-inflected sounds of L.A. pop from the 1970s, beautifully smooth and stylish: a little Steely Dan, a little Boz Scaggs. And, it has a sweet-sweet ringing and winning hook: suuupeeerfiiicial.

The third song, “Sweet Serendipity”, begins with a poignant, spare piano. The gorgeous vocals and lyrics are immediately arresting, as is the melody. And Elm’s emotional connection to those lyrics is supreme, her pathos sublime. Overall the listener feels depth, power, haunting beauty. Hearing this love song, one is reminded of the remarkable ability of the human voice to evoke: to make the listener brush-stroke mind images and plumb emotional depths – in other words, see and feel strongly.

The final track, “All My Love”, is sweet and joyous, and soaring. The song's exhilarating electric-organ crescendo in the chorus instantly reminded me of that same organ sound in Stephen Stills ‘70s classic, "Love The One You're With". Elm here has a beautiful overall message – living in the moment, leaving your mark throughout the world and thereby having people know where your heart has been, living and loving for a higher purpose – and it hints at the divine.

Of this quartet the tune that strikes deepest is “Sweet Serendipity”. For in this song, one of the most beautiful I've ever heard, Elm is making a profoundly heartfelt offer of love, and praying for its lifelong acceptance. It's not possible in my opinion for a singer to inject more genuine feeling into a song than what she has done with this. The effect on the listener is overpowering.

With this EP I told Lyndsey Elm that one of these days, I'm going to be asking for her autograph. The album goes from the lush to the breezy, the sublime to the soaring, plumbing the range of emotional temperature from the cooler climes to the heat of human love – both romantic and divine. Someone who can needs to nominate her for a Grammy: "best pop vocal performance". Game, set and match for Elm.

This album, however, isn’t singles tennis. It’s been doubles tennis all along. For Elm and Atlas mind you are a strong musical team – it’s just that Elm's without a doubt the one in front, serving aces on Onward from beginning to end. - Duncan Shaw

Gwen Stefani’s a huge
fan. So is Adam Levine,
Pharell Williams and Blake
Shelton.
Yes, it’s almost too much
for Lyndsey Elm to believe.
But if anyone thinks the
guitar-playing singer, who
turned all four chairs on
“The Voice” is one to proclaim
some kind of greatness,
why, you don’t know
Sylvie and Ron’s 23-year-old
daughter.
Even signing autographs
is hard to fathom for the Vacaville
Christian School and
Cal-Poly San Luis Obispo
graduate.
“It’s still weird, still a
crazy experience,” said Elm,
two months after she was
ousted in the opening “battle
rounds” of the popular
NBC show after surviving
the televised “blind audition.”
“I want to be someone
kids can look up to as a role
model and someone whose
music all parents are OK
with,” Elm said. “I don’t
want to ever be thought of
us ‘that girl who fell off the
deep end.’ I want to be inspiring
for kids to pursue
their dream and it doesn’t
have to be music. That if
you put hard work in and
are dedicated, it’s not out
of reach. Have faith and believe.
I personally don’t ever
want to change and I think
people like that.”
After performing for
around 8 million TV viewers,
life has changed for Elm,
preparing for a headlining
gig Jan. 23 atthe Downtown
Theatre in Fairfield.
“It’s exceeded my expectations,”
she said of
“The Voice” results. “It really
was a launching pad, a
platform, you can’t get anywhere
else.”
Elm figured she would
return from college, stick
around and play “little gigs
and get out there” to get
known in Solano County
and the Bay Area.
Deciding to audition for
“The Voice” was one of her
best decisions, Elm said.
“I didn’t want it to slip
away and regret not doing
it later in life,” she said.
Elm s parent s a nd
19-year-old brother, David,
accompanied her at
“The Voice” studios while
“back in my hometown,
the county and region have
shown love and support,
which has been incredible.”
“I still can’t believe it
happened,” Elm said. “It’s
such a dream.”
In her national TV debut
during the memorable
blind audition, “the feeling
is half-excitement, half-terror,”
Elm said. “Once you
start the song, that’s it.”
Though she was eliminated
by 16-year -old
Braiden Sunshine, Elm’s effort
was called “mesmerizing”
by Pharell.
“It was the coolest moment
of my life,” Elm said,
adding that she “gained so
much” having Stefani has
her coach.
“I soaked in all the information
I could,” Elm said.
When eliminated, the
disappointed was minimal,
she said.
“I thought of the people
who didn’t have a chance
to even sing on stage and
all I’ve gained,” Elm said.
“Everyone goes home, even
the winner. Maybe it didn’t
go exactly how you wanted
it to go, but you got on national
television.”
Elm endorsed the eventual
winner from two
weeks ago, 22-year-old Jordan
Smith, who “is from another
world. Absolutely incredible.
He deserved it, for
sure.”
So now Elm continues
sifting through offers, gearing
up for her Fairfield gig,
and eagerly awaiting Christmas,
“probably my favorite
holiday. I’m just excited to
take a load off Christmas
Eve and Christmas Day
and enjoy it with family and
friends,” she said.“I encourage
people to take the time
and tell the people you love
that you love them. Cherish
that day, put the phone
down and take the distractions
away.”
Elm acknowledged that
many people are suffering
during the holiday season
for various reasons.
“Go out and help people
who maybe aren’t home for
Christmas or who are homeless,”
she said. “It’s a season
of giving and remembering
what the whole season
is about. It’s not about how
much stuff we can get. It’s
not about cookies andSanta.”
As “a person of faith,”
Elm said the season is celebrating
Jesus’ birthday “and
how He came into the world
to save us. I love this time
of year.”
Besides, she gets to be a
fan of other recording artists.
“The Amy Grant Christmas
Album is a staple in
our house,” Elm said. “I can
listen to it all day.”
After the New Year arrives,
Elm will rehearse her
band for the Fairfield gig,
perform the night before
that in a Berkeley house
concert, release an EP of
original songs, and continue
to build a fan base.
In the not-too-distant
future, Elm hopes to even
shake her standard introduction
as “From ‘The
Voice....’”
“I love being able to say
it right now. It’s a way for
people to recognize me,” she
said. “But I don’t want it to
be a thing to define me. At
some point, it’s beating a
dead horse. I just want to
be known as Lyndsey Elm
and taken seriously as an
artist. I’m very connected
with the people who support
and love me and I’ll
do my best to stay like that.”
Lyndsey Elm & Friends
are at the Downtown Theater,
Texas St., Fairfield
Sat., Jan. 23, 8 p.m. Tickets
$20. For information, visit
downtowntheatre.org. - Rich Freedman of The Reporter

Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing philosophy gets to shine through on “The Voice” this season.

Kinesiology alumna of 2014 Lyndsey Elm has moved through the blind audition stage with apparent ease, winning all four of the judges over with “Lips are Movin” by Meghan Trainor.

Before she returns to the stage in upcoming weeks to sing for Gwen Stefani’s team, Elm talked to Mustang News about her journey so far.

The following is a Q&A with Elm, which has been edited down for space and clarity.

MN: When did you first start singing and playing guitar?

LE: I think I started singing around 2 years old. I was really into the National Anthem (“The Star Spangled Banner”) for some reason … But I didn’t really have the confidence to start singing until probably high school, when I got the opportunity to sing the National Anthem on the field.

I got my guitar as my high school graduation present. It opened up my eyes to just a whole new world of being able to take a song and put my spin on it.

MN: Do you play any other instruments?

LE: I also dabble around in the piano, the kahone — which is a percussion instrument that I have at home — and I have a ukulele as well. And I like to incorporate a loop pedal into my guitar playing as well. It’s like having a one-man band.

MN: Did you ever sing publicly while you were at Cal Poly?

LE: Not really. It was mostly just through Cru. I would sing at worship night, and it was really that group of girls who inspired me to pursue music. Little by little, I started singing in front of my friends, then in front of my Bible study and then at events. I just slowly gained my confidence. Just singing in front of my roommates, who would just push me and get me out of my academic bubble for a bit, all of that changed me and made me who I am.

MN: What motivated you to try out for the show?

LE: During the back half of college, toward the end of senior year when everyone’s trying to decide what the next step is, and a lot of people go to grad school or go into their career, I started getting this pull from music. I got encouragement from my Bible group. I told my parents I wanted to pursue music. I told my parents that if I don’t take (the chance) now I was going to regret it. And they totally supported me.

One of my aunts bugged me to look into the show, and I had been a fan since season one. Plus there’s always that feeling of like, “What would it be like to be on that stage?”

I didn’t think anything would come of it, but it was an amazing opportunity. The ball started rolling and I got to audition.

It’s funny, because I was so academic and athletic, like I graduated Summa Cum Laude, and the obvious step would be to go to grad school. This year has been such a whirlwind because it’s not what I’m used to.



MN: How was performing on TV, in front of such famous singers?

LE: That day was such a whirlwind and such a blur, but it was the best moment of my life so far, and I don’t know if anything will be able to top it.

I started the song, so there was a little extra pressure. But I took a deep breath and went, “OK, pray a little bit. Here we go.”

Then I started the song and the crowd was super into it. The coaches started to turn around and I was just beside myself. I was just elated. All that hard work and all that preparation and it paid off. Performing on national television was such a cool experience and to see the response afterward was just the icing on the cake.

I just want to be able to inspire people — no matter where you are in life, you can always follow your dream.

MN: What made you pick Stefani?

LE: They all said such great things, and I was just blown away that all four turned. But I just felt that immediate connection to Gwen — and she was the first one to turn around.

They all complimented me on the version, and said they had never thought of doing that song that way.

(Stefani) said she wanted to download her career to me, and she’s a mother and she just wants to nurture people. She told me on the show, “You sing cover songs, and songs you didn’t write, but I want you to take cover songs and use them to tell your story.”

I let myself be in the moment and listen to everything they had to say. I mean, Gwen Stefani, she’s just a class act, and she’s never taken a no for an answer in her career. It’s been an honor to be able to work with her. It was an easy decision.

MN: What has it been like to work with her?

LE: Gwen is amazing, she just exudes confidence, and you can tell that she’s been doing this for a long time. She’s confident, but she’s not cocky. She wants what’s best for people and she gives good feedback. She’s beautiful inside and out.

MN: What are you most excited about for the show?

LE: I think, I’m most excited for people to not only be able to see what I do and the performances, but for people to resonate with the other artists as well. I’ve grown so close to them, they’re like my family now. I know each and every one of these people. To see them shine on stage as well is so cool — and to see people pick their favorites and stand behind the artist that they love and really go all they way with them and follow their story and their journey throughout the rest of their career.

MN: What are you most worried about?

LE: At some point, there’s — probably just whenever you expose yourself on national television and put yourself out there — there’s going to be people who badmouth you.

You can’t worry about what people think, and you have to be confident in who you are.

But it’s been nothing but a positive experience for me so far, and I’ve gotten so much love and support. It’s important to stick with the people who care about you the most.

MN: What songs would you most like to sing on the show?

I am a huge soul fan. My genre is pop soul, with kind of an acoustic feel to it because I play guitar.

I’d like to play “Let’s Stay Together” by Al Green or “Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers. And I kind of put my own spin on some pop songs, something like “Latch” by Sam Smith and Disclosure, put my own take on it. But I like indie music as well. So “Hold Back the River” by James Bay would be fun. And “Chariot” by Gavin DeGraw.

I kind of like to jazz it up and put a funky spin on it. I think it would be fun to do those songs. It would represent me.

MN: Say you win, what do you plan to do after that?

LE: I’d take the platform and take the exposure, take what I’ve learned and what I’ve gained throughout the show and put out my own album.

It’d be fun to collaborate with other artists — not only with artists from this season but with artists from other seasons.

It’d be fun to take what I’ve learned and see where I can go. Kind of use it as a launching pad and go on for a successful career.

MN: Was there anything else you wanted to say?

LE: Thank you to the Cal Poly community for reaching out in so many different ways and giving me so much love and support. It was the place that molded me and shaped me for four years, gave me the confidence to step out. Thank you to the kinesiology department for letting me step out and Learn by Doing.

And I love that that’s Cal Poly’s motto, because you really don’t learn until you step out and do it. I just feel like I can’t say thank you enough. Huge thanks to Cal Poly as a university and the types of people who go there. - Mustang News