Ellise lives for the drama—even when it only sort of exists.
Videos by American Songwriter
Today (March 12), the Los Angeles-based artist shares another alt-pop banger, and it’s called “Feeling Something Bad.” Featured below with an accompanying video, the song finds Ellise clinging to a new crush that she knows is going absolutely nowhere.
Maybe my obsessions drive me mad, Ellise sings in the hook, which pairs her sweet, sticky melodies with pulsing beats and blaring synths. The Bay Area native wrote the track herself then teamed up with producer Mica Gordon to bring it to life (Gordon also executive produced Ellise’s forthcoming debut album, which is due later this spring).
Ellise’s last single, “Bubblegum Brain,” arrived with a colorful fisheye flick featuring drag icon Shea Couleé. It’s a far cry from her new video for “Feeling Something Bad,” which is a dark, sultry, surgical nightmare. “‘Bubblegum Brain’ and ‘Feeling Something Bad’ have very opposite music video aesthetics,” Ellise tells American Songwriter over email. “The point was that this video is sort of ‘hell’ and ‘Bubblegum Brain’ was ‘heaven.’”
The rising 22-year-old pop singer spoke to American Songwriter about her new single, her recent influences such as Hayley Williams and Ariana Grande, and what to expect from her debut album. Check out the full interview and watch the “Feeling Something Bad” visual below.
American Songwriter: Tell us a little bit about your new track “Feeling Something Bad.” What’s it about? What was the vibe you were going for?
Ellise: So ‘Feeling Something Bad’ is basically about having a crush on someone where you already know it’s unattainable for whatever the reason. Honestly, this song is about a boy I barely even knew and only hung out with a couple of times. I just love dramatizing little everyday feelings in life, so this is my big dramatic I-have-a-crush-on-you song. For the sound, ‘Feeling Something Bad’ is actually kind of symbolic in a way to me, because the day I made it, I felt like I had a breakthrough with how I make music. It was so different from anything I had made before, and it really pushed me to keep challenging myself throughout the making of the rest of my upcoming album.
AS: What was the vision for the music video?
Ellise: My last single ‘Bubblegum Brain’ and ‘Feeling Something Bad’ have very opposite music video aesthetics. The point was that this video is sort of ‘hell’ and ‘Bubblegum Brain’ was ‘heaven.’ For ‘Feeling Something Bad,’ I wanted the visual to be dark, eerie, and high energy. The video aesthetic is a compliment to the narrative of the song. Growing feelings for someone who you know it won’t work out with is both a scary and exciting feeling.
AS: How’d the Shea Couleé collaboration come about for the “Bubblegum Brain” video? Are you a big Shea Couleé / Drag Race fan?
Ellise: Having Shea in the ‘Bubblegum Brain’ video was a dream. I’m a huge fan and meeting her and seeing how kind she was in real life was so amazing. We met on the set of my video because my creative director asked if she would want to be in it and she was so down. It was just so fun. The video was so leveled up and she absolutely killed it with the glam, outfit, and acting.
AS: I know you’re from the Bay Area. Where’s home originally? And when did you first start making music?
Ellise: I moved around all over the Bay Area growing up so it will definitely always feel like home. Although I did move to L.A. at 17, and I’m 22 now, so L.A. is beginning to feel like home recently too. I’ve been making original music since my early teens, from just messing around on a USB mic in GarageBand to making songs just for fun. I’ve been singing since I was a baby, but didn’t get confident enough to really delve in and create my own serious original music until I was about 18. Since then I just can’t stop.
AS: When did you write and record the songs on your debut album? Who did you work with to bring the songs to life?
Ellise: This album has been in the process since late 2019. Most of the songs were made in 2020 and a few even earlier this year. It’s been an ever-changing, ever-evolving project and I’m so happy with it. The album I thought I would be happy with early last year doesn’t even come close to where it’s at now.
I was lucky enough to find an amazing team and sign to Empire Records and Sal&Co management in 2020, so I had a lot of time to really dig deep and make all the drafts and edits I could ever want while also creating visuals and other aesthetic pieces for the album. Most of the tracks are just self-written, minus a few that I worked with some amazing co-writers on. It’s executive produced by Micah Gordon, who has been the key element of bringing this album to life with me.
AS: What are some recent inspirations or influences?
Ellise: I’ve been listening to a lot of old Paramore recently. Hayley Williams is literally the coolest person ever so I always watch their videos and listen to them to get myself in a happy music-making mood. I also had ‘west side’ from positions by Ariana Grande on repeat for two months. I’m not kidding, that song did something to me and I don’t know what it was but I was UNHEALTHILY obsessed with it. Listening to it made me want to do a whole new round of songs to potentially add to my album.
Visually, I’ve basically over the years curated my entire Instagram Explore page into an endless moodboard, and I go through and save things that look nice or pretty to me and then just sift through that when I’m thinking about inspiration for visuals, style, or makeup.
AS: Lastly, what’s something your fans might not know about you that you want to share?
Ellise: My favorite foods are corn (not on the cob), white rice with soy sauce, and chocolate lava cake. I’m also allergic to penicillin and pineapples.
“Feeling Something Bad” is out now. Chaotic arrives later this spring.
