IN CONVERSATION WITH

ELMIENE

by Maja Bebber

Photos By Nick Karp

"It all just feels right. If not now, then when?"

British-Sudanese singer and songwriter Elmiene is the coolest addition London currently has to offer. He only started his musical career about three years ago but has big plans for the future. Everything started when his video of a cover of D’Angelo went viral on Instagram. With his vibrant-but-soothing voice that mixes poetry and artistic songwriting, one can’t help but get swept off their feet and get lost in his being.

Last month, he released his new project For The Deported. The record sees him embracing his Sudanese heritage both musically and lyrically, and its title track is brilliant and intimate.

When we met up with Elmiene last year before the release of this record, our conversation centered around his earlier works, predominantly his breakout hit "Someday." 

For Elmiene, his hit song "Someday" is about a certain kind of love that he will hopefully experience again in the future, just like he has in the past. 

"The story of making the song was a bit of a joke," laughs Elmiene. "I was scrolling through TikTok and I saw this guy playing this R&B guitar riff, and I liked it and thought: let’s see what happens if I do it freestyle and see what’s going on. And I was like, you know what? Let’s just record a thing and see what happens. I just freestyled this, and it was kind of cool. And I found it six months later, and I thought: You got to finish this."

Elmiene is very nostalgic. "Someday I want a love in my life. It’s not really about a girl per se, but I mean, that’s the magic of songwriting – you can make it your own.”

R&B is right up Elmiene’s alley. But he’s open to exploring other genres such as folk music, rock and even punk.

“I love folk music. And old rock, you know? I mean, rock and folk have a lot of ties to soul. My songs are folk-inspired, and it kind of comes as a second instinct, really; it’s not too far away."

"But if I went far I do want to do punk because it’s so much fun. The energy is crazy, and it just feels good. Like a punk and soul kind of record would be amazing. Like a fusion of both would be cool.”

Even without being in the music industry for too long, the British singer has received critical acclaim already. He tells me about his favourite moment at one of his concerts. “I was doing a show in Brooklyn, New York," he remembers. "And I was doing an encore, and I ended up staying on stage for an extra half an hour. I played the keyboard and I decided to sing this unreleased song I’d never sang or played before. A guy said: ‘That’s a hit. As soon as you release that, I’m on it.’ And I love getting a compliment for something that’s not even released yet. This is cool. This is good stuff.“

In five years, Elmiene sees himself in New York. “I want to live in New York for a little bit. It’s just such an amazing city. There’s so much culture there," he says. He has big things happening for him this year.

“My next project coming up that I’m working on right now is almost finished," he says about the upcming For The Deported. "And also just a lot more shows, and I’m trying to go around Europe. I’ll be in America again and doing it all over again, but I just want to do it better and bigger. I just really want to get into the musician lifestyle."

"Every year, someone tells me, this is the year you should get serious. Every single time. And this year, I finally believe that this is the year, and I won’t be stopped, and I’m excited to get back to it.”

Even though this is his year, Elmiene still believes that everyone should move at their own pace no matter where they are in life. “I’d have to say that would be to keep going at your own pace. I think it’s really important, especially with how fast-paced my life can be."

"The thing I’m most grateful for is how I never feel rushed. But I don’t feel like I’m in a hurry. I don’t feel like I’m behind something. I just always feel like I’m right where I need to be.” 

For The Deported is out everywhere now.