On June 15, Elephante released his brand new EP, titled “Glass Mansion” which contained high-calibre collaborations with the likes of Matluck, Nevve, Anjulie, Knightly, Crystal, and Deb’s Daughter. It’s certainly a favourite collection of ours, with all nine tracks being unforgettable. It certainly excites us for more new music.
Elephante, real name Tim Wu, is probably best known for his remixes for the likes of Clean Bandit, Lorde, Katy Perry, and Calvin Harris. He has built his DJ career up and has continued to impress throughout. His most-streamed track to-date is “Catching On” which featured Nevve and was released on his previous EP “I Am The Elephante”, which dropped in 2016. His latest EP is just as awesome and sure is gaining some traction.
We had the amazing opportunity to exclusively interview Elephante before his set at Center Of Gravity festival in July, about his new EP release, what it was like to work with the people who feature on some of his tracks, as well as his extensive touring.
Hi Elephante, how are you today? Are you having a good day? What have you been up to?
Yo! I’m doing great, just got to my hotel in Kelowna, British Columbia, and hanging out, waiting for my set at Center of Gravity, today.
You recently released your EP “Glass Mansion”. Can you tell us more about your EP and what the EP means to you?
The EP is 9 songs, and they’re all really special to me – I think it’s the most emotional and personal music I’ve ever made.
It was inspired by looking up at the Hollywood Hills at night, and seeing all the sparkling beautiful houses on the hills, and thinking about how badly I wanted one of those. But then I thought that a couple years ago all I ever wanted was to be able to make music for a living, so I realized that the finish line kept moving. So the EP is about figuring out how to be happy and different stories on that theme.
Using five words, which ones would you use to describe “Glass Mansion”?
Ambition, desire, loss, nostalgia, joy.
Which track is your current favourite, and why?
It’s hard to say, but off the EP my favorite is the title track “Glass Mansion” – for one thing, I’m singing on it, but it’s the most personal song I’ve written and really brings together the whole EP and tells this story I’ve been wanting to say for a long time.
The EP contains features from Matluck, Nevve, Anjulie, Knightly, Crystal, and Deb’s Daughter. What were each of the acts like to work with? And who would you like to collaborate with again?
They were all incredible – they all brought different vibes to the table and really pushed me creatively on where I could take the songs. I’d love to work with all of them again.
The first release from the EP was “Troubled”, can you tell us more about this song?
“Troubled” is a song about trying to find joy in a world that has passed you by. It’s about that feeling that everything is crashing down around you, but you still find a way to get through it.
It was followed up with the song “Come Back For You”, what is this song about?
This song is about feeling like a cowboy – knowing that you’re gonna go out and take on the world and still come back and get the girl (or boy). It’s that attitude where you think you can do anything, but still having that wistful sense of wanting to return home.
It features Matluck, how did that collaboration come about?
We connected through a writer, Peter Hanna, that I love working with. He had this song with Matluck, and I fell in love with it.
It’s currently the most-streamed track to-date from the EP, what’s it like knowing it has over 4 million Spotify streams?
It’s great – honestly, I try not to look too much at Spotify plays because it messes with my head. More important to me is when I hear people tell me they love it in person, that’s really fulfilling.
At CelebMix, we really like Anjulie and love your collaboration with her. How did that come
About?
I had this idea for the song that I wrote on, on the road, in a nameless hotel room, and Anjulie had reached out through an email to my manager. I loved her voice and her whole vibe, so we got together in my studio and finished the song. It was a blast to make.
The song is called “The In Between”, what’s the song about?
It’s about that feeling of being stuck in purgatory and being pulled apart by two worlds. On the one hand, you’re ready to move on and feeling strong, and on the other, you know that any second you could fall back and relapse. It’s like your own personal Upside Down from Stranger Things.
You’ve collaborated with Nevve a few times, can you tell us why and what it is like to work with her?
She’s the best – her voice is obviously amazing, but our vibes really mesh well. We’re always finishing each other’s sentences.
You have a few more festivals lined up, which one are you most looking forward to performing at?
I’m really excited for Moonrise in Baltimore – last year was one of the craziest shows I’ve played, so I’m stoked to come back and play on the mainstage.
You’re also embarking on a Glass Mansion Estate Tour, how excited are you for that?
So pumped – we’re working on a brand new show with new visuals and new music. I’m really proud of everything we’re creating and it’s going to be next level.
How does your own gigs on tour differ to your performances on festival stages?
It’s usually a little more intimate, and a little more flexible – I can free wheel a little more, whereas the festival sets are a little more planned out and structured.
Do you have any iconic memories from one of the festivals you performed at?
Having the pyro go off and see flames exploding everywhere as I was playing Dynasty at EDC was pretty special.
How do you find the time to record music and tour extensively?
Making music is the most fun thing ever, so it’s not really a job for me – I love doing it so it’s easy to find time.
Now, back to your EP. What makes your Glass Mansion EP a must-listen set of tracks?
It’s the most personal set of music I’ve ever made, and I finally feel like I’m making the kind of music that I hear in my head, and it really represents everything I love about music.
Do you plan on releasing a full album sometime in the future?
Stay tuned.
What can we expect from you for the rest of the year?
I”m releasing a companion EP to Glass Mansion with remixes and VIP edits, and then the nation wide Glass Mansion tour of course.
And, finally, do you have a message for your fans?
Thank you for all your support, and catch you out on the road!
Thank you, Elephante, for answering our questions, we’re excited about the upcoming companion EP, as we love a good remix. We hope to get to see you perform live one day, and that tease about a full album has got us interested, we’ll wait patiently because we know it’ll be worth it.
“Glass Mansion” EP is available to download and stream right now. It’s a total must-listen, with every song a sure-fire track. Expect more new releases from Elephante soon. If you want to listen to more Elephante music, check out his Spotify profile.