Although his Spotify page is still a work in progress, Elliot Boyd has big plans. After winning the Rob Acda Award he played between other big artists at Bevrijdingspop 2022. As of right now Elliot is focusing on his upcoming EP release where you will hear more songs like his last release ‘Floating’. As a queer artist he shares his experiences and views on different topics through his music. We were lucky enough to do an interview with him before his big breakthrough.
Hi Elliot, lovely to have you on our second season of Pride Presents. First question: how would you identify yourself?
I identify as a pan-sexual man.
How would you identify your music?
I would describe my music as alternative synth pop. I try not to compare myself to other artists but other people usually describe my music as a mix of James Blake, Troye Sivan and Thomas Azier.
Who’s an artist you are loving right now?
Right now I am listening to a lot of Sevdaliza, Jamie XX and Ryan Beatty. Three amazing artists that also happen to be Queer.
What does “Queer” mean to you?
Being Queer means more to me now than when I was younger. Because of the fact that I am Queer I also befriend a lot of Queer and open-minded people. The people I surround myself with influence how I think, the parties I go to and the music I listen to. So in that sense, they influence the way that I express myself.
What does “Pride” mean to you?
To me, Pride means just owning who you are and expressing yourself in whichever way you want to.
What is your most important song? And what is it about?
My debut single ‘Floating’ is a very special song to me.
In this song I’m evoking memories of being a young Queer man in a toxic relationship. It’s about slowly crossing personal boundaries when dating someone that is way more experienced and confident in their sexual identity. That disorientated feeling of newfound understandings of love are explored when the song bursts out in the dark choruses. That’s my favorite part.
What’s your favourite line from the song? And why?
In the chorus of the song ‘Floating’ I’m describing an outer body experience which is also visualized in the music video.
Do you have a funny story/anekdote about the song or video? Tell us.
Haha, actually I do! In the second verse of Floating I’m singing ‘Do I look like a troubled child?’. This actually refers to the text on a leather jacket from the guy I’m singing about. So this kinda gives away who it is.
How does being Queer influence your musical process?
Being Queer definitely influences the themes in my music. Some of my songs are about Queer relationships and I recently wrote a song about toxic masculinity. These are all topics that are discussed within the Queer community and should be discussed more in music.
What is your experience in the music industry as a Queer artist?
I feel like being a Queer artists makes it harder to attract a mainstream audience. However, being Queer can also create new opportunities. There is a growing amount of support of Queer artists during the Pride months, where a lot of Queer artists get their first bookings. That is super important. That’s why I am also organizing a Queer music event in Amsterdam later this year. I think it’s important to have more queer music events apart from pride month.
How has the past years affected your songwriting and recording process?
During the pandemic I wrote way less music than I usually do. Which is weird because I had way more time to write. Also, recording just took way more time. The whole process just felt kind of frustrating.
However during that time I have also been collaborating online with people from all over the world. I feel like people are more open to online writing sessions now that we are more used to it. This brings a whole new level of opportunities for me to write with amazing songwriters across the globe.
What do you wish you had known when you were starting out in the music industry?
In this industry it is super important to know the right people. If I can give any advice to anyone starting out it would be to know to power of networking early on in your career.
What is the song/artist that has influenced you the most in your life?
It’s hard to just name one but I think James Blake.
What was your first experience with Queer music?
When I was younger I never realized that there was a thing like Queer music. It wasn’t until I want to Queer clubs in Amsterdam where everyone seem to connect to the same songs.
What can we expect from you in the future?
My dream is to tour and do big festivals in Europe. Kind of like Oscar & The Wolf. Next to that I would love to be a creative director and co-songwriter for other artists as well.
What would you like the future of the Queer art community to look like? Or to represent?
I hope everyone that is part of the LGBTQIA+ community will feel represented in music one day. I also think it’s interesting to collaborate with more Queer people that practice other forms of art.
What’s next for you?
Later this year I’ll be releasing an EP which I’m really looking forward to!
If you want to find out more about Elliot Boyd and his music, check out his Spotify profile.