Currently Listening to E!ANA “Cognitive Dissonance” + Interview

Produced by a Girl Artist Interview -

e!ena

cognitive dissonance

Hi! What was the inspiration behind “cognitive dissonance?”

I think that, even though it’s probably not going to be my “best” release since it’s one of my first, it will always mean the most to me. It’s all about a mental health episode I had near the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. I experienced a lot of traumatic events that I had dismissed for a while. They eventually sort of just culminated and hit me all at once. That song truly helped me get through that experience.

It’s meant to illustrate what it feels like to have anxiety and depression, on top of those traumatic events I endured; it depicts the feeling of utter hopelessness and almost like you’re going insane. The turnaround in the melody near the end represents that gleam of hope that truly does exist and the possibilities that are to come, (cliche, I know, but it’s true!)

How did you come up with the exclamation point in e!ena? It’s really cool.

Thanks! I honestly just thought it would look cool and set me apart from other artists named “Elena”.

What made you decide to pick up music during the pandemic?

I ended up taking a semester off of school during the pandemic to focus on myself for a bit. That was when I turned to music as an outlet and way of coping with anxiety and depression disorders, combined with my personal experience of the pandemic.

What’s your biggest dream in your music journey you’re looking to come true?

My biggest (and most ambitious) dream with regard to music would certainly be to get the chance to work with my favorite artist and one of my greatest influences, Billie Eilish. She does a stellar job of creating meaningful lyrics that her listeners can relate to. I really hope that my music can touch people in the way that her music has touched me.

Please explain your creative process.

I usually start by playing around with a chord progression or riff on my electric guitar, or coming up with random lyrics throughout the day that I either write in my notes app on my phone or in my little red music notebook. I try to pick out lines that fit well with individual chord progressions and start to put things together in Logic Pro. I must say, the production aspect of making music is extremely difficult for me, but the process and outcome is always worth it.

What’s an average day like for you with music?

I usually focus on my music during the weekends when I’m not working, (I currently work full time as a medical assistant at my local hospital). I’d say the average day mostly consists of me playing around with Logic and piecing things together after already coming up with lyrics and melodies.

Is there a hidden meaning in any of your music or deeper meaning you want your fans

to know?

Honestly, I prefer listeners to interpret my lyrics so that it appeals to their own lives/personal situations. You learn a lot about yourself that way.

Do you collaborate with others in the studio? What is that process like?

I write all of my lyrics and most of my melodies myself. I have one song where a friend of mine, (Julian Bunch - he’s a stellar guitarist) wrote a catchy chord progression in high school and just never found use for it. When he played it for me, I was incredibly impressed. We decided to work together on adding more melodies to the piece and I created lyrics.

With regard to production, I complete a majority of it before sending the project off to a colleague who mixes and masters the piece.

I know your fans would love to hear how they can interact with you. Is there a way you

prefer to connect with them?

The best way for fans to interact with me would probably be through Instagram, (@e.avradop). I’m on there way too often and love talking to new people with an interest in music.

What is your favorite part about this line of work?

Definitely the lyrics. They are so metaphorical and meaningful to me in a way that makes me feel at ease when I read them; like I am finally able to explain how I was feeling at the time.

What’s your favorite performance been and why?

I’m honestly still very new to the music scene and have not had many performances. However, my favorite performance was probably my first, (and worst) performance at my elementary school as a kid. I was afraid to perform by myself so I recruited a few friends to go up with me. Unfortunately, I was the only one who was really serious about preparing for the performance. While I was playing guitar and singing, one friend was playing a totally different song on piano, another was dancing, one was doing cartwheels in the background, and I’m pretty sure we even had someone on the bongos. It was a mess to say the least, but I did learn that I needed to get over my stage fright.

What advice would you have for someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?

First of all, I’d be flattered by anyone wanting to follow in my footsteps. To answer the question, I’d say that there are literally no rules in music. In fact, the best way to come up with a good song is through experimentation, especially with sounds that you wouldn’t expect to work well together.

Do you have any big projects or shows coming up?

I’m planning on releasing another single by the end of January, 2023, and hopefully will have my first EP out by the end of 2023. As for shows, I’m still working on that.