NO GAME PLAN
A CONVERSATION WITH ELOVET
Elovet (Ajaye Franklin II) is a new solo artist from Atlanta, Georgia. To date he has released two album length EP’S (8269416, 2016 and Rift, 2017) and two EPs (Crazy (Cover) and B-Sides Vol 1, both released in 2017). The name Elovet is his middle name. He did not know what to go by, so he went with his middle name, pronounced a little differently (ee-LOW-vet).
“A little over a year ago I hit the record button for the first time and recorded the 8269416 EP,” says Elovet during our recent conversation. “The title comes from the dates it was recorded.”
Elovet is an independent artist in more ways than one. He releases his music independently but he is also very independent in the studio.
“I do everything myself. I just want to make music, so I start working. I find a sound I like and start building layers. I build a soundscape of sorts. I am writing constantly, on my notepad, then sit down with my computer and instruments.”
This style of recording and playing music can be isolating at times and he is one in the long line of artists (Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Prince to name just three) who works by himself in the studio and not releasing it until he is convinced it is done. But for Elovet, it goes beyond the recording of the music, it extends into the presentation of his music. He designs the sleeves and takes the majority of the photography himself. He is in total control of his art and he does this without any real concrete plan.
“I don’t stick to a plan,” says Elovet. “I have worked with musicians who are very formulaic and if that works for them, great, but for me it has to be fluid, jazzy, poetry in music. I like to let it grow organically, just let things happen.
“It is a matter of responding to what you are. I mean it is really jazz at the heart, you know the old jazz improv pieces, well it is like that but just with today’s tools of the trade.”
Along with Gnarls Barkley, Elovet’s influences is a wide net and although the he loves certain artists, they serve as inspiration rather than straight influences.
“Bon Iver, Volcano Choir, Screamin Jay Hawkins, Bjork, The Beatles, Kyp Malone, Arctic Monkey and Flying Lotus. There are others, but those come to mind right now”
Recently Elovet has released a new EP, B-Sides Vol 1. These are songs that did not quite fit on his first two EP’s. But these songs are not rejects, in fact they are as good as anything Elovet has released, they just did not fit.
“I have over an hour’s worth of music, I just have to curate it. You know, for me the joy is the journey of turning this music into songs.”
Elovet is a young artist at the beginning of his career. Although he has issued a lot of music in a short time, there are even greater things to come from this talented young man. But what is his message at this stage.
“My message is still developing, but I would say it is about honesty. Being honest to yourself, even to a fault. Be open to yourself. In order to be creative, I believe you have to be honest.”
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