Tell us a bit about yourself!
ELM are Irish queers making pop bangers in a dodgy area of south London. From angsty teens to raging queers, we have been on the creative journey together since the age of 16 (v cute), enjoying every moment of this beautifully chaotic rollercoaster that brings us around the world x
What does pride mean to you?
Pride is that sense of empowerment you get when you are living out your truth. Whether it’s not conforming to gender-norms or having a partner of the same sex, you are projecting the best version of yourself unapologetically to the world, whether people like it or not x
How do you feel being a part of the LGBTQ+ community affects you?
The key word here is ‘community’. There’s a beautiful interweaving network of support within the queer community. Seeing an artist who is just being themselves in their own individual, queer way is empowering beyond words. It reinforces the ideas in our own heads that ‘“YES!” the unique quirks and sparks that make us who we are should make us proud and to be presented in our own ways. It’s such a diverse community, with no two people being the same. We refuse to conform to any gender normative realm, and it lends to the most exciting safe space.
Who are your gay icons?
La Roux
Pet Shop Boys
MNEK
Erasure
Kim Petras
Dorian Electra
Troye Sivan
Josef Salvant
…. Too many
Is there anything you would change to give LGBTQ+ artists a bigger platform within the industry?
Although we are much further on than we once were in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights, the fight isn’t over. The music industry needs to play a further part in supporting queer artists and queer culture, to allow the younger generation of music fans have idols that represent them as humans. Not just gay men, not just gay women. We want to see a true narrative played out for every story in the LGBTQ+ community to ensure the younger versions of ourselves don’t feel alienated from this black and white world. A bright light needs to be shune on the beauty of individuality x
Tell us your gay anthem and why?
Aidan: The first ring tone on my Sony Ericsson was I don’t feel like dancing by the Scissor Sisters, way back in the noughties! I recall playing it nonstop through the little tin can speaker (revolutionary at the time) and securing the bop into my gay anthem hall of fame forever more.
Dylan: Michelle Mc Manus ‘All This Time’. A TRUE GAYCON.
What is your favourite part of the queer community within the industry?
Undivided love and support for expressing authentic self.
If you were to give your queer younger self any advice as an artist, what would that be?
LET GO OF THE PAIN, AND EMBRACE THE FREEDOM.
At the beginning of ELM’s journey, we were expressing the pain felt from the oppression of our younger self. We latched onto the hurt, and expressed that through the medium music. Although it was beautiful, it hurt. Re-living that through every performance was quite intense on our emotions.
Then one day, we decided to write a “fun song”, and rediscovered what a buzz we got from music. Performing empowering, pop, dance songs fills us with confidence to put those oppressive memories to bed, and embrace how fabulouis it is to be your authentic self.
Perhaps we will go back and re-write our struggle one day, but for now we want to live on the buzz of empowering pop bangers x
Catch ELM at Sound City 2020 and be sure to check out their absolute anthems on Spotify!
