Elliot James Reay on First Love, Indulging Elvis Comparisons, and Debut EP

“I’m not Elvis,” Elliot James Reay brushes off quickly as the conversation veers towards the public’s enthusiastic reception of his breakthrough single and comparisons to the undisputed American king of rock-and-roll, “I’m something different.”

Photograph by Julian Buchan

If you think you find yourself unacquainted with Elliot, I’d urge you to think again, and this time with your social media feed in mind. 

23-year-old Elliot James Reay began his career as a pre-teen busking in the market town of Bury, Manchester, where he would sing covers of classical rock-and-roll songs from Elvis Presley, Billy Fury, Roy Orbison, and other trailblazers of the genre, only to be met with great warmth and appreciation from members of the crowd who would then share with him stories they associated with the songs and sometimes provide feedback.  

“Those stories really helped me get into this music and understand what music of this specific era does to people,” Elliot reminisces. Regarding the question of who he inherits his musicality from, he mentions, “My parents can both sing and they said they’re either going to have an Elvis Presley or a tone-deaf kid.”

Elliot posted his first cover of an Elvis Presley song, “Love Me”, on his YouTube channel in July of 2019, marking his initial venture into producing covers for his social media platforms. As he built his online presence with more covers, and a very hefty total of ninety and counting kitchen-sink videos where he sings while labouring through daily chores and routines, acclaim followed. A quick look at his comment section across platforms reveals just how deeply the audience appreciates every element of his vocal and physical presentation, with some praising his smooth as silk intonations, immaculately coiffured hair embodying the style of the 50s, and thinking back to when they were young and these songs were played on the radio.

Prior to releasing his first studio single as an independent artist, Elliot underwent a rite of passage for any and all creatives across time: burnout. 

“I was mostly facing a lot of repetition in life that made me sick of TikTok, posting videos and covers, and things like that.” He continues, “I knew I had to go out and see something that wasn’t just my bedroom and four walls anymore.”

What followed was a trip through southeast Asia with his partner that Elliot describes as transformative, both personally and for his music, “I had a friend in Indonesia who played bass in a band, and he invited me up on stage because he saw that I had my guitar with me. That was when the spark came back, and I thought that I really do enjoy doing what I’m doing — the passion is still there.”

“I Think They Call This Love” debuted in July of 2024, and has probably already graced your social media algorithms considering the 115 million streams on Spotify alone. 

Elliot subsequently signed with Interscope Records and followed his sensational debut single with “Boy In Love”, “Daydreaming”, and most recently, “Who Knew Dancing Was A Sin.”

Befitting an artist whose muse throughout his entire discography is his lover, Elliot confesses to facing a tough time trying to conceive a breakup song since having had his first love fulfilled, he has never experienced heartbreak. He credits most of the motivation behind producing “Who Knew Dancing Was A Sin” to his partner’s parents, who have been frequenting clubs playing northern soul music from a young age.

The term northern soul was coined by journalist and Black music savant Dave Godin, and is known for its characteristic soulful vocals, high-tempo beats, and a frenetic nature; perfectly designed to keep one glued to the dance floor until the first rays of dawn pierce through the night.

Much of the essence of northern soul music has been exemplified, replicated, and sprinkled with an additional sense of mischief in an underlying lyrical plot alluding to perceived infidelity in “Who Knew Dancing Was A Sin.”

Elliot boasts an impeccably magnetic stage presence with his boyishly handsome features belying a deep, bold, and unapologetically passionate vocal tone. When asked about what aids his enthralling, soulful performances, he details, “I tend to get lost in the music. Once I’m lost in it, I think everyone else is as well. Another thing may be that I sound like the record. To me, that’s just how it should be for this style of music — you shouldn’t sound different to the record and it shouldn’t be something that you struggle to recreate on stage.”

Off-stage, he is warm, bashful with a winsome smile, considerate, and undeniably crowned with a sparkling halo of youth.

My personal favourite from his upcoming debut EP is “Sweetness”, a song Elliot claims to have struggled most minimally with during songwriting, and a favourite behind the scenes that he can best describe (unironically) as sweet. I’d have to agree with him here; this song is teeth-rottingly saccharine, evoking a sense of nostalgia and the spirit of summer love — wedding aisles, seasonal fruits, honey and caramel and bubblegum, the hazy feeling of being so single-mindedly devoted to lingering at the altar of love.

“I’m not Elvis,” Elliot brushes off quickly as the conversation veers towards the public’s enthusiastic reception of his breakthrough single, building anticipation for his upcoming EP, and comparisons to the undisputed American king of rock-and-roll, “I’m something different.”

Elliot remains resoundingly firm in his resolution to forge his own path forward in an era marking a renaissance of vintage music amongst the current and newer generations. While he enjoys dissecting modern music to find hints and odes to more historical genres, he is a keen advocate of marrying vintage musical arrangements with contemporary lyrical sensibilities, “I try to keep it current and use modern language with some references to the past because it would otherwise not connect with people. I like to maintain a good mixture of old-school love with the language of today that connects it well.”

While Elliot does not wish to prematurely disclose items in his calendar, you can expect to hear more of him on a full-length album in the foreseeable future; “An album is something we’re working towards. There’s a slight bit of pressure to make sure I get it right.”

Ever the consummate musician, he divulges, “It has to have at least ten incredible songs — I don’t want to have a single one that people hear and think is a miss.”

In the meantime, you can watch him live on the British leg of his tour with additional North American dates to be anticipated. At the time of this interview, Elliot was a week away from beginning rehearsals.

For someone who has set the bar considerably high with only five tracks embellishing his discography so far, Elliot appears to have embarked on the path to continue and scale it higher.

What made you feel certain that this sound you are continually crafting and improving is right for you?

For me, it started when I was busking. I was a massive fan of Elvis and performing his songs shaped me a lot. A lot of the audience who came to see me in Bury came to the market, which is a famous place where people from all around the north of England come to, and the demographic of this market consists of a lot of older people. The music lent itself pretty well, and I had a lot of feedback from people telling me all sorts of things.

They would tell me stories of when they went to see Elvis, and how a song made them feel, or how this song was played at someone’s wedding. Those stories really helped me get into this music and understand what music of this specific era does to people.

“Can’t Help Falling In Love” is one of those songs that people would still have as their first dance or would walk down the aisle to. That kind of music is timeless and part of the reason why I love it so much. It just so happened that I also enjoyed singing it, and I feel and sound my best when I am. It inspired me to separate myself from everything else and simply be me, showcase my voice as it is, and I think that that was important for me to learn.

Your music channels a vintage sound that contrastingly feels both timeless and fresh. How do you balance honouring classical influences with creating something that resonates with today’s audience?

I try to keep everything within that specific world, which is very difficult when everyone around me suggests we add something and I have to disagree to keep it the way I would like to listen to it. 

The recording techniques and equipment we use is a big thing that can really help shape a song and make it feel more modern. A lot of recordings back then didn’t have the low end and other elements that most records use now. If you were to take my records and pull that out, it would sound like it was from that era.

As with the lyrics and the messages of love, I try to keep it current and use modern language with some references to the past because it would otherwise not connect with people. I like to maintain a good mixture of old-school love with the language of today that connects it well.

What aspects of 1950s music do you find most inspiring for your own creative process?

The thing that I love the most is the melodies. As I listen to a lot of songs today, I realise that the go-to thing for most people who are songwriting is to pick out some cards, hum a melody, and then put the words together.

It wasn’t that way back then. I’ve been reflecting on a lot of Brian Wilson music and his passing has resurfaced a lot. Everything was melody-first when he wrote things and that’s what makes his songs stand out, and a lot of musicians from that era wrote that way.

That is something that I try to put into my music. I don’t think about the chords to put a melody down — I put the melody down and then think about the chords. And that might be something that helps my songs.

Your recent singles blend classic 50s-60s rock with a modern pop sensibility. Which of these tracks gives us the clearest glimpse into the theme and sound of your upcoming EP, and how do you envision its sonic direction evolving throughout the rest of the release?

That’s quite difficult because I do think that all the songs that are out would probably be part and parcel since it’s all about love, whether it’s about having love or being in love. The whole EP is a very lovey-dovey EP, and I don’t think there’s a deeper meaning to that. 

It’s setting me up so that when I release my next body of work, it will be about something that’s not love. What that will be, I don’t know yet.

It’s only been a year since your breakthrough single came out. What has been the biggest change in your life since then?

It has been a slight bit of a rollercoaster. There were a few things we had to deal with in terms of trying to push the single out to as many listeners as possible given that this style of music is perhaps not the first thing people want to promote. I had a lot of people telling me in the beginning that this wasn’t the first thing I should be putting out and that I should release something more radio-friendly or widely liked instead.

I focused on listening to my gut instincts, and I’ve continued doing that, especially with a lot of things that were the result of that song. 

A lot has changed, but it doesn’t always feel like it has. I’m still the same person. I think more people just know my face now and point at me on the streets. It’s nice.

Your music video for “I Think They Call This Love” presents a strong adherence to the historical signature 50s style. What were some challenges or unexpected joys you experienced while producing a video with such a distinct aesthetic?

That particular video was filmed at the time when I was independent (unsigned), so a lot of it is homemade. I had to style myself, and it was very fun doing all of that and going out trying to find something that would be perfect for the video. I think I just really wanted to keep it simple and avoid overstating the song since it is the focal part of the video. I wanted people to listen to the song and have a visual simply accompanying it. I feel like it hit the nail on the head really well.

“I Think They Call This Love” captivated audiences across social media, and many listeners compared it to Elvis. How did you react to this overwhelming response, and do you think there’s an audience amongst the younger generation for vintage-inspired music?

When that song first took off, the Elvis element of it was helping the conversation amongst people, which pushed out the algorithm quite a fair bit.

People thinking the song was a cover of Elvis was interesting to me because while it is indeed flattering, I personally don’t think it sounds like Elvis. I know his fanbase very well and they’re very hardcore in saying nothing can be as good as Elvis, which I completely agree with because Elvis was Elvis. I’m not Elvis, I’m something different.

But it definitely helped push things along. I played into it slightly and made some TikToks around that idea. I’m certainly not complaining; it’s high praise to have people compare it to Elvis. 

I do think vintage-style music has its role to play with people today. There’s a lot of music out there that we listen to without realizing it’s a sample from that era. That’s what music from that era does to people, it can really bring back joy and real music in my eyes.

It’s making a comeback and it’s a good thing to happen.

Many of your tracks, such as “I Think They Call This Love”, are very intimate and emotionally raw. When you approach the microphone, either in the studio or on stage, what emotions or memories are you tapping into? 

These songs were written with my first love, who’s sitting right across from me now, in mind. It’s a little easier for me since she’s usually always in the room and I can see her so there’s not much need to envision. She’s really good at egging me on and asking me to give more.

I like to do this thing where I’ll use a handheld microphone and try to tap into the feeling of being onstage, and that’s usually when I’m able to give my most. The studio is a different setting with no crowd or people watching, so that helps me with the performance side of recording a vocal.

Are there any relationships in your life that inspire this caliber of songwriting, or does your music primarily channel the essence of old school love as we know it from that era of media?

My relationship sparked during the pandemic, so it was really difficult to have a traditional relationship because we had to initially rely on video calls and messages. That’s also probably why I want to write these songs since a part of me does want to experience that kind of a thing. Tapping into what I want helps me write the next song. 

I can sit here and tell you what I’ve got, but what I want is what I’ll reach for. It’s different now since we can obviously see each other in person again and go out on dates normally.

I think it would be difficult to write a breakup song because I’ve never broken up before. It’s definitely one of those things where a lot of it is coming from experience whereas some is derived slightly from fantasy or what I think something would feel like.

I wouldn’t know how to explain it exactly. It’s love, isn’t it?

You’ve previously mentioned that travelling saved your passion for music at a time when you almost gave up. Can you share more about what you experienced during the eighteen months you were away from home? What did seeing the world and subsequently stepping outside of your comfort zone teach you about yourself and inspire your songwriting on an emotional level?

At the time when I did travel, I was mostly facing a lot of repetition in life that made me sick of TikTok, posting videos and covers, and things like that. I hadn’t released any music at that point, so it was just the covers and constantly chasing things on social media. I just got really disheartened with that and constantly wondering where this is going to go. I knew I had to go and see something else that wasn’t just my bedroom and four walls anymore.

The first place I went to was Bali, which is usually the last place people visit when travelling through south east Asia. We went with whatever money we had in our bank accounts, which wasn’t a lot for the two of us, and just tried to see how far we could get. And I thought that just this excitement of not knowing what’s next was what I was chasing.

What really sparked that want to return to music again was meeting people and experiencing their lives. A lot of people took us in and showed us all the things that we’d never seen before in each country. I wouldn’t say that any of these countries were the same as the last one we went to, and each culture was so different.

At the time, I had a friend in Indonesia who played bass in a band, and he invited me up on stage because he saw that I had my guitar with me. That was when the spark came back, and I thought that I really do enjoy doing what I’m doing — the passion is still there.

That was what got me back into TikTok and trying to make something more relatable for people. That’s where the kitchen sink videos came from.

Looking back, is there one project or risk you took that you feel truly defined your path as an artist?

Definitely deciding the first single. I had some things lined up which didn’t work out the way that I wanted them to, and that forced me to change the hand of the card I was playing. 

That’s when “I Think They Call This Love” was written. Who knows where I’d be if I hadn’t had that moment.

The moment where we decided that that was going to be the first single was the moment when things really changed because we had it produced and ready to go and social media took off with it. It has been sitting in front of us for three to four months and we had just overlooked it, unable to figure out what the first single should be. We had to listen back to it to finally realise that this was the song.

That was probably the most prominent moment in my whole career.

Your stage presence is often described as magnetic. What does performance unlock within you that the studio perhaps doesn’t? How does your relationship with the audience shape that energy?

I tend to get lost in the music. Once I’m lost in it, I think everyone else is as well.

Upon listening back to my performances, I’ll often be my own worst critic and think about bettering things that perhaps a listener wouldn’t even notice in the first place. 

Another thing may be that I sound like the record. To me, that’s just how it should be for this style of music — you shouldn’t sound different to the record and it shouldn’t be something that you struggle to recreate on stage. I always strive to be able to sing my music on stage and prioritize that in my songwriting and development of tracks which helps a lot with performing.

“Who Knew Dancing Was A Sin” creates a vivid disco-era atmosphere. What inspired the track and how does it fit into the larger story of your upcoming EP?

My partner’s parents used to go dancing every weekend. They now go pretty much everyday, that’s the level that it’s gotten to with them. They go specifically northern soul dancing, which in the UK consists of all the old soul records from the 60s and 70s.

They grew up on that and still go out dancing to it today. They turned to us and said that they’d love a record that has that feel and sound, and that’s where you get that driving kick and snare which is constant throughout the song.

It was quite natural for me. The baseline came first, and we knew we wanted people to dance to this song. The best way to get them to do that would be to actually talk about dancing.

I don’t remember where the specific concept came from, but it was created from the back and forth between me, my partner, and the producers Soap (Josh Noble and Karl Ziegler).

It then turned into the idea where this is a song where maybe she’s thinking I’m cheating on her, but I’m actually just going out dancing. She has no idea who these people who I’m dancing to are, and she thinks that Jackie — who is Jackie Wilson — is a woman I’m seeing. There’s a subversive element to that which makes the song slightly more interesting and not another hollow dance song.

What are you most looking forward to this year?

Tour is a big one. I’ve never been out on the road so I’m really excited to experience that. There’s a lot going on that I cannot say since I don’t know the dates of things yet. 

I’m very excited for what’s to come in the next few months as well as the next year. An album is something we’re working towards. It has to have at least ten incredible songs — I don’t want to have a single one that people hear and think is a miss.

There’s a slight bit of pressure to make sure I get it right. But it’s all very exciting and I can’t wait for it to come out.

What can we expect from your live shows this summer?

I have done a show in Manchester before, which was like a little tester to see what it would look like and gauge how people would react to it. We set the bar pretty high with that and I’m really looking to try and push above that now to create a show that feels ready to take around the world and show everybody.

A lot of that is going to have to do with putting out the music, making the production sound as good as it can while letting the tour feel intimate in a way where it feels like you can only experience this in this particular round of the tour. That’s what I’m going to try to do with most of my tours and make it a unique, one-off experience.

This one’s going to be intimate: I want people to listen to the music and really enjoy it with no cares in the world.

Which track are you the most excited for fans to hear from your EP, and what makes it special to you?

“Sweetness” is one that I’ve been excited for. It contains a lot of components of the kind of song I would listen to. “Daydreaming” is also a big one that I really enjoyed singing and recording. 

The main thing for me is people experiencing this EP and interpreting it on their own. I don’t want to point out particulars because I feel like when we’re too specific, we lose out on a large scope of people’s interests who maybe do not relate to the surface-level interpretations of songs.

I want people to be able to get lost in the music and enjoy the songs the way that I do.

What do you want listeners to take away from this EP?

The clue’s in the title, “All This To Say I Love You”. It’s going to be five tracks of love songs back to back, some of which are happy and some of which are sad, and some are a love that maybe you don’t quite have but try to reach for.

I want to take people on a journey and try and show them from start to finish that love doesn’t have to be a certain way since everyone experiences it differently. I want people to feel like it’s alright to interpret relationships and emotions individually. Not everyone has to have the same relationship as everyone else.

Elliot James Reay's Debut EP "All This To Say I Love You" releases across all streaming platforms on 27/06/2025.

---

Ayesha Hasnain-Nasim is healthline zine's Blog + Contests Director and Instagram Manager who maintains her legacy of escaping bios by pinning the blame on her notorious pet rabbit, who is indeed chewing her socks. She's on Instagram as @its.just.ayesha.