Canada has always produced its fair share of country music talent but is spread out enough that many country artists may only get together at the annual Canadian Country Music (CCM) Awards, where they gather as a country family. Often, according to singer-songwriter Elyse Saunders from Peterborough, Ontario, they are just as likely to see each other in Nashville because, she says, “that’s the hub for all of us where music goes ‘round. It’s inspiring, a good place to collaborate.”
For Saunders, getting started in music was a natural. Her mother was a singer-songwriter, so she was exposed to music early. Elyse says, “I was inspired by what she did. I used to sing and dance around as a kid. I would grab her guitar and pull out the lyrics to create my own song as a hobby.”
Saunders knew she was a strong entertainer who loved being on stage, where she says she has always felt most at home. Her first exposure to the stage came through singing competitions for a couple of years, beginning when she was about 16. This experience let her get used to being on stage and having people hear her for the first time. Her dad pushed her to get out of her comfort zone, taking her to local music clubs when she was still underage.
“There would be a band playing, and he would hop me up on stage. I would play with the band and then get off and then leave. It was good having that exposure with people I could look up to and seeing how they could make songs their own and create those moments for audiences,” Elyse said.
These impromptu performances were different from the singing competitions, she says, more about real connection with an audience. “I was playing to a crowd and not just the judges,” she says.
Even though her mother was a singer-songwriter at home, Saunders says her family wasn’t necessarily out there doing music.
Elyse says, “They always loved and respected music, but it’s not like they had a background in it, so I had to figure it out. It felt backwards to go from the competition, which is really rigid, to more free, open performance, which music is all about. It was interesting to see both worlds.
“I always knew that I wanted to be an entertainer, but I didn’t know it was something I could actually do until I started meeting my mentors.” Her first mentor was Cyril Rawson, from her hometown, who had connections to the Nashville scene as a producer and a writer. With Rawson, she made her first trip to Music City more than ten years ago.
“It was incredible to have that experience so young, so early on. He showed me the ropes, and he never took it easy on me. He was always real and always wanted me to push myself to be the best version that I could be. Having him as my mentor, his bringing me to Nashville and showing me the scene, opened my eyes. I think early on having that influence made a big difference in becoming a professional.” She’s been going back and forth between Canada and Nashville ever since.
While she was exposed to a variety and loves all kinds of music, she says, “I think a good song is a good song no matter what genre, but country music is where I naturally fell into place because of where I come from. It related more to my roots and who I am as a person. I love how with country music I can tell stories and can be a relatable person.” She says, “I believe people tend to treat a country performer like a human being, whereas I feel bad for some pop artists. It’s like another level of unreality. I love being in country music and the down-to-earth values it brings.”
Saunders’ love of entertaining and connecting with a live audience, she says, feels more like a collaboration. She also embraces the collaboration and creativity that come from songwriting and the magic that happens in the studio. She started writing songs, she says, more for herself as a diary, but now that she is writing professionally, she is working more with co-writers. Working with other songwriters she looks up to has taught her a lot about the process.
During the pandemic, co-writing with both Canadian writers and Nashville songwriters has been taking place on Zoom calls or via Skype, which has eliminated the geographical barriers. She appreciates the opportunity to have connections but admits it’s not quite the same: “There’s something more tangible when you can actually be in person in that scene. I really miss it right now, and I hope I can go back to Nashville soon.”
After releasing the first two singles for her upcoming CD Free in 2020, Saunders looks forward to the album’s release this year, composed of songs all of which she has written or co-written.
Saunders says the title Free represents being “free of boundaries, free to be myself. It’s about celebration, love, and all different sides of life. With all of my songs, I try to put some kind of empowerment message in them, even if it is a romantic song or a summer anthem. With the album, there’s an overall theme of empowerment.
“I love being able to sing my own music because it just feels most real and authentic to me, but if the right one comes along, I’m up for it,” she says.
The CD release is currently planned for June 2021, she says, as long as it makes sense with restrictions. “We finished the rest of the recordings this past July when everything shut down. I had no idea if we’d actually be able to finish it, but there was a safe window, so I headed out to British Columbia to work with my different producers out there, and we’ve finished the songs. I think the last two are being mixed right now.”
The title song “Free,” released in summer, was a summertime anthem. Saunders says she had no idea what would happen releasing music in the middle of the pandemic but is glad they went ahead because of the reception, producing some of her most successful numbers and best exposure to date.
“I think that was because of the times we’re in; people watching the video could relate to the message if they were just looking for that material to grab on to,” says Saunders.
For the second single from the CD project, Saunders released “Wine Down” at the end of 2020, with plans for radio play in January. This song is more of a romantic ballad, a change of pace from “Free.” It was co-written with fellow Canadian Daryl Scott and Joey Green, hailing from Texas but now based in Nashville. Saunders and Scott ran into Green a couple of years ago while visiting Nashville. The three clicked and decided to write together. After a late night out, they knocked on Green’s door and the three sat down to write together.
Saunders says, “Daryl brought the title to me, ‘Wine Down,’ and I loved the play on words. Immediately I said I want to write that one. It was such a conversational title, and I could just imagine all the images. I’d been sitting on the idea for two years, mostly trying to get finances together and finding the right producers and team. The three of us had so much chemistry as writers and wrote that one in about two hours, so it was meant to be written that day.” They saw Green go on to appear on The Voice after their meeting.
As Saunders rides out the pandemic, she has had to shift her focus.
“Live music and being on stage were my number one thing. I was go, go, go, playing on stage and taking care of the business as well as some co-writing, but it has shifted. Now obviously I can’t do live shows, so I’m learning a lot more about online marketing and how to use my online audience to grow that fan base and connect to new fans in a new way. I had never learned to do this before, so it’s forcing me to learn. I’m going to take a lot from whatever happens when things start to open back up so there’s more balance between performing, the marketing side, and a lot more songwriting.”
In the spring, Saunders also started a YouTube series when she released “Free,” the first single from the album of the same name.
“I wanted to connect with people in a new way. I was used to connecting on the stage, so I thought this would be a way people could see a little bit different side of me. We could share different topics that I was going through at the time. I’m trying to find new ways to keep myself busy because I definitely can’t sit around too long.”
She added that the screen between performers and their audience is creating more of vulnerable connection, showing fans more of the real side to artists and connecting in different and interesting ways. She also feels some of the rigid boundaries are disappearing because of Covid, as artists find new ways to share material.
Like most performers and music fans, Elyse Saunders looks forward to the return of live music and the opportunity to interact with her fans, to introduce her music to new listeners, and to continue to bring joy.
