In this episode of Start Something, we talk to Ele Ivory, poetic pop musician and cheese dip aficionado, about the role of both family and worldview in creative work.

She talks about her upbringing in a home of faith and music, being a Voice contestant, and pursuing her passion even as she was trying to learn more about herself.

From the Deep Dive

• Ele as Velma
• The Twilight Tweet
• Ele at Bluebird Cafe
• Cave Women
• The Beginning of Ele's Music Journey
• Ele on the Voice
• Diner Chic

Ele's Nashville Faves

• Once Upon a Time in France
• Fido Coffee
• Flamingo
• The Blue Room

Advice from Ele

• Start.
• Do the thing.
• Prioritize your craft, sacrifice consuming mindlessly.
• Don't take time for granted.

Find Out More about Ele Ivory

• Ele Ivory Website
• Ele Ivory on Spotify
• Ele Ivory on Instagram
• Ele Ivory Linktree

Hey, what's

Derek Brown: up everybody? I'm Derek, founder and c e o of Bunches and your host here at Start Something. Let's go.

I am here with Poetic Pop Musician and Cheese Dip Aficionado la Ivory. Good to see you this morning. Hello. Good to see you. So we have this tradition here and you were asking about our conference rooms earlier. I asked five silly questions to get to know you very quickly. Okay. All right. I'm

Ele Ivory: ready.

Derek Brown: I'll preface it with do not answer Your favorite. They might be your favorite. But I'm not asking your favorite. Okay. I'm asking who you are as a person, okay? Okay. All right. So if you were a city, any city in the world, if you were a city, what city would you be?

Yeah. Okay. Please. Because she's new, right? Yeah. She's a newer city, but she has a lot of deep roots in her heritage. Yeah. And she loves celebrating things that are from the past. And she's colorful as well. She's got a little bit of, little spunk to her and she's weird and I like her. That's

Derek Brown: amazing.

Do you, are you like a Francophile? Do you like French

Ele Ivory: culture? I, yes. I wouldn't say I'm like, Extremely well versed in French culture. But I did grow up with Rati, so I mean I, nailed

Derek Brown: it. Rati, Bagga,

Ele Ivory: so that was the introduction. I was like, I love cheese and I love cooking and now I love wine.

So

Derek Brown: that's great. And on all of this. That's perfect. Second one, now we've got a little warmup for the belt. If you were a fruit, what fruit would you be?

Yeah. And I like to do other things. Yep. So you can't change the fact that I'm a grape. Yeah. I'll always be a green grape, but I might be a green raisin or I might be chicken salad sandwich,

Derek Brown: a fruit

Ele Ivory: salad I like to be, yeah. I like to be a chameleon a little bit while remaining a

Derek Brown: grape. Yeah.

That's awesome. So if you were a. Alcoholic, caffeinated, anything in between. Otherwise, what beverage would you be?

Ele Ivory: I was a beverage. I would be a dirty chi. Okay. Because I need a little bit of oomph to help me. Yeah. I need some motivation sometimes, but I. I love the spiciness and richness of the cha.

Yeah, so that's what I,

Derek Brown: rich is a great word for cha. They're very robust,

Ele Ivory: right? Yeah. I wanna be complex and I want to be pretentious about it sometimes, right? But have some caffeine, but get to the point as well.

If you were a genre of. What is genre

Ele Ivory: anymore? I'm like, that's a good question. Actually, I don't even know what defines genre anymore. I would be, can I say musical theater? Yeah. Can that be a genre I would

Derek Brown: like?

Ele Ivory: Broadway show tunes? Yes. Okay. Yes, because love it. Not my favorite, like I'm not gonna listen to that all day long.

But I like to run the gamut of emotions. Yeah. And I feel like you can definitely do that. Yeah, for sure.

Derek Brown: He's, you've got like Le Mis and Cats in the same

Ele Ivory: Yes. Genre. And I love that, that you can be as campy as all get out, but then turn around and cut people to their core.

Derek Brown: And it's music with a point, like it's telling a story.

There's a narrative behind it. Exactly. That's amazing. And then last but certainly not least, if you were an animal, what would you.

Ele Ivory: Not my favorite though. Not your favorite.

Derek Brown: No. So I can't say cat? Nope. Unless that's what you think you

Ele Ivory: are. There's a lot of similarities there. Oh goodness. The probably a mere cat.

I relate to that.

Derek Brown: So would you say that you're a Montreal Green Grape, dirty Cha Theater Mira Cat kind of person? Yes. Nailed it. That's why we do these things. Do Instagram bio. That's, yeah. And so our conference rooms are actually the answers to those questions for the company. Oh, I love it. I love, so it pop is like our genre of music.

Okay. Little swag. Yeah. Sweet thing. That's awesome. Very cool. So before you, now we're moving into the socials deep dive I warned you about. Before you identified so closely with Timon from the Lion King as a miat, have you always identified with Velma.

Sure. And that was Velma, just like absolute nerd. And that was okay. Yeah. So yeah. I am Velma and we practiced that pose like really for a long time. So I'm glad that you brought this one up, so I'm proud of them. Yeah,

Derek Brown: you should be. It's a fantastic picture and I'm sure it was a fun time.

Ele Ivory: No. It still doesn't happen. I'm, it's still in the bucket list. Sorry. I'm so sorry to inform you. I've made it through the first three of them and then I gave up.

I

Derek Brown: couldn't do it. That's amazing. I couldn't do it. Let you know. Bucket list. I do want to bring it up. I'm sure this was up there. Specifically playing the Bluebird Cafe?

Playing the bluebird has been like one of the coolest things about being here in Nashville. Yeah, because it's it is that's why I was scared because I've been playing there since I was 15, so I've done a lot of cringey things in the last 10 years. People at the Bluebird have heard a lot of songs that I don't know why I ever love my room with them.

And my mom live streamed them all. So they're also on the internet, which is great. But playing the Bluebird is just so special. It's the only place I get nervous at Blue. Blue. Yeah. Yeah. I get nervous cuz it's it is so intimate, you can't not see the faces right in front of you.

And also there's so much history there, it's like Nashville Yeah. Royalty. And it just feels, it feels sacred. And so I don't want to ever. Lightly, yeah. Like I did when I was 15, wearing my fedora and choker, playing my song called Love and Poison Thinking that was good. Yeah. So it's a really special place.

Yeah. I'm

Derek Brown: not gonna bring that one up for you. We can avoid this Crashworthy moments, but here you are. As an actual cave

I'm not necessarily outdoorsy person, but I was like, okay, if there's music involved, I will go underground for this. And this is my boss, aj. I love her so much. And that was working at the cave is like my icebreaker moment. So what

Derek Brown: was the context here?

Ele Ivory: What were you doing? So I, I was working artist relat.

For a company that has shows in a cave. Oh, that's cool. For, it was Cumberland Caverns Bluegrass Underground, but now they are the caverns in the, so almost like

Derek Brown: a so far sounds, but

Ele Ivory: in a cave, yes, but in a cave. And they have this like gigantic chandelier and like their new cave has this like beautiful like entryway with these like carp doors that feel like you're like entering some like majestic place in middle earth.

Derek Brown: amazing. And it was all

Ele Ivory: bluegrass.

Initially. It was all bluegrass, but then they started branching out. So like switch foot has, it's like it's become a more inclusive. Community. Everyone's invited underground. Yeah. Not just bluegrass.

Derek Brown: That's how I prefer my cave communities. Extraordinarily inclusive. Did Ellie, if Christmas Pass, ever know that she was going to be working in a cave and

Ele Ivory: playing B Bluebird?

If that Ellie knew her future, she would freak out. No. Yeah, no. I'm not claustrophobic necessarily, but working a cable is not, wasn't my future there that smile? Too much. This Ellie probably did. Yeah, this Ellie took herself really seriously, as you can

Derek Brown: tell. So was this the beginning of your

Ele Ivory: music journey?

Yeah, around the stage. I was probably like five here. I was very tall for my age. So even when I look back at pictures, I don't know how old I was probably five here. I started piano when I was four and hated it. Okay. So much. I was like, mom, why are you doing this to me? Why are you torturing me?

Yes. But I remember I played my first original piece at one of these recitals when I was taking classical piano, cuz I was like, miss Fun. I had written my first song, it's called like Elephant and Monkey or something like that. Yeah. And I literally just walked up each note and just like Chromatically just climbed the.

Piano and then went back down, I think. And I thought it was like so revolutionary. I was like, wow, I'm being such an innovator right now with the piano. And I performed that piece and people like clapped for me. And I was like, wow. I am a creator. I've made it. This is what it feels like.

Derek Brown: Do I have an Instagram account yet?

What is Instagram?

Ele Ivory: Can I be verified right now? So

Derek Brown: Your mom was a huge music influence on your life. From what it sounds like. Yes. Were your parents

So like he has that background and then it migrated into working in churches and doing, so I grew up pastor's kid, like sure, a music kid. And so he is a very musical background. Sing with me, we would do duets. And he always tells a story about the first time I like stole the microphone from him.

Yeah. And was like, sorry, no more duets. Like it's just me now. We were performing something at church and I just took it from him and I was like, sorry, sorry dad. That's wilding. So definitely like a lot of inspiration from him and a lot of encouragement from him. Like to stay the course.

For a very long time. Found out last week cause I, yeah, but lit, literally, I found out like a couple years ago. She's a writer and she went to medical school and became an anesthesiologist. Pursued that path and went down this totally different, live path. And so I just grew up thinking oh, mom, took piano with me and encouraged me in piano.

But she never, she didn't pursue, the arts in that way. Yeah. Because she's like medical lady and would freak me out with telling me way too much about what she'd seen, sure. In the operating room. But then later I found out like, she, she is a writer, which is like why she did so many creative projects.

And so she's always been a very creative person. But I just thought that was so cool. Cause I feel very like, supported by both of my parents, like my dad in the, music side and my mom and the writing side. Cause I, yeah, love both of those elements so much, which is why I want to be a songwriter for the rest of my life.

Yeah, it was really cool to discover that about her later on. That is

Ele Ivory: I think, hindsight is always different.

Like she, she's very thankful. The path that she did take in life. Because it prepared her for lots of other Sure. Things, of course, that we couldn't expect. Yeah. And so she's thankful for that. But I do get the impression of her like that. It's not, I'm trying to figure out how to say this. I'm pretty private person.

Sure, yeah.

Derek Brown: We've got time. Yeah. You figure it out.

Ele Ivory: Yeah. They do get the feeling from her that like she grew up in a really small town, pursuing an artistic dream, wasn't. An option. Really. Yeah. So it was okay, you can do that, but like you should get a real job as well. Yeah. And she was the first one in her family unit to go to college.

It makes me sad that's just like the general consensus sometimes is that you can't pursue art wholeheartedly and make something of yourself, with Yeah. With an artist's life. So I think, she's grateful for the path she took, but her sharing that with me was definitely a sobering conversation of okay, I understand why she like, has always taken my dreams so seriously because she knows I take them seriously.

And She doesn't wanna see me settle. Yeah. She wants to see me like try. Sure. And even if it's not, if it doesn't come into fruition the way that I would hope and dream, to the max, like she wants to see me go for it, and always support me in that. Yeah.

Instead of going to plan B.

Derek Brown: It seems to be working out pretty well so far. How did your parents react when this was happening?

Like my parents obviously knew it was happening, but I would be like, sorry guys. Like I'm gonna be gone for a month and a half, just my friend. I can't tell you where I'm going. And so like people had like suspicions and stuff. Yeah. But it was a very like secretive and protective time.

But my parents were just like over the moon and then, So they were already so excited just with the like, prep process and then when that premiered, I thought my mom was gonna pass out. Yeah. I mean it was cuz it was just like we've been watching these shows. I grew up in the age of American Middle, just being like the biggest deal, and like we would sit there at right after it end and write down all the numbers we need to call and, dial in on our landline for Bucky Covington, all these people and it was so funny to like then be in that position and. Okay. This is very surreal and it was really sweet.

Which was really funny to go into it knowing this is gonna freak my family out. They're gonna be so excited. But then knowing. I still have a lot of plans and I still had to do, outside, outside of it. So it was a really cool moment that I feel like I'm still recovering from a

Derek Brown: little bit.

And what year

Derek Brown: for doing that.

Yeah. Did it really encourage you to actually record a full album and

Ele Ivory: Yeah, definitely. Cuz I, I had released an EP before this, but I was mainly just like playing a lot of shows in Nashville and trying to like, figure out who I was as an artist, sure. That's like what I feel like people say so much.

I know what I stand for and like I'm allowed to grow. I'm like, that's the point, is to evolve. This experience on the Voice definitely encouraged me to jump in and go for it and put out an album and be proud of it and say who I am in this moment.

It just encouraged me to say everything about myself that I had been like tailoring. Because I thought I was having to like, Audition for a certain role or be a certain thing for people to, like me or listen to my music. Yeah. And so once I got on the voice and realized like, I can't people please myself to death it was a okay, I need to just make the record that I wanna make.

Yeah. And see what happens.

Ele Ivory: Yeah.

Yeah, definitely. And I think that came from creating that came from making the thing, and getting my hands dirty. Yeah. Because like for so long I was putting myself in a box before I knew what the thing was that I was making. I was like, oh I'm indie pop, I'm piano girl.

That means like I can only make things within this per. And, but then I was cutting off parts of myself. I have a huge musical theater background and I wasn't allowing myself to tap into that. And I wasn't allowing myself to, lean into the weird visuals that I'm so drawn to in, in artistic mediums, because I was like, no, I need to be this really square commercial thing, and people are like, oh, you played piano, you're Sarah Barres. And I'm like, oh, I must tame it down. I must be singer songwriter girl that just plays a piano and sings. Pretty songs, and not explore myself. Yes. Yeah. Sorry, I'm like rambling. No, it's

Now that you say that, I can see that through your visual. Expression. Yeah. And so this is a photo of what I'm calling Diner Sheik. Okay.

Ele Ivory: Yeah.

Derek Brown: What's going

Ele Ivory: on here? Yes. So this was, this is a promo specifically for my song Jenin. Yeah. And like I said, huge theater nerd, big theater background, like almost was on Broadway as an eight year old.

Yeah. It crushed my heart that it didn't happen. Now I'm thankful it didn't, but I just love staging and I love blocking, and I think there's so much power in a plant being at your table. Like I just, a hundred percent. I just love detail. Not to mention pie, not to mention pie, right? Like pie with the whipped cream you have to

Derek Brown: whipp.

Favorite dessert, favorite number, hands down.

Sarah Ann Wagner son love the moon on Instagram. She's just killer. And my friend Emily Rio shot this picture. I love working with her, but I was just like, Hey, can you build a diner in your studio? I'm gonna go for what a question. I like we need the Twin Peaks moment. We need the twin Peaks moment.

And she just absolutely killed it. And then there was pie, which everyone enjoyed.

Derek Brown: So you're, it seems like shifting gears quite a bit. You're from Georgia? Originally outside of Atlanta. Yeah. I'm from, yeah.

Ele Ivory: Buford

Derek Brown: suburb. Is that a suburb or an exce? Like a suburb of a suburb?

Ele Ivory: It's a suburb, yeah.

Okay. Yeah,

Derek Brown: a suburb. So you grew up there like whole childhood?

Middle of nowhere. Yeah. Childhood. So I had both sides. Like I was, we were gone a lot to Alabama and then we traveled a lot. So I feel like, yes, I grew up in Georgia. I never identified really as a Georgia. Do you

Derek Brown: identify as an alabaman? No. Identify as a hybrid? A southerner?

Ele Ivory: Yes. And that's, I just identify as I'm from the south.

Yeah, I'm from the south. Cuz like we, I lived in Georgia, we were in Alabama a lot with family. I felt a lot of roots there. And then like we started visiting Nashville when I was in middle school. Or before that actually with family. So I've always felt just like I live in this triangle.

Yes. Yeah. I live in this triangle of Atlanta, Alabama and then Asheville. So for sure just a southern

Derek Brown: girl. And I remember when I first heard your music, cuz we met first, I think it's Stead films. Yeah. Yeah. It's Ted. When I first heard your music, I'm like, oh my God, this is Kate Nash. We're uni I specter with a southern twang.

Ele Ivory: I honestly have to thank my parents Sure.

For a lot of that exposure because, I was homeschooled and so a lot of people were like, oh, you're super sheltered. Yeah, you only listen to one 4.7, the fish, which we did listen to a lot of one point 0.7, the fish in Atlanta, but they just, they never really, this is gonna sound weird, but they never really treated me like a kid when it came to like music exposure or art exposure.

Like they were just, There's a lot of amazing things in this world, a lot of amazing creatives. We want you to know about it, yeah. And like my parents are a little bit older. They had me a little bit later in life, and so they raised me with a lot of older music. What about a lot of like sixties, seventies, classic rock?

You can't handle this way. So I really have to like, thank them for allowing me to be curious about a lot of stuff and allowing me to explore the weirder arc that I was leaning towards. Yeah. And. And then being a homeschooler, I think it helped because people were just like, already assuming I was weird.

To inform my, playlist. Yeah, that's

Derek Brown: awesome. Rihanna, if you're listening, you should just know that you have two big fans on the recording right now. So

Ele Ivory: I've been listening to you so much out

Derek Brown: outside of family. One of the other trends that I can pick up in your music and your background is the influence of faith is display, right?

The 1 0 7, the fish, et cetera. How do you think that has really shaped your music and style? Maybe even decision to pursue being

Ele Ivory: a grader. Yeah. I would be lying if I didn't say, faith doesn't inform everything I do. Like I, that's, that is my lens, for the world. And I struggled with that a lot early on because, I've always like that fellow you showed earlier Sure.

Is that Yeah. Is that what's assumed of me? And I think, again, because I was a PK and grew up, in, in this. Christian. Oh, PK being pastor's kid. Yes. Pastor's kid. In this like Southern Christian culture, it was just the assumption that if I was making things, it was gonna be church oriented things.

Yeah. And that was really like a struggle for me. And like in middle school, I remember committing, to I wanna pursue the arts. I'm already doing it. Sure. In some form or fashion, but that's what I wanna do when I grow up. I still want what I do when I grow up, but, I remember having this internal battle for a long time of oh, can I make things that are outside of this, like Christian umbrella?

You are a Christian. That doesn't mean I think it was, oh gosh, what's the band? I'm gonna fly Leaf. Okay. Fly leaf. The only I A fly leaf. I heard this snippet of an interview where she was like, if a Christian is a plumber, they don't go around saying I'm a Christian plumber. Okay. They just are a plumber and they're a Christian.

Like it's who they are. Sure. And I was like, that makes so much sense to me. And I hate that. Like it had to be this either or I just wanna make things. That explain who I am and how I see the world and how I relate to other people. And I don't wanna be editing myself. That's not helpful.

I don't wanna be like, censoring experiences I've had for sure. I don't wanna be, having to fit into this box that I don't believe Christian should have a fit into. I just wanna be able to express who I am and like share my faith in a normal way. Sure. Because it's, a part of who I am.

Derek Brown: It's just one of the threads that I'm hearing through your story, which amazing so far. Thank you. Is this wrestling with identity? Who you are to your mom, who you are with your dad, who you are as a creative, who you are as a Christian.

Would you say that because it, one of the, one of the other things. You knew fairly early on what you wanted to be when you grew up. Yeah. Would you

Ele Ivory: say that's a great thing and a weary thing sometimes, right?

Derek Brown: That's my question is yeah. You knew what you wanted to be before you knew who you were.

Is the biggest challenge to you so far been reconciling those two? Or is it like deals, the contracts, the distribution, the, like, how do I find my fans the, what's the biggest challenge obstacle to your creative endeavor?

Ele Ivory: Sakara? Honestly, like with the question of identity, like I, I've always known what I wanted to do.

And express all these things that I'm feeling. Yep. And people be okay with that. Yep. Especially when I grew up in that church bubble, in that homeschool bubble and wanting to explore the world, but not in a way of trying to find myself. But just in a way of this is such a beautiful place that we get to be.

Yeah. And live. And like for sure. I wanna see it all, yeah. So it was more of a how do I not have that people pleasing element? Tampered down who I already know I am a thing. Yeah. As far as identity, if that makes sense. Yeah.

Derek Brown: So like the authentic betrayal piece.

Ele Ivory: I think I'm still getting over that hump.

Yeah. Yeah. I think I'm still getting over that hump every day. Cause it's I always like seeing what's next and knowing who I am, but like expanding and growing. And so I have to, like, when I sit down to write, I'm like, Ellie Ivory put out the song. I'm like, Who is Ellie Ivory? Ellie Ivory doesn't have to be this box that I have now created for myself, yeah. So I think I'm still

Derek Brown: learning that. No, that's cool. And I think that's a large part of, the stories that, that we tell here at Star, something like there's no the end yet. Yeah. Like you're in the middle of a chapter now, whether that's chapter 17 or chapter one.

Ele Ivory: now?

I really learned how to stand up for myself. Yeah. In like knowing what I want and knowing who I am is great, but if I can't voice. What am I doing? If I'm still letting people walk all over me Yeah. And I know it's not in line with who I am, then I need to get a backbone, yeah. I need to grow up. Were there

Derek Brown: particular events

Ele Ivory: that kind of spark up? Yeah. Yeah. So without going into like too much detail, like a lot of interviewing processes, sure. Were invasive as far as like prying questions. Interesting about family. Like they, it's a TV. Sure. They want a story.

But I also believe like oversharing is running rampant in our culture. Hundred percent. And you can't be vulnerable without, you can't be truly vulnerable without being truly respectful. And I just was not gonna go on national television and air all this stuff about my family. That they were trying to pry about, and I literally at this moment where he asked. He asked me this really direct question about my family and I was like, are you trying to like, make me cry? I just called him out and it was the most like abrasive thing I think I've ever said to someone, cuz I'm, I am, I'm a southern girl. I'm very like, sure, reserved.

And I like, don't like confrontation. I will avoid it with everything by being, but I just looked at him out. I was like, are you trying to make me cry? I was like, I'm not talking about that. Move on. I was like, next question, and he was, I tried to do anything. I just, yes, you were. I just wanna talk to you.

He was like, I'm just your friend. I'm just your producer here. I'm just your friend. I just wanna help. I was like, Uhuh. No, absolutely not. And so I was like, I still think about them. Go, Ellie, I'm really proud of you. Yeah.

Which is a quote from me, Cummings, that person was you. Yeah. And I think you like that? Yeah. Just hearing this narrative I think you really borne that out. And so hats off. And the, those risks aren't done. You moved to Nashville. What brought you here?

Ele Ivory: So honestly like a clean slate, like Sure.

Nashville has just been such a breath of fresh air for not only me but my family. We moved here, I was in high school. My grandparents moved in with us. They needed, yeah, they needed a place to be and so it was, when I tell the story, it's I moved to Nashville for music. I'm one of those people, I'm one of those people, my parents, In me and took crazy risk on in me, and they were like, yeah, let's move, in high school Yeah.

It was a really hard chapter, but a really sweet chapter to yeah, not only be in this new place so I could focus on music, meet people, get in, co-write rooms, start playing Bluebird and yeah, places around town and figure out how to express myself. As an artist, but then also like how to dive in and be there for my family during a really challenging time.

And I wouldn't trade, like I was so close to my grandparents and would not trade Sure. That time in for anything. Like it was very hard. Yeah. My mom and I like being caretakers, but it was so special and Taught me, my grandparents have taught me so much just about perseverance as people.

Yeah. And like what love looks like, yeah. And being there for somebody when they're not okay and when they literally need you to, pick them up out of the bed. Like I'm just so thankful that they like, let us be there for them in that way, cause it taught me a lot.

Yeah. Just as a person and as an artist to lean in. Yeah.

Ele Ivory: Yeah. Yeah, time is the biggest obstacle. I love that you keep talking about like, when we grow up, when we grow up, because I'm still just yeah, when I grow up, when it's gonna, it's gonna happen one day, and I think that's been a shift. Like when I first moved here, I was like, okay, when I make. This, and this are gonna happen. Sure. When I make it, when this big break happens, this isn't gonna happen. And I've realized slowly. Painfully that, there's not, it's not this like overnight light bulb moment.

Yeah. It's all of these little moments that add up and that's so much more beautiful, yeah. Than I think what's portrayed in the media a lot of time is like this overnight success that's not Yeah. Overnight

Derek Brown: success usually takes 10 to 15 years. Exactly.

I'm having these moments of connection with people and I'm so grateful for that. What am I still doing what I'm supposed to be doing? And then getting that phone call from Samantha in New York, I'm like, Hey, like you won this thing. And being like, oh, wow. And just using that as fuel to, to keep the next thing going, but realize that like it's not just this moment, it's all of these moments. Yeah. That, that gear into the next thing.

Derek Brown: It's the obstacle to going pro, right? Yeah. The time piece and which I think you a hundred percent of it have answered. So

Ele Ivory: yeah. Anyway, it's just it's time and then like balance and realizing that sometimes there's balance.

Derek Brown: Yeah. So as you wrestle with this journey and try to enjoy the moments along the way, does this place feel like home? Do you think it's. Been in your life for a

For sure. Yeah. It's like just being here the last 10 years. It's a totally different place, yeah. And parts of that I'm so excited about in some parts, I'm like, there's so many, new houses that just look the same, yeah. But I do feel like this is my home and it's like a place that I, I love creating out of.

I love touring out of here. I've met fiance Joan here, and like he was born and raised here. He's always you've been here 10 years. You can tell people you're just from here. You don't have to go. You don't have to, he's you are a Nashville. So I'm like, yes, I am a Nashville and I think I'm always gonna be a Nashville.

Derek Brown: Yeah. That's amazing. So typically we wrap up with thoughts on Nashville. So what's your favorite spot to eat around there? Fancy, casual dive bar could be anything.

Ele Ivory: Oh my goodness. There's so many good places. That's what one thing I love about Nashville. A recent favorite spot has been once upon a time in.

Derek Brown: Montreal showing. Yeah.

Ele Ivory: My little rat. My rat chewy. Yeah. Coming up

Derek Brown: favorite coffee shop, which is,

Ele Ivory: I will always love Fido.

Okay. I just, it's so special to me. The first time we came up here and somebody was like, you should go to Fido. That place that looks so like grimy, we were very like, yeah, what is a coffee shop? That just wasn't a thing, 10, 15 years ago. Sure. Necessarily. But I just think it's so special and I love their gray skies latte.

It's just so good.

Derek Brown: I know. All the way. Shout out. So we've covered food, we've covered coffee. Nightlife, you and Joan are going out for wine or drinks or to have a good time concert, whatever. Where

Ele Ivory: are you headed? I do love Wom Mango. Okay. I'm a big flam Mango fan. Yeah. It feels so light and fun and safe.

Derek Brown: is cool. And if someone were coming maybe for an extended weekend or something like that, where's a hidden jam that they should, they're gonna do the hot chicken. They're gonna do Broadway. Okay. What's the hidden jam?

Ele Ivory: There's a lot of pressure on this question cause I won't. I don't wanna lead him astray. Just one. I think they need to go to a show at the blue room. Perfect. I don't care what show it is. Yep. There's always something weird and wonderful happening there, and it's just a very disorienting experience to go to that venue.

So they should go. Yeah.

Derek Brown: Very cool. So what would you say, last but not least, what would you say to someone who's hearing your story, hearing this journey? Hearing the wrestling with how do I authentically portray who I am and what I want to do in a cohesive. Who has been through the ups and downs of the creative process, and it's still figuring it out.

Ele Ivory: Start.

Yeah. I feel like that's, it feels so duh. Yeah. But start, do the thing, it's, I feel like a lot of times I freak myself out cuz I'm just like waiting to get to a certain point of figured outness in order to begin my next project or plan the next thing or just like dream for the bigger show.

Yeah. But you have to start with. With that initial piece, and kind of work backwards If you have 30 minutes, like to spend time on your craft. Yeah. Instead of, watching rewatching the office, like I also do that a lot, but that sounds deeply personal. Like 30 minutes to just go log yourself in your studio.

Yeah. Go do it. Take that and don't, they'll take that time for granted. Just

Derek Brown: start that. That's amazing. So thank you so much for the time. Where can people find you online? Plug your latest. Where can we listen?

Ele Ivory: Find out more? Yeah. So I'm Ellie Ivory everywhere, which is a little tricky to spell.

We

Derek Brown: can't be friends. It's definitely worth a few hundred listens. Thank you.

Ele Ivory: That's, yeah I feel strange sometimes when, like four year olds. Sing it back to me, and I'm like, yeah, that's oh yeah no. Be friends. Be friends. That's not the main takeaway from my songs.

Please. Yeah, you can listen. My record, I've got a new single out tenure town summing up my time in Nashville, and then I've got Project on the way oh. Very excited about it. Hot news. Yeah. Yeah. Coming this year, so

Derek Brown: very cool. Really pumped for what's next. Yeah. That is awesome. Ellie, thanks again for the time.

Ele Ivory: Talk to you again soon

Derek Brown: and until then, we love you bunches.