Elke Robitaille: Press

On Naive, Canadian Elke Robitaille churns up folk music with the fire of a woman taking control of things. Her voice is Anne Wilson meets Amanda Kravat of mid 90's Mary Me Jane. The songs bridge the good and bad of life, cherishing good parts and casting off the bad.


"Naive" is a close cousin of 'You Oughta Know' - just as painful but more sparse in its music. "A Poem" is its opposite, a nod to someone you're in love with. Its spoken word and simple guitar strums are as sweet as they are haunting. It plays like a pause, a segue, to "Thinking of You" a plaintive and rhythmic love song.


Naive is both fire and brimstone as much as it is love and serenity. She shows strength on "Dear Jonathan", singly with reserve and ease. As Elke's vocal range is diverse, this area of delivery is overly pleasing and strengthened by the song's hand driven percussion. "Together Alone" punches and toils, crystallizing the album's vibe. Folk and soul meet with guttural delivery and sweet melody throughout the album.

Interview Continued Below...

You have a really wide range of musical style. I'm impressed! Where are you most comfortable style-wise?

I am influenced by many different artists and various styles of music. My most comfortable styles for writing/playing are Acoustic, and Folk-Rock. I like to play music that tells a story that listeners can relate to and I love acoustic guitar.

Self-management as an artist is very challenging with all that needs to be done. How do you juggle these responsibilities efficiently? Any advice for the masses?

It's true... there is a lot to juggle when you have the career of a DIY musician. There is so much to be done from booking shows, getting press, maintaining websites, and that is just the business end of things. That doesn't even include the creative side like writing. Basically, I just like to stay organized by writing everything down. I create "To Do Lists" and "Short/Long Term Goals" as well. I find that when things are written down, it's easier to see the big picture and get items accomplished off the list. It can be as simple as writing things in a note book, or in excel.

Who are you listening to these days?

Lately I have been listening to a lot of Beck, DMB, Ani, The Weepies, and Rufus, to name a few. Driving in the van we have our ipod on shuffle... so we listen to everything that comes up.

Who are your inspirations and why?

There are a lot of different people I could mention here, but I will just name my main one. I am greatly inspired by Ani Difranco. It's hard not to admire her career as a fearless DIY artist. It's inspiring to see how much she has accomplished on her own, and through her own record label. To me, she's a perfect example of great musical talent combined with hard work, ambition and drive.

Describe your best gig ever!

Well, I play out a lot, so I've definitely had my share of good and 'not so good' gigs. The one that stands out to me though is a show we played a few years back at the Knitting Factory in Hollywood. My husband and I perform together (we've always played together since the first day we met) and it happened to be our Anniversary so we wanted to play a big show to celebrate. We asked some of our friends bands to play on the bill with us, and we made a great night out of it. I remember it was such a great show because the energy in the room was amazing, everyone played great sets, and it was a full house.

Tell us about your first performance in public?

I started out my musical career at a very young age. I began with voice lessons and choir around the age of 5, so I did a lot of recitals and choir concerts. However, I didn't pick up the guitar until I was 16, and then started writing my own songs shortly thereafter. So, my experience with choir and voice lessons really helped to prepare me for performing on stage. But, it's a completely different experience to get up on stage by yourself with only a guitar and playing an original composition. I remember being very nervous, despite my training, but the show was great and people responded very well to my original music. Since that show, I've barely ever played without my guitar!

How do you attempt to stay healthy and energetic on tour?

That is such a great question. And somewhat funny to me right now because I'm just getting over a 24 hour Flu. Staying healthy on the road is so important for a traveling musician. It can be hard when you are on the go all the time and diet and exercise can be tough to balance. Basically, there are a few things I never leave without: Multi Vitamins, Airborne, Emergen-C and lots of Water. These are great items to boost your body with the vitamins and minerals that are easy to lack on the road. Also, it's a great idea to try and skip Fast Food. I know this can be hard for a lot of musicians because it is fast and easy, they are everywhere, and it's in a traveling musician's budget. But trust me... it's no good. It will just make you feel gross and bogged down. I like to pick up groceries along the way. We have a cooler and a small propane camping stove. This makes things cheaper and healthier too. It's great to pick up fresh fruit like apples, oranges, and bananas at the grocery store. And then of course there is the exercise part. After driving in the van for 4-8 hours, your body can feel stiff and tired. I like to go for long walks (which are great because there is so much to explore in a new town or city) and I have a yoga mat for doing daily stretches. And of course, try to stay rested and get a full night of sleep.

Do you have any pet peeves?

I suppose I have a few. Most of them would apply to live shows. It bothers me when bands perform and leave right when their set is done. I think it's important to support the other bands that are sharing a bill with you. It just looks tacky to leave without supporting your fellow musicians. Also, running over time or taking way too long to set up or break down is something I see people do a lot. That cuts into all the other performers set times and causes things to run late. Finally, (although I'm sure I could think of a few more) one of my biggest pet peeves is out of tune guitars. Be professional. Tune before you play and have a tuner on stage throughout the set.

How do you feel about today's independent music arena?

I personally think it's great. There are so many things like Myspace, iTunes, CD Baby, GoGirls, and all the other countless websites and organizations that focus ..ing independent artists. If you are willing to put in the time and energy to focus on furthering your career... there are many resources out there that can help. I'm not sure how independent artists did things 10-15 years ago without the help of the Internet (unless they were on a major label.) I think this is a great time for DIY musicians.

Want to plug a couple websites that are useful to you?

Sure! Well of course there is GoGirls. But I'll talk about that more in the next question. Then there are the obvious that are helpful to all musicians: Myspace, Facebook, ReverbNation, CD Baby, and YouTube. I personally really like OpenMikes.org, Coffeehousetour.com, and onlinegigs.com too.

On GoGirlsMusic.com

I have been a GoGirls Elite member for quite a few years now. When I first joined, I had my recent CD reviewed which was a great feature. The emails that Madalyn sends out with helpful tips, news, and advice are great. These emails can be packed with so much info, so I always save them in a folder to keep on hand. Madalyn/GoGirls offers many great opportunities from networking, show promo, reviews, contests, festivals, personal support and motivation, and so much more. I remember reading something that Madalyn once sent out in an email. Basically, she said that GoGirls is here to help those willing to help themselves. The resources are there... but nothing can magically happen. You have to utilize the things that GoGirls has to offer. I've been doing this a lot lately, and I must say, the benefits have been tremendous. I have booked shows in different cities/states through networking with fellow GoGirls. It's very exciting.

***********************
Elke Robitaille - Musician
http://www.elkemusic.com/
www.myspace.com/elkemusic

Annette Warner - GoGirls Music & Madalyn's Music Biz Blog (Jun 1, 2008)

Canadian singer living the gypsy lifestyle as she tours the country



Canadian born singer/songwriter Elke Robitaille is living the gypsy life this summer as she tours in her van.


Robitaille and her husband, J.P. Downer, who is the other half of her acoustic rock duo, will be at Synergy Cafe in Cheyenne on May 31.


"I found (the cafe) online while I was surfing the Internet," Robitaille said. "We're doing a big four-month cross country tour - all across the states and Canada - so Cheyenne's perfectly along the way."


She and her husband have lived in Los Angeles for a few years, which is where they met. They both were studying music at the Musicians Institute.


"We've been playing together since the first day we met," Robitaille said.


She writes her own music.


"We do a few cover songs occasionally," she said.


One of her own tunes is called "Gravity," which has gotten some radio play.


"The song is just about just wanting to be free and do what you want to do in life and not have anybody else hold you back," Robitaille said. "It's always one of my favorite ones to play.


"It has one of those catchy choruses that people tend to recognize and sing along to. It gets a good response."


Robitaille is used to living a nomadic lifestyle.


"Before living in the van, my husband and I lived on a cruise ship for four months," she said. "We got rid of our apartment when we got the cruise ship gig because there was no point in paying rent."


Robitaille hopes to reach new audiences this summer.


"I hope people come to the show and like our music and will pick up a CD or a T-shirt," she said.


She added that she wants to see the whole country too.


Elke Robitaille (pictured) and J.P. Downer, acoustic rock duo


When: May 31, 7-9 p.m.


Where: Synergy Cafe, 459 Vandehei Ave #100.


More info: No cover. There will be a tip jar for donations. CDs and T-shirts will be available. Call 778-3838 or go to http://synergycafe.com.


Elke Robitaille info: www.myspace.com/elkemusic

Elke Robitaille, and her husband Jonathan Downer, have signed on to be an acoustic duo sailing on the Diamond Princess. They will give more than 100 performances on the Hawaiian Island tour from November 18, 2007 to March 16, 2008.


The couple, who live in Los Angeles, will be on the ship for four months. They will be performing a wide range of songs and covering a variety of genres, everything from jazz to funk and rock to pop.


"We love to perform and travel and this is the perfect opportunity to do both," said Robitaille. "After our four months onboard the Princess Diamond, we will spend one month back in Powell River, where we will take some much-needed time off."


Robitaille and Downer will also prepare for their summer tour that will kick-off in Powell River in April, and take them across Canada and the United States through to the end of September.


Interested readers can find out more information about Robitaille at www.elkemusic.com or www.myspace.com/elkemusic.

"Elke's music is the kind of melodic and edgy stuff that changes hearts and affects lives in a deep and romantic way... Her spark is shining bright."

Elke Robitaille is another young Canadian born singer/songwriter who has come south to establish a major following built on regular appearances on the L.A. folk club scene. She produces a rhythmic acoustic sound that features strong pop hooks and matches the quality of plaintive honesty one hears in her voice. She is tough, challenging, profane and confident.


Elke released her first LP, Doors, in 2002 and then followed up with last year’s Naïve. A graduate of the Musicians Institute of Hollywood, California, Elke is trained in recording engineering and music business management and runs her own Indie-Folk label, Rag Veda records.


She did well in the 2006 Rock City News Awards, with nominations in the Outstanding Solo Artist category.


(Picture Quote)
BOTTOM RIGHT: I love this photograph of Elke from her myspace site, with the caption - "This was my faithful Tour Van. We spent a lot of great miles together!" Elke has been something of an itinerant musician in her young career, fitting for a folkie.

Elke Robitaille has been keeping busy in both the performance and business aspects of the music world. After graduating from MI in 2003 Elke recorded her second full-length CD, Naive, following it up with an independent promotional tour that covered five provinces and 21 cities across Canada. She currently resides in LA, where she works at Nettwerk Music Group as the manager of a brand-new department called SYNC. As SYNC Manager, Elke coordinates event bookings, marketing campaigns, publicity and sales. She is still actively pursuing her own music in the LA area and beyond, earning the Rock City News Award as Best Folk Artist for 2005 with another nomination in the same category for 2006.

Elke Robitaille, folk musician extraordinaire and officially sponsored Knotty Kid, was just recently nominated for two awards and ended up taking home the award for Rock City News Outstanding Folk Artist of the Year! Way to go, Elke! So far she has released two albums. Her debut album "Doors", released in 2002, has now been followed up by a full-length studio album called "Naive". Elke graduated from the renowned Musicians Institute of Hollywood, California, with certificate training in Recording Engineering and Music Business Management, AND has launched Rag Veda Records, her own indie-folk label. We could go on, but you get the point. This Knotty girl pretty much ROCKS.

Dread locked folk singer Elke Robitaille has a lot to sing about. Songs about cheating, lying and dishonesty, “Naïve” is an emotionally sensitive outlook of the broken hearted. Elke Robitaille may wear her heart on her sleeve, but she doesn’t just give it out to anyone nor does she lie around and cry over a broken heart. Nope. This chick won’t take the drama anymore. She’s done. It’s full of “my bags are packed by the door, few final words exchanged before the door closes for the last time, songs. Listeners will appreciate the therapeutic songwriting Elke has put into this album, the lyrics are soulful melodies that are catchy, drawn out and enough to leave you full until the CD starts again.


CHT Pick: " Gravity" Reviewed by Heather Corcoran


Artist website: www.elkemusic.com

Songwriter Extraordinaire!


Elke has a unique ability to vocalize the incoheremt musings of the soul. She is raw, pure, and prematurely wise with her quirky and seductive point of view. A gift to what is left of the folk genre in its truest state, Elke deserves to be heard.

The sensuality Elke shares with her “Naïve” release is part addictive and part habit-forming. In other words…..I’m hooked. The easy, laid back acoustic sound is nicely enhanced by a non-invasive percussion... I am still engaged in the over-all sound. Nice!

Wow! Some very powerful music from a talented musician.


I have heard many folk - alternative singers and I spun, Gravity on my show and our 10 hundred listeners loved it! I will always spin Elke on my show!

What Intensity! What Passion!


I love feeling the words in a song, and every song does that on this CD. I have added her to my favorite female vocalists. Dear Jonathan is my favorite... I would love to meet such a guy!

Beautiful Music


I love this cd. She's really into her music and it's like a peak inside her personal thoughts and feelings. Great to turn up and sing and dance to!

Just what the world needs...


This CD is an uplifting piece of original music, that helps save everyones ears from the repetetive pop culture sounds of today. A mellow feel with a bit of a kick, it is relaxing and exciting at the same time and you can hear a well pronounced sense of emotion behind every note.

Thanks for being my guitar teacher!


This c.d. is wondurful! Yhe song Naive has a really good beat. You've taught me ALOT so thank you so much for being my guitar teacher and the inspiration you've given me! Love Natalia