Welsh alternative singer/songwriter Catherine Elms has crafted a dark and encapsulating sound that draws on rock, pop and classical influences and she describes as “fierce and introspective.”
Hailing from South Wales, Catherine has been writing music since she was a child, composing songs about haunted houses and hating school on her dad’s Casio keyboard. She taught herself to play the piano aged 17, when she got into piano-led alternative music like The Dresden Dolls and Regina Spektor.
Catherine performed live on-and-off for a few years before launching her music career in earnest four years ago. Her brand of piano-led rock offers a dark intensity led by moody melodies and impassioned vocals. She released her debut album I Have Seen It, I Do Not Fear It in 2022 and followed it up with EP Arcana in 2023.
And our latest taste of the Catherine Elms sound is the hypnotic Medusa, which was released early last month. It opens up with low-pitched moody piano notes joined by light drums and moody light vocals. The verse ends with the line “But I have my pride so I keep it locked inside until my hair turns into snakes,” which ushers in layered instrumentals under engaging vocals through a chorus of “And your eyes, Green like my, Green like my envy, My aim’s true, My sight’s set, Right on you, Turn you to stone, Like my heart, please.” The pace drops again in another sinister verse that flows into a second chorus, which ends with guitars and piano that bridge into echoey vocals that end with edgy high vocals. Panting supports low piano notes to set up a final blast of the chorus.
On the track, Catherine told us: “The reception has been amazing, I’m so delighted that people love the song and the music video as much as I do! For anyone who hasn’t listened, you can expect Nick Cave-esque vibes, sultry melodies, and lyrics that turn the Medusa myth into one of defiance and empowerment.”
Catherine’s music is influenced by four main artists, Kate Bush, Fiona Apple, Nick Cave, and Tori Amos. “They’re all incredibly talented songwriters and lyricists who explore deep themes and push boundaries with their sound,” Catherine told us.
And on what inspires her to write music, she added: “I make music because I don’t know what else I’d do – I think this is what I was created for. I’m inspired to write by human emotion, big ideas, and exploring our inner worlds – I like to write songs with complexity, and not narrow our experiences down to something simplistic and inauthentic. My writing also draws from my experiences of being a queer neurodivergent woman, and some of the challenges I’ve had to navigate in my life as a result.”
Medusa is the first single from Catherine’s second album, which will be released this summer. One more single and music video will be released soon, and there’ll be an album launch party in Cardiff in September.
You can follow Catherine Elms on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tiktok, join the monthly mailing list, and check out her music on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.
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