Iyla Elise

Growing up in a small town near the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia, music was always the way that I made sense of the world, blending my roots as a singer-songwriter with the sounds of country and blues. My songs are all about capturing the beautifully messy parts of being human, and I hope these songs feel like a late-night conversation with an old friend— raw, familiar, and deeply honest. Early on, Pitch Perfect Music blog noted that my work has a “way of making vulnerability feel like strength.” That line really stuck with me, and it’s been the driving force behind a whirlwind couple of years releasing music, which has opened doors I never expected— like getting songs recognized in places like the Great American Song Contest, the Mid-Atlantic Song Contest, and the International Songwriting Competition. This year, my single “Ain’t Linear” was written about the complex paths we all walk, and I was incredibly grateful when outlets like EARMILK embraced it as a “must-have independent release.” My latest track “Change the World” was released in April of this year, and seeing A&R Factory call it “one of the most seminal ballads of the decade” completely blew me away. At the end of the day, I’m trying to build a space where we can all sit down, feel everything all at once, and realize we aren’t going through it alone. Thanks so much for listening and being a part of this journey with me.