Singer-songwriter Brynn Elliott talks with LI kids

We met brand-new singer and songwriter Brynn Elliott at Atlantic Records in Manhattan recently. She just graduated from Harvard and signed with Atlantic. We met her just before she was going to film the video for her first single, “Might Not Like Me.” We know we like Brynn — a lot! She was inspiring and fun to talk to.

Who or what inspired you to become a singer?

It was actually my grandparents. They were around a lot when I was growing up. And they would be in the kitchen, like making dinner, and I would hear them singing to each other while they were making dinner. Just so casual. Just hanging out, and it was so beautiful. And I remember being a small child just looking up at them and being like, I want to do that. I want to do what they’re doing. Singing has been important to me for a really long time. I owe it all to them.

So what is the inspiration to your song “Might Not Like Me”?

I was dating this boy in college — I just graduated from college two months ago. This was sophomore year. And we were dating and I felt like he was a little competitive with me. You know, it was a little bit like I would be doing music, and he would be just, like, can you not do that? And I was like, Oh, no. I’m going to still keep doing it. But I felt like I really had to not be myself around him because he was a little intimidated by it. And then at the same time I was taking this class about women and philosophy. So I majored in philosophy in college. And I was reading these women, and they were doing philosophy in the 1600s England, which women at that time did not do philosophy because they didn’t have access to education and all that stuff. I was just inspired by these women who said, I don’t really care if you don’t like what I’m doing. I’m going to do it. And so, yeah, I was kind of in this place where I was being inspired by all of this girl power. It was amazing. I’m feeling it right now with all you incredible girls here. And I was just like, this relationship isn’t good for me. The guy and I broke up, and three days later I wrote “Might Not Like Me” just from everything I was feeling and learning about. That’s the story.

Are your songs about feelings?

Oh, I think you do. I think you just got to write what you’re feeling and let go. You know, it’s cool.

What was your favorite song when you were growing up?

I don’t know, I’ll be honest with you. I really loved a lot of Disney songs growing up, and my favorite Disney princess is Ariel. I basically watched every day after school “The Little Mermaid.” I think I was singing a lot of “Part of Your World.” Do you know that one? Totally. Now my favorite song, Brandi Carlile has a song called “The Story.” And it’s my favorite song right now, for sure.

How does it feel to be making a music video like right now?

I’ll be making it on Friday. I don’t even know. I’m so excited. I’ve never really done it before. It’s been so fun to plan it and be creative and try to think about how to communicate the song through a visual, you know, music video. So it feels very exciting.

What was it like going to Harvard University?

It was the time of my life. It was the best thing that ever happened to me. I’m actually the first person in my family to go to college. When I was a sophomore in high school, I came to my parents and I was like, I think I want to go to college. I think I want to go to Harvard, specifically. They were like, what? We had to Google what a college application was, first of all. I applied twice, actually. I applied my senior year of high school, and I didn’t get in. I took a year off, and I was like, you know what, I’m going to apply again. Maybe this time I’ll get in. And I applied, and I got in. And it was just the most incredible experience. It’s full of amazing people and amazing classes. I was telling you about that one class I too, and yeah, it changed my life.

Why did you sign with Atlantic Records?

I wanted to sign with Atlantic Records because when I was a junior in college, I started meeting some labels, and music was kind of like starting to get out there, and nothing really felt like home. But when I walked into Atlantic, I immediately felt at home and there were so many women that were working at Atlantic I got to meet and just like totally really in tune. So I signed, too, just because I felt like I could be myself.

What made you choose a music career?

Music is the way that I think. It is the way that I process what’s happening in my life and what’s happening in this crazy world that we’re all living. And yeah, it’s the thing that gives me the most in life.

How has growing up affected your writing music?

I think being home-schooled, it just gave me a lot of space to really think about what I was going through. It gave me a lot of alone time to be very introspective. And that’s kind of when I started playing guitar. It was just at the end of the day, really tired from school and I would look at this guitar and would want to learn how to play it. That kind of started my whole journey. And then, yeah, when I was at college, I basically was constantly trying to look for inspiration for songs in the classes I was taking. And even one time I took this science class called The Einstein Revolution, and it was all about Einstein. And the professor let me do a creative project for the final project even though it was a science class. I ended up writing four songs as if I was Einstein, and I wrote pop music. So that was one of the most amazing things that I got to experience in school, just doing something for a science class that was very creative. I think that songwriting and school have always been two sides of the same coin for me. And it’s always inspired each other.

Do you like writing alone, or do you like having other people put in what they think would help?

Yeah, I love doing both. I feel like I’m always thinking about song ideas, and you know the voice app on the phone, I’m always trying to find melodies that are interesting and cool on my own. And then I also love writing with other people. I write a lot in Nashville. I’m originally from Atlanta, Georgia. Nashville feels very much like home. And I love writing with everyone there.

What are your other hobbies?

That’s a great question. I love drinking coffee. Yes, I feel like that’s a hobby for me because I do it so much. Yeah.I actually bake a little bit. I like making cookies and cakes when I have time when I’m home. Just things that are peaceful and quiet.

If you could perform with anyone in the world, who would you choose?

I think that I would like to perform with this woman named Bonnie Raitt. And the reason why is she’s like a rock singer. She’s a woman. Because she went to Harvard, too. I think that it would be really cool to perform with someone who has a very similar story as me. I think that creative energy would just flow.

If you could have one wish, what would it be and why?

If I could have one wish, it would be that all girls everywhere in this world would feel that they could pursue their dreams and do what they want.

When did you start songwriting?

I actually started songwriting before Harvard. I was writing songs when I was about 16, when I started. And I, it’s very similar, though — I started writing songs about what I was learning in school. In high school I was in this class about the history of America, and we were focusing on the California gold rush. And I ended up writing a song called “Gold Dust,” and that was inspired by that class. It was always school that was inspiring my music or kind of giving me those first ideas for songs. That definitely carried through Harvard.

We see you have a lot of confidence. Were you this confident when you were like younger?

No, no, no. I wasn’t. I feel like it was actually that moment when I was writing “Might Not Like Me” where all of this confidence just came out of nowhere, because for so long I cared so much about what other people thought about me. You don’t need to worry about what other people think. But I think that’s a struggle we all have sometimes. It’s a daily thing — I have to be like Brynn? Don’t be worried. It doesn’t matter what people think. Just be you. I’m definitely not always this confident. I have moments, right.

Why did you want to study philosophy?

I wanted to study philosophy because when I was growing up I was very curious almost to an annoying degree. I would ask so many questions. My parents were like, Brynn, you can’t ask what everything is. But they were really encouraging of that, actually. And when I was in high school asking questions, like what is the meaning of love? And who am I? And all those big questions that we’re all trying to solve. I felt like when I walked into my first philosophy class in college that it was just speaking to me, and that was exactly what I wanted to do and what I wanted to study. And then I started writing pop music and I realized, Oh, my goodness. Pop music and philosophy are the same thing because both are trying to get at the universal feelings. Those universal things that we’re all trying to think about and those things we’re all feeling.

Are there music artists you admire?

Yes. I look up to so many artists, mostly just strong, powerful women, so like, Adele. I love her. And Kelly Clarkson. I already mentioned Brandi Carlile. Just any women who are so powerful and strong.

We see you’re a very feminist person.

Yes. I think I got it from my mom. My mom is a big feminist and always taught me that you shouldn’t let anyone talk about you differently because you’re a woman. You’re a human being first. And that was the most important thing. And she’s incredible. I really owe it to my mom for inspiring that in me. That was a good question.

Javan Howard’s writers workshop students, Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts, Wheatley Heights