Ellington Ratliff’s Debut Single, “EMT”

Ellington Ratliff is making his debut solo appearance with the release of his brand new single, “EMT.” An abbreviation for the word “empty,” Ellington makes use of his dark sense of humor to shed light on the severity of the song’s subject matter. No stranger to the spotlight, Ellington is an original member of the band, R5. While in this group, he had multiple top 40 hits and played over 270 shows on 5 continents. Now, the singer is ready to step into the spotlight with his new single. This single is incredibly unique with a haunting yet euphonious vibe that draws the listener under the spell Ellington beautifully creates. I had the chance to speak with Ellington and get to know some of his influences, song writing processes and so much more. 

 

BTS: Tell us about your relationship with music.

Ellington: I’ve always had a deep love for music but my career in it was unexpected. My parents were both entertainers so I was more in line for that route, acting, theater etc.  but luckily they listened to music from The Temptations to Zeppelin so I had a strong foundation. I’ve been obsessed with finding new sounds and artists since I was young and that’s fueled my tastes today. There’s nothing better than finding a band or artist that makes you obsessive. 

BTS: What does your song-writing process look like? Are there certain

places or times that stimulate this process?

Ellington: I read somewhere that there are two types of writers, the Paul Simon type who can finish a song in a matter of minutes and the Leonard Cohen type who takes.. substantially longer. I definitely relate to the latter because I feel like, at least for now, I write at a snail’s pace but mainly because I want things to be as perfect as they can be. Looking back I do feel like I’ve written my best when I’m out and moving, for instance, being on a walk or in my car. There’s been many times where I’m circling the common area in front of my gym, pacing and whispering melody and lyrical ideas into my phone like a crazy person. 

BTS:  What was the inspiration for your music video?

Ellington: Even before quarantine I was spending most of my time alone in my house writing and in some ways I look at my house as a part of my process. So I wanted to incorporate my natural setting in everything, especially the EMT music video. I also love music videos that have interesting visuals and I think having the challenge of creating something interesting using what you have at hand makes for a more creative video. 

BTS: How has coronavirus impacted your career?

Ellington: It’s interesting, I feel like there were two years where I was struggling to find help or find a voice and right when the lockdowns hit, I started gaining momentum. I met Mark Needham who is known for mixing The Killers and Imagine Dragons and 1975 and since things were halting, he had time to take on my project and really enhanced my sound. 

BTS: What inspired you to pursue music?

Ellington: There was always something in the back of my mind that thought I could do something cool myself but I was always wrapped up in my past projects and after a while the idea didn’t seem possible. But then all of a sudden dynamics changed, a crossroads was reached and the time came for me to trust myself and jump. 

BTS: What do you want people to know about your music before listening to it?

Ellington: It’s an altered take on Alternative Rock music. I think by default, Alternative is my favorite genre but these days there are so many sub genres that are taking over and I love absorbing all of that to make something new. 

BTS: How would you describe your signature sound?

Ellington: My sound comes from many sources of inspiration. From the beginning of this journey I’ve wanted my sound to be a mashup of my influences even if they were on different spectrums of music or even different types of media. For instance, in EMT there’s influences from 90’s “boom bap” style rap, there’s influence from the 2011 Coachella artists I used to listen to and there are these horns that come in later in the song that are derived from hip hop but were sampled from old tv show theme songs. 

BTS: What do you like to do in your free time?

Ellington: I love finding my next favorite album or artists. I’m currently going through all of the year-end “best album” lists to find anything I missed over the year. Also, when it’s not Covid time I love going to my local venues and watching bands. I learn so much about what to do, and what not to do, by watching a lot of live music acts. 

BTS: What are some of your favorite albums?

Ellington: That is hard but here you go. James Blake self titled is top 5, I listened to that like everyday for a year when it came out. This year it was SAULT’s 5 and 7 (two different albums), it’s some of the best music I have ever heard and they come out with an album every 3 months, it’s amazing. Then, Arcade Fire – Reflektor, Parquet Courts – Wide Awake!, Unknown Mortal Orchestra – II and James Booker – Piano Wizard Live. 

BTS: What can we expect from Ellington in the future?

Ellington: More Music. It’s so insane finally having my own music out and the response has been overwhelming. I will be releasing more songs in 2021 and eventually I will be releasing an EP. I am very excited for what’s to come and very thankful.

 

Clearly, Ellington’s career is just getting started. His mix of influences ferments into each piece of work he has put out for his fans, and understanding a little more about his song-writing processes adds to the beauty behind his construction of each lyric. His single is an expression of his own stream of consciousness that invites the listener not only to have a new alternative rock song for their favorite playlist, but also to learn a little more about the magic of Ellington.

We are so excited to see what’s to come of Ellington in the future. Be sure to stay updated with the singer’s Instagram to stay informed on future releases. Additionally, stream “EMT” here and be sure to check out the song’s brand new music video, self directed, filmed and edited by Ellington. As always, make sure to follow Beyond The Stage on Twitter and Instagram to keep up with the latest music news.