As the waves of musical innovation continue to ripple, Enid Ellen stands out with their latest album, Piss Boi Pisces. This dynamic duo, deeply rooted in their Piscean traits and their unique partnership, has crafted an album that resonates with themes of identity, resilience, and self-discovery. In this exclusive interview, we dive into the depths of their creative process and explore the astrological influences, LGBTQIA+ advocacy, and the mystical journey that shapes their music.
- Your album Piss Boi Pisces reflects a strong connection to your Piscean traits and your partnership with Greg Potter. How do these astrological characteristics influence your creative process and the themes in your music?
Yes, it was really important for me that we highlight our Piscean characteristics. Greg and I are both Pisces and have been living with it all our lives and past lives. It’s the 12th sign of the zodiac, so it is said that we have already gone through all of the other eleven signs. It’s the oldest sign. Greg loves to remind me that he’s younger because he is a March Pisces, which is definitely different from myself, a February Pisces. We are both like fish in water, and I think the music reflects this. We go with the flow, but we are emotional and can be moody. The music encapsulates these traits. I’ve heard most people in AA are Pisces. I am always thirsty, and I think it keeps the energy of the music alive. As the symbol shows, we are chasing one another constantly, swirling round and round, and I know this helps keep the music alive.
- The album’s name, Piss Boi Pisces, is quite intriguing. Can you share the story behind choosing this unique title and how it represents the album’s essence?
The title arrived towards the end of the recording, and the last two songs to literally be recorded were Pisces Intro and Pisces Heart. The bookends of the album. The opening and closing of the vortex that is Piss Boi Pisces. Both of us are children at heart and, of course, Pisces. We are pissy at times, and both of us identify as gay, and we hold the men’s bathroom as a sacred space. Cruising around the ocean of love, Pisces is going with the flow. I also know how fun it is to say these words. The P’s and the B’s feel like a rhyme. It also feels personal, and that’s always important for us so we can connect.
- The single The Surge addresses critical issues faced by the LGBTQIA+ community. How do you balance the themes of advocacy and entertainment in your music?
I strongly believe that just being queer is pretty political. I mean, politicians are still using us to fight their battles. It’s also part of the culture and social structure to continue having conversations around gender, sexuality, and identity. We aren’t going away, so it’s good for us to be visible. Maybe speak for those who can’t or those who have left this world. Sometimes, when I’m traveling, I experience the importance of my voice more than when I’m in NYC. A lot of our community leaves the conservative areas of the country to seek safety in more open-minded or liberal spheres, but the truth is, a lot don’t. Sometimes you need to speak in code or speak in words so that people can maybe start to understand the importance of all voices and emotions.
- In Acadia, you use natural imagery and create a narrative around a character. What inspired this approach, and how does it reflect your songwriting style?
This happens a lot for me. I think of a lot of nature as being animated with a voice, a name, and feelings. I used the name Enid from Sweet Valley High to name a seagull for years. After Sunday school, we would go to this McDonald’s in Ohio, and the seagulls from Lake Erie would hang out there. We’d feed them french fries, and I swear I could spot the same bird every week. She became Enid, and later I became Enid. So I guess you could say it has always been a part of my process to give things names. It makes me think of drag names and fairy names. These chosen names can give queer people a space to find their true voice. Acadia seemed like a powerful name. If you’ve ever been to Acadia National Park, you know the power and beauty of that landscape.
- Your music videos, like the one for Acadia, showcase a DIY aesthetic. How is visual storytelling important to your artistic expression?
I am someone who comes from a visual background. I was drawing and painting before I was ever making music. So the visual is always important. It opens the music up for me. When writing lyrics or poems, I see the images first, and it allows me to enter the space. I’m one of those people who sees colors with numbers. I associate them together in my brain, so the mood and everything are a flow of visuals. Sometimes there’s not always a budget for the videos, and I get really fixed on creating something, so I try to figure out another way of doing it. Money doesn’t always have to guide the ship. There’s a lot I appreciate about art that is DIY. The rawness and reality that can be tapped into. It’s huge.
- As members of the LGBTQIA+ community, how do you approach incorporating themes of gender, sexuality, and drag into your music?
Most of the time, they just come because they are parts of me. They are thoughts I’m having, an article I’m ready for, or some political campaign that’s trying to silence us. I’m sparked. The drag, my makeup, and my costume have evolved with time, and I consider it to be like painting. I develop the skills, and my mood dictates a lot of them. How do I feel at the moment? Do I want to shave? Who am I right now?
- Your album seems to be a blend of various music styles, from rock anthems to piano ballads. How do you ensure coherence in such a diverse collection?
To tell you the truth, I don’t really think about the big picture of these songs being an album until the end. So they really came through Greg and me through the span of time they were being written and developed. I know what we were listening to, and what we were hearing definitely influenced the span of sound that you hear on the album. Like I said earlier, the last two songs to be recorded were Pisces Intro and Pisces Heart. I think these two hold the songs together in this basket. They are the walls that hold it together as a thing. The themes and instruments are the roots going through all the songs. It feels solid now, and I think recording mostly in one studio together helped lock the songs in together.
- Enid Ellen has evolved over three albums. How have your sound and approach to music changed since your first album?
A lot has changed. Access to the recording has changed. The development of the sound. I think we have healed a lot and grown as humans, so the music has done this as well. I listen to Cannibal Disease, and I can hear pain in my voice. I was 26 when we recorded that album. I hadn’t lost my mother yet, and I was trying to get sober. I actually fell down a flight of stairs when we recorded that album and hit my head on a cement wall. Some things have definitely settled since that first album. I also think the political landscape has changed, as has my love life. I’m excited to see where the music goes next.
- You mention a mystical journey through emotions in Piss Boi, Pisces. Can you elaborate on how you crafted this emotional landscape through your songs?
There’s a line in Acadia—36 years old—feeling it in your lungs. It reminded me that I was 36 years old when I wrote that song. I’m almost forty now. We’ve been through a pandemic and an attempted coup to overthrow the government. I got married. This landscape is expansive, and it just keeps going. Life. Seriously, every time Greg and I sit down to write together, something new comes through. It is about taking the time to document these moments with the songs. I think there could be an entirely different set of songs if we had just written a week before or after. There’s magic in honoring that time and honoring those emotions.
- Looking forward, what direction do you see Enid Ellen taking in future projects, and are there any dream collaborations you are aspiring towards?
I’m always excited to expand the sound. Adding more musicians. I’d also love to get my own hands dirty playing an instrument. For now, I’m looking forward to playing live. Maybe a live album will pop up.
Enid Ellen’s Piss Boi Pisces is a kaleidoscope of emotions, styles, and narratives that transcends traditional boundaries. As they continue to evolve and experiment, their journey is a testament to the power of music as a medium for personal expression and social commentary. With their eyes set on the future, Enid Ellen promises to be a beacon of innovation and inspiration in the ever-changing landscape of music.
