Ella Jinks has released her second EP ‘The InBetween’.
Created alongside her long-term collaborator and co-writer Matt Ingram (Florence + The Machine, Laura Marling), the journey towards ‘The In Between’ also presented the opportunity to write with the renowned Katie Melua.
Speaking of the EP, Ella described the release as “delving into the more uncomfortable parts of self discovery and learning to face those darker aspects of ourselves that we tend to keep hidden.”
To celebrate her EP release, Ella shared with us 5 tracks that influenced ‘Just Another Day’.
Ray LaMontage – Til The Sun Turns Black
Ray LaMontagne has always been a big musical inspiration for me, especially growing up. But for this particular EP, I was especially influenced by the strings in his song ‘Til the Sun Turns Black’. The way they build throughout the song slowly and steadily but still building dynamic was something I aimed to capture on the last track of the EP, ‘Just Another Day’. It was important to me that the strings served a purpose beyond just filling space in the production and so his track was often referenced throughout the recording process on this project.
Billie Marten – Willow
Moving on from my debut EP ‘Conversations’, I wanted the bass to have a much bolder role in the production, having a strong tie with the main vocal, as if they were talking to one another. So you’ll find throughout this EP there is a lot of call and response between the lead vocal and the bass and this is something that was loosely inspired by Billie Martens song ‘Willow’. I really enjoyed how the bass sounds like its dancing around the vocal but without overpowering the vulnerability of her voice.
Big Thief – Change
Big Thief has always been a major songwriting influence for me, but during the writing process of this EP, I found myself particularly drawn to ‘Change’. I admired how its simplicity was so evocative, and that’s what I aimed for when writing tracks like ‘Just Another Day’ and “The In Between’.
Lou Reed – Perfect Day
‘Perfect Day’ served as a key inspiration for helping shape the dynamics during the recording of ‘Just Another Day’. I was particularly drawn to how the chorus in ‘Perfect Day’ has a complete change in energy, shifting its mood from the sombre verses to something brighter and more hopeful. We drew on this contrast a lot when crafting the middle 8 and chorus sections of ‘Just Another Day’, as we wanted those moments to be the crescendo point of the song.
Joni Mitchell – River
Joni Mitchell has always been one of my favourite songwriters, and I often find myself drawing inspiration from her work. While creating ‘This Fall’, I listened to ‘River’ on repeat, particularly inspired by the storytelling in the verses, as well as the intimacy and vulnerability in her voice, which is perfectly paired with the haunting piano.
Listen to Ella Jinks music influences:
Stream Ella Jinks ‘The InBetween’ EP