Elle Winter is a singer, songwriter, and actor from NYC with nearly 95K monthly listeners on Spotify, 8.2M streams on her most popular song “Yeah, No,” over 400k followers on TikTok, and more than 90k followers on Instagram. She was discovered in her early teens by Radio Disney and signed to her record label, Sony Music’s The Orchard, in 2019. Her debut EP came out March 2020 and she is preparing to release new music in 2022. “Don’t Blame It On My Boyfriend” is out now.

You took to music at an early age. What inspired your early interest in music?
I realized early on I loved music and performing for live audiences. My mom says I started singing and talking at the same time. I grew up singing along with my favorite pop divas like Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears. Music was always playing in our house with my parents blasting Motown and other favorites from the 60s. At 9 years old, I was fortunate to meet a band leader/musical director who took mentored me as we began writing and recording music together.

Does your youth in NYC and your identity as a New Yorker influence your music?
Growing up in NYC definitely had a huge influence on who I am as an artist. I was exposed to endless creativity and talent, developing a sincere appreciation for the arts at a young age. Living in NYC also provided me with so many opportunities to develop my craft and meet people in the industry. My career really started when I took an acting class at age 7, culminating in a showcase that led me to my first manager. NYC gave me the platform to work on various projects, perform at venues in and around the city and eventually be cast in a number of roles.

**Left:**
Dress by Michael Costello
Shoes by Schutz
**Right:**
Top by Khosrov

Tell us about competing in “The Next Big Thing” program and your time touring and working with Radio Disney.
Being a part of Radio Disney’s The Next Big Thing program was such a formative experience for me and catapulted my career. I grew up watching Disney Channel and loved all the Disney music artists. Being chosen for Radio Disney’s Next Big Thing at age 13 was so exciting. The program involved regular appearances on the Disney Channel and having my original music featured on Radio Disney. The show included touring throughout the country with the other participants and visiting so many cities and meeting so many interesting people. For many years after the program ended, I continued to perform at concerts and events for Radio Disney. The whole experience showed me firsthand how my music could connect me with others and touch so many people.

What did you learn from starting your career at such an early age?
Starting my career at such a young age taught me a lot about how to balance the different aspects of my life and prioritize my time. These valuable life lessons were instrumental in making me who I am today. I had to learn how to manage my academic studies alongside my career and still have time for friends and family. Balancing all these areas of my life so young gave me a discipline and focus I carry with me to this day.

**Left:**
Top by Khosrov
**Right:**
Dress by Michael Costello
Shoes by Schutz

You were signed to Sony Music’s The Orchard during your freshman year at UPENN. What inspired your path towards higher education in general and UPENN in particular? What were you studying?
My academic studies have always been especially important to me, as I love to read, write, and learn new things. Having knowledge is very empowering! UPenn has been such a great fit for me academically, creatively, and personally. The school has a multidisciplinary curriculum that allows me to study a variety of subjects that I enjoy, such as communications, cinema, and history. It’s a creative campus with many people engaged in the arts, plus the school is only a quick train ride to NYC. The school has also been incredibly supportive. My studies and my career are equally important to me, so I’m grateful UPenn has allowed me to continue to take courses online as I live in LA to pursue my music career.

You’ve called “Yeah, No.” your “empowerment anthem. Tell us more.
“Yeah, No” is my empowerment anthem because it’s about me setting the narrative for my own story and not letting anyone try to dictate how I feel. I wrote “Yeah No” in Nashville after a breakup where my ex-boyfriend kept calling to check in. I felt so frustrated by his behavior because he knew I would be just fine on my own. This song was for him and all those ex-boyfriends out there to know that if they think our love is still theirs, “Yeah No,” it’s not.

Top by NU
Bracelet by Barocqo
Necklace by Aida.Novosel
Shoe by Schutz

What story do you want to tell with your music?
I want to tell the story of my life experiences in an honest and empowering way so that listeners can identify with them and realize they are not alone in what they are experiencing. I love that music is truly a universal language and I have been fortunate to experience its power by the connections I have made with fans from all over the world.

Who and what are your musical inspirations?
I’m inspired by the artists I grew up listening to like Christina Aguilera, Avril Lavigne, Britney Spears, and Amy Winehouse. I also take inspiration from 60s artists such as Lesley Gore and girl groups like The Ronettes and The Supremes. I admire strong female artists, especially those who challenge social norms, as they used their voices to express themselves and paved the way for their and future artists’ agency in their music.

What was it like collaborating with such a strong team on your new music, especially the legendary Jeff Barry?
It was amazing to be able to work with such talented people. I developed my new “Yes Please” EP with Grammy winning producer Kizzo (“We Are”) and Grammy winning songwriter Autumn Rowe (“We Are”), who encouraged me to be true to myself and really express who I am through my music. Spending a lot of time with them both in and out of the studio was a wonderful learning experience. I was fortunate to meet Jeff Barry as well. Jeff is certainly a legend and has worked with so many of the artists who have inspired me to create this new EP. We now have an amazing friendship, he offered great insight into the writing process and even joined Kizzo, Autumn, and me in the studio on a number of occasions.

What can you tell us about your upcoming music?
My upcoming EP has a real retro quality to it while telling my own stories of self-worth and empowerment. The songs on the EP incorporate a lot of elements of the music I grew up listening to: live instruments, rich harmonies, uplifting themes, and concepts that reflect who I am, both lyrically and sonically.

Social Media.
Facebook: ellewinterx
Instagram : ellewinter
Spotify: Elle Winter
TikTok: ellewintermusic

CREW CREDITS:
PhotoBook Editor-In-Chief: Alison Hernon
PhotoBook Creative Director + Photographer + Producer: Mike Ruiz + @mikeruiz.one
Talent: Elle Winter
Fashion Stylist: Melvin Sanders
Hair: Ana Estela
Makeup: Raquel Moreno
Photographer’s Assistant: Ozzie Gutierrez
Assistant Fashion Stylist: Giyea
Tearsheets by Daniel López, Associate Art Director, PhotoBook Magazine
Interview by Sienna Ropert, Contributor, PhotoBook Magazine
Location: FD Studios