Section 36 Music had another visitor! Ella Loretta is releasing a single this week that you won't want to miss. I was so excited that Ella wanted to visit with us to discuss the release, her future goals, and more! I'm sure you'll love what she had to say.
So, let's see what happens when Ella Loretta visits Section 36!
I am incredibly excited about your single “Really Do”. What can you tell me about it?
Really Do is a song about loving someone so much that you don’t understand how they could ever doubt it, and wanting to show them how worthy and special they are. It’s romantic, danceable, and feel-good. I write mostly on guitar, and this song started out the same way, in my childhood bedroom last year with a month left of summer to kill and my journal in front of me. The verses happened quickly over the same accoustic guitar part you hear in the final song. Then I reached a turning point and decided to think past writing the entire thing accoustically, as is usually my style, in favor of sitting down in front of my laptop to start producing the song as I was writing the rest of it. I was fresh out of my first year of music production classes in college and spent the rest of the summer working on the best demo of the song possible. The accoustic guitar, synth, and most of the background vocals from the final version of the song were all recorded that month in my room in Raleigh. The drum groove and many of the instrumental parts you hear are also based directly on my initial production. I sat on the demo for a few months, sending it in for different pitch opportunities and applications, until I got an email in January from Matt Rollings, a Grammy Award winning producer who wanted to produce my song during his visit to Berklee. That’s when everything was set into motion.
Do you have a favorite memory from the recording process?
This is where I have to give the biggest thank you to Matt and to Berklee, because what made this process so special is the trust, resources, and opportunity I was given. Recording in Berklee’s Studio 1 was surreal, it’s enormous (2,200 sq feet) and the piano you’re hearing is a Steinway Grand. I was the artist, writer and coproducer in an environment where so many people were there to participate in making my vision come to life. It was really pinch-me moment after pinch-me moment, everyone was so kind and phenomenally talented at what they were doing. We had the space and the equipment, so what you’re hearing is me and the band playing together on the same take, with very minimal editing. In the mixing room with Matt and Django Beaudoin, who was also wonderful to work with, my opinions and ear were valued and it was such an exciting creative back and forth to watch the whole thing develop and take shape. I really could not be more grateful.
You are currently attending Berklee College of Music. What made Berklee the right choice for you?
I was very close to pursuing a theatre degree, because musical theatre is and always will be a huge part of my life. I applied all over the place and was accepted into some great programs that focused on musical theatre, voice, or songwriting along with Berklee, but while coming to accepted students day here in Boston, Berklee really won me over. I was incredibly drawn to the opportunities here, I love the city, and what sealed the deal was that Berklee was ready to support every facet of my creative identity, without making me choose or sacrifice a part of what makes me the artist that I am. Fittingly, I’m now double majoring in Vocal Performance and Songwriting with a double minor in Musical Theatre Performance and Musical Theatre Writing.
Who or what would you consider your biggest musical inspiration?
Such a hard question, and I have so many, but Billie Eilish is someone I have absolutely idolized and looked up to for a really long time. Her first album came out on my thirteenth birthday when I was on a choir trip to Disney World and I listened for every second of the bus ride to Florida. I find her career so inspiring and the way she chooses to navigate the industry is extremely admirable. I could go on and on, but she is absolutely brilliant. I tend to gravitate towards multi-hyphenates, creatives who can kill it at more than one thing, since that’s the dream career for me as a singer, songwriter, and actress. Billie is in that camp for me along with other amazing artists like Reneé Rapp, Sarah Bareilles, Lizzy McAlpine, Lin Manuel Miranda, Barbara Streisand, and honestly, a large swath of the Stranger Things Cast.
You had the chance to play Ursula in a theatre production of The Little Mermaid. What was that experience like?
I love that you asked me this! I played Ursula in 2023 and it’s one of my all time favorite chracters I’ve ever stepped into. I had incredible hair, makeup, and costuming during that production, which is why you can find pictures of me as Ursula on my website. Shoutout Koko Thornton, the best director and costumer out there. I always say playing Ursula was like being a celebrity; I got to walk out onstage to applause before having done a single thing because people already have such a strong connection to the character. It was amazing, and I had so much fun being evil and fabulous. I was also a finalist for Best Actress at the Triangle Rising Star Awards (now the DPAC Rising Star Awards) for my performance, which was its own awesome experience.
What are your immediate musical goals?
I’m really excited to be achieving a big one with this release and want to make the most of it. I’m ready to play more gigs of my own music in Boston and in Raleigh this summer. I’m finding my rhythm with social media, and I’ve got the song coming out after this one lined up so I’m gonna work hard to make that happen next and record some more songs while we’re at it. Every day that I have the opportunity to train at Berklee is a day I’m preparing for the world outside of it, and I’m so thankful for everyone who is supporting me and my artistry along the way. You won’t regret it!
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I know I don't regret it!
As always, I want to thank Ella for visiting with us, and for sending along the pictures to accompany the interview.
I'm sure you’ll all want to follow her and see what she has going on. Here are the best places to find her:
Thanks again Ella, and good luck reaching your goals!
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