The year is 2016: bright-eyed Elle Murphey, in a watercolor flower dress with tousled hair, steps onto The Voice Australia stage and belts her way into Delta Goodrem’s team, leaving the Madden Brothers in the dust. She makes it to the final top 16—and nearly a decade later, the girl with the glass-shattering high notes is still going strong. This week, she dropped her latest single, ‘Clearer’—a soaring ode to self-love. We caught up with her to chat about the track, what New Music Fridays feel like from the artist’s side, and more.
Do you remember your very first memory of music—and what about it made you fall in love?
First memory would probably be my Northern Irish side of the family at the end of our parties, having a jam and singing together. There was always banjos, guitars, and lots and lots of singing. I was really encouraged to sing in front of people, regardless of being cripplingly shy at an early age.
Your journey really kicked off in 2016 on The Voice with Team Delta (led by Goodrem). Nearly ten years later, is there still a piece of advice from her that’s stuck with you?
My favourite piece of advice was not singing a run or riff just to show off and do it because you feel it from emotion. I loved that and pass that on to my singing students.
You’ve gone from The Voice stage and a music degree to releasing your own songs instead of covers. What was that leap like—and how has your authentic voice grown since then?
Pretty much as soon as things wrapped on The Voice, I was in the studio creating and making music. I was really lucky to be working with some of Melbourne’s best musicians and learnt so much in the last few years about different ways of making music. I think with life experience, you grow and learn so many lessons and have to really grapple with not selling out stadiums at 23 that you just expected would happen- and then what success looks like and why you’re doing music. Which I think the lessons in my new song about self-love and learning that needs to be at the core of life to cope with things.
Then you switched things up and coached at TrueVoice Vocal Academy. What did you learn once the roles were flipped?
I do think teaching is a calling of mine. I love helping people build confidence, and always get so emotional watching people hit little milestones. Helping people feel good is just the best, and I really have learnt a lot about my own voice and role in life through teaching.
‘Clearer’ feels like such an empowering ode to self-love. Since you wrote it with Ethan Reginato and Olivia Dennis—who were at different stages of that journey—what perspective did you take away from them?
I think we’re all actually in sort of similar stages in our life- being very ambitious people and being burnt by the industry, but persevering and following a love for music anyway. As well as just learning about family dynamics and realising your parents are humans with faults, we really just had so much to relate to each other on, and found it quite therapeutic to write this as they just get it.
Do you have a favourite lyric from ‘Clearer?’
Honestly, so many good ones, as this song is just a big affirmation for me that I need to repeat to myself. I would say “Everything it took to get you here, everything you overcame, the fear/ A little self-believing, everyone can see it, enough’s enough“. This part really is about reflecting on your inner strength and being proud to be where you are and coming out the other side of things that made you feel like the world was ending.
That scratch-out fade-out at the end of the track is such a vibe. When you’re building out productions, what do you hope listeners walk away with?
I love little, strange, weird things that give a little element of surprise in each section. The scratch out is an ode to my love of vintage vinyl and all things analogue.
triple j has been backing you from the start—your first spins, Unearthed Track of the Day. Their Laneway lineup just dropped, so if you had to pick a five-song mini setlist from that bill to sit alongside ‘Clearer’ on a playlist, what would you choose?
1. ‘Soaked’ – BENEE
2. ‘Casual’ – Chappel Roan
3. ‘Snap My Finger’ – KAYTRANADA featuring Pinkpantheress
4. ‘Look at That Woman’ – ROLE MODEL
5. ‘Happen to Me’ – BENEE
Spotify’s also been showing love with playlists like Pop n Fresh and New Music Friday (a.k.a. the best day of the week for music nerds). Do you have any little Friday rituals? How do you usually dive into new releases?
I honestly think release day was always like a horrible, hard day for me. I’d be really disappointed time and again that I wasn’t the face of every playlist, and just comparing myself to my peers, which is always the worst thing to do to yourself. But these days, I think I’ve done the work to let all that go and celebrate it a little more and keep busy, which is also what the song is about.
And finally—what’s next on your musical bucket list?
I would love to get back to the stage I was at before I moved to London in selling out headline shows in Melbourne. I’m slowly trying to build up my presence here again and just enjoying the ride.
The more you listen, the clearer it gets: one lyric always rises to the top. Which is it for you? Drop your answer on our socials, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
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