After two years away, Elina Filice returns with “These Days,” a heartfelt, nostalgic anthem exploring long-distance love, emotional storytelling, and a bold new creative chapter.
1. After nearly two years away from releasing new music, how did it feel to return with “These Days,” and what made this song the right one to mark your comeback?
It was definitely an accidental hiatus! The last two years have been full of love, adventure, travel, developing Drop Rocket, writing, recording and producing – just no releases! I did want a ‘comeback track’ to mark a new era of upcoming music. I felt that “These Days” was the right track for the job! It’s heartfelt and nostalgic, but upbeat and (I hope!) a song you’ll want to scream-sing in the car. It also describes a long-distance relationship, which I think a lot of people will be able to relate to.
2. “These Days” explores the emotional reality of long-distance relationships. Can you tell us more about the personal experiences or moments that inspired the lyrics?
I wrote this song in my head while driving to and from another city, a few years ago when I was in a long-distance relationship. It describes the feeling of always running out of time, and yearning for a future where you’ll have all the time in the world. I wanted to capture that unresolved feeling of leaving your heart in another place and always being on the run, never truly here nor there. There’s this push and pull and waves of uncertainty that you ride when in an LDR. But also a hope that you have to hold in your heart to make it through the hard times.
3. The song builds from sparse, emotional verses into a powerful, anthemic chorus. How did you approach the songwriting and production to create that emotional rise?
I wanted the verses to describe quick vignettes, memories, and moments in time: movement, longing, loneliness. I tend to lean into strong storytelling in my music so that people can immerse themself in and see themself in the song. I wanted the hook to feel like an arrival: full of hope in the future, and reassuring a loved one that everything will be ok. In terms of production, we kept the verses pretty sparse and then added a ton of layers and texture into the hook to convey those emotions.
4. Your music often blends different influences, including indie-pop, blues, and spoken word. How do these elements shape your artistic identity?
I definitely have a hard time committing to a genre! I feel very influenced by the world around me – what I’m listening to, how I’m feeling, what I’m experiencing. My music and what I have to say has never felt like something I can put in a box. I like the freedom to pursue any idea or influence. If you listen to my discography, you’ll hear everything from folk to rap to rock to house. They say this makes me hard to market. I think it keeps things fun. Though varied, you’ll definitely hear strings of ‘me’ throughout my discog.
5. You’ve been a strong advocate for queer visibility through your work. How important is it for you to use your platform and music to support and represent the queer community?
It’s incredibly important to me. Music is a powerful tool for the queer community to take up space and pursue greater visibility by telling our stories. Stories of solidarity and heartache, but also hope and love. For a long time I was scared to use female pronouns in my music. At some point I realized that I had a responsibility, to myself and my community, to tell these stories honestly. Because this is my life and my friends’ life, and our lives and stories matter.
6. Beyond being a musician, you’re also the founder of Drop Rocket. How has building a platform for independent artists influenced the way you approach your own career and releases?
Being the founder of a music release platform definitely puts the pressure on for my own releases! I use Drop Rocket for all of my own releases, and I try to take my own advice. Though I’ve been releasing music for years, built a whole platform around it, and help other artists through it, it still really is no easy feat. Honestly every time I release music it gives me greater respect for independent artistry. It’s a huge amount of work and we really do have the world on our shoulders. It makes me want to develop an even better product for all of the hardworking artists out there!
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