Rockstar & Elise is the new solo project of emerging independent nostalgia pop artist Emily AF. The Madison, Wisconsin based artist is a music industry veteran, she has over two decades of experience in live audio production. She dropped her debut solo single “Makeup” in June of this year.
Emily AF first began working on the Rockstar & Elise project in 2020, writing songs as a coping mechanism during the pandemic. Her sound pairs an 80s New Wave vibe with a mix of modern and traditional instrumentation. In the four months since her debut, the prolific producer has released four singles and a three-song EP.
“A (mixtape) 4 You” is the brand new single from Rockstar & Elise, released worldwide via all major streaming services on August 16, 2024. Retro electronic arpeggios introduce the tune with a classic 80s vibe. A melodic sawtooth bass rides a drum machine groove as Elise steps to the mic. She delivers with a heartwarming tale of love, anticipation, and the power of a well sequenced mixtape. The single includes the previously released romantic drama “Makeup” as a B-side.
Check out “A (mixtape) 4 You” by Rockstar & Elise below. You can also hear the song on the Deep Dive : Pop & Rock playlist, or listen on your favorite streaming service. We had the chance to chat with Emily AF. Check out her answers to our 8 questions below. Follow the links at the end of this article to connect with the artists.
8 Questions with Emily AF of Rockstar & Elise
Where are you from?
I grew up in NorthEast Florida, near Jacksonville. I was 16 in 93, and heavily immersed in the industrial and indie rock of the early 90s. The Cure, Nine Inch Nails, and Skinny Puppy were my constant soundtrack during that time. My dad was a bluegrass mandolin player, so American string music was the soundtrack of my earlier childhood there.
How long have you been making music?
At least 32 years. I started recording my own stuff in 92 or so, using borrowed drum machines and dubbing back and forth between tape decks. Much of this early work I still have, and work samples of into my current project
Who are the musicians involved in your project?
Rockstar & Elise is largely a solo project, but I do work with other folks in the studio at times. Karl Christenson, formally of Icarus Himself, contributed all the guitar parts to my songs, “Makeup”, and “Push”, though he is only on the studio side. As I build towards live shows, other players are coming on, Including Shawn K. Pierce of the Madison Wis. based power Pop band, Heavy Looks.
Who are your biggest musical influences?
I write through a cinematic eye, and an old, though still present influence is the director, John Carpenter. His films soundtracks for Halloween and The Fog were huge building blocks in my early work. As a kid, I grew up in a bluegrass house, so I have a strong connection to American string music.
I still go back to Alison Krauss when I’m looking for different ways to approach harmony or counter melodies. But I’m equally likely to pull from Taylor Swift, or Skinny Puppy. Much of the music in regular rotation, I discovered with shazam during films and tv shows. So I have a wide and eclectic collection. I make what I call Nostalgia Pop, and each of my songs has roots in different eras.
What is your greatest non-musical influence?
I would go back to John Carpenter here. The way he tells stories and slowly elevates dread, is something I hold as a cornerstone. This will be more present in the synced video aspect of my future live shows.
What inspired you to create Rockstar & Elise?
I’ve made music continually since I was a kid, and all these projects had to have names. The name, Rockstar & Elise was born in 1999. I’m an audio engineer and as of 2022, out as a Trans woman. Back then I got tons of catalogs for musical and studio gear, but also clothes. These would pile up and I’d use them as starter in my outdoor fire pit. One day after a fire, there were little bits of this paper all around that didn’t burn, a section of a keyboard or microphone, or maybe a dress, cute blouse or shoe. All these singed bits of paper all mixed together, and Rockstar & Elise popped into my head. As I thought of it then, the duality of who I was. rockstar/girl.
As far as the sound, a throughline from my childhood to today is the arpeggio. Whether played by a banjo or synth. The joining of all my worlds was always the goal for this project.
What are your plans for the future (musically)?
I am heavily into pre production for live shows which will start in the early winter. These will be technically complicated events with live musicians, backing tracks, and synchronized video, per song. I’ve worked as a professional audio engineer for more than two decades, and my tagline for these shows is, “Bringing arena lever production to the small stage” Fans of both Taylor Swift and Nine Inch Nails would recognize the aesthetic.
Is there anything else you would like to say?
This project stalled in the very early 2000s, but was reborn after I came out as Trans in 2022, and started transition. My music is for everyone, but this is a lens I write through. Many of my songs, released and in production, are about struggle. This is a direct result of living in a world where half the people openly wish for my removal from society, and the other half are either unaware or stand by watching, refusing to say a single word.