Scrolling through the new releases on Itunes, you recognize a familiar name. No, it’s not Taylor Swift, Jay-Z or Charlie Puth; it’s the girl who sings next to you in chorus class every day.
Sophomore Ellie Trainor, released her first EP, titled “N. E. W.” (Nothing Ends Well), containing four original pieces April 14.
Trainor completed the EP at her house independently, using GarageBand.
“I have been wanting to make an EP, and I have been doing Soundcloud for a while,” Trainor said. “I thought it would be better and easier for people who want to hear me, so they can have a collection of my songs easily without dealing with the unorganized soundcloud system.”
Trainor’s experiences inspire the songs on the album. Her song “Hold on to Me” is dedicated to her friend who was going through a hard time. She named the EP “N. E. W.” (Nothing Ends Well) because she said she likes the irony of the name.
“I think it is an interesting comparison— the birth of new things versus the death of old ones,” Trainor said.
Before working on her EP, Trainor performed at several local venues, including The Black Squirrel and The Glenview Mansion.
Sophomore Sophie Isbell has been a fan of Trainor’s career since November 2015.
“I think she is one of the few people I know who has the chance of fame, just because she is so dedicated and faithful to music,” Isbell said.
Sophomore Max Gordy explained how special and exciting it is to watch his friend perform.
“It’s really cool to see someone you know who is very, very talented and expressing her talents on a stage,” Gordy said.
Although Trainor didn’t have any expectations for this release, she did hope that recording this EP and selling it on iTunes would allow her to gain a more prominent following and provide an easier way for people to find her music.
“I am not totally sure this EP will change anything career wise, but I am hoping it will make me more bookable and more available and easier for people in the professional world to find me online,” Trainor said.
After listening to “Hold on to Me,” Trainor’s first track of the EP, senior Simone Augustine was impressed with her talent at such a young age.
“I think it’s really cool that she’s already releasing EPs and performing as much as she is,” Augustine said. “Most people don’t start that kind of stuff until after they graduate.”
Growing up surrounded by music, Trainor has always felt a special connection to singing.
“Music to me means a vessel for emotions that I would normally bottle up,” she said. “I can’t really explain why I love music so much, other than that it’s just ingrained in me.”
Listen to and download “N. E. W.” from iTunes here.
Listen to and download “N. E. W.” from Spotify here.
