A Chat with Elare André (26.09.25)
Multi-talented musician Elare André has released his new single ‘What’s Baby’s Name?’. The self-aware anthem flips his shyness aside to explore a sense of self-assurance over a mixture of alternative hip-hop, experimental pop, and hyperpop. We speak with Elare André about his new single ‘What’s Baby’s Name?’, and more below.
OSR: ‘What’s Baby’s Name?’ started as a beat you almost gave away. What made you decide to keep it for yourself?
Elare André: So after some gigs I’d played back in the day as E. André or Bronze Wolf, I’d hear people mention they’d like to rap on beats that I was using for my more melodic vocal-focused songs. I had written a few raps, but I honestly can’t freestyle and initially felt like it wasn’t my territory to be marauding in – but I really liked the idea. I probably didn’t put the most effort into shopping the WIP beat around, but I found those I showed the beat didn’t necessarily have an immediate vision for the vocal flow or what the final song could sound like – so I wrote and recorded the initial draft of the vocals, and I had too much fun with it. It felt like a sound I wanted to carve out as a part of my sonic palette for my own project.
OSR: Your music blends alt-hip hop, experimental pop, and hyperpop textures. Do you think about genre when you’re creating, or does it come after?
Elare André: I think for my process, it really depends on the song. I hear full new song concepts in my head constantly – or can sometimes access a synesthesia-like visualization of a song. From there, it’s carving out that noise inside my head into the right timbres and even figuring out the chord structures that are in my head. Genre often comes last, as a way to fit what I’ve produced in the closest approximate boxes for categorization – but it’s not necessarily always at the forefront when I’m creating.
OSR: The song flips the idea of self-promotion into a cheeky anthem. Was that a deliberate concept or something that emerged naturally?
Elare André: I knew I wanted to write a brag track, and we’re also in an era where I am personally extremely “over” using social media to scream for attention, aka marketing. Some people comment on how songs almost need to be flashy like a commercial to market the music these days, and how that lessens the art, so I kind of wanted to take that all and puff my chest with it, as if I think I’m like… so bad that you could never touch this. I’m honestly very low-key and down to earth in real life, and like: I believe in what ego death can teach you – so there’s plenty of tongue-in-cheek in the braggadocious tone ‘What’s Baby’s Name?’ takes on – but that’s what I wanted. This forthcoming album contains some commentary on where we are with music socially, and specifically regarding social media promo.
OSR: Who were your biggest sonic influences when shaping this track?
Elare André: Honestly probably Cardi B. ‘WAP’ literally gets a bit of a shoutout in the lyrics.
OSR: You’ve been compared to artists like James Blake and Frank Ocean. Do you see those parallels yourself?
Elare André: I think James and Frank are honestly my dream parallels, so if other people see them, I’m truly flattered. They are independently legendary and unique, but in my mind, they also live in a similar sonic space. I think I’m probably most similar to Frank in that I’ve spent years (not) releasing the music that I’m working on lol – but honestly, I’m certainly inspired by both James and Frank’s entire catalogues, so it’s bound to bleed into my own writing style and production choices. I love so much music, but if I could add a trifecta to these two as far as production inspirations, it’d probably be Jai Paul.
OSR: How do you balance vulnerability and confidence in your songwriting?
Elare André: Being vulnerable kind of requires confidence, so they can and do go hand in hand. Vulnerability in songwriting can really elevate the emotions that might already exist in the sonic palette. I like to play with being both vulnerable and cheeky at times with lyrics, and typically against song structures that might be a bit cinematic or melodramatic. I guess it’s almost like breaking the 4th wall in a movie. The next song I’m releasing on Oct 17th is called ‘And then I paused to take a selfie’, and I kind of wanted to juxtapose oversharing my guts with a shift to a chorus that puts that on pause immediately to take a selfie. It’s such a funny moment sometimes. Conceptually, it came to me when I once saw a guy drive past me while I was walking – park his car, and promptly get out to take a selfie. It’s super normal, but also just kind of a funny moment that has become part of the human experience.
OSR: Can you talk us through your recording setup and how your home studio shapes your sound?
Elare André: Sure, I can! So, as an independent artist/ producer, I’ve got a bit of a bedroom studio. I’ve got a handful of keyboards and synthesizers that I often use for the main chords or melodic parts of my music. I’ve got two Casios, a Yamaha Workstation, a Juno, and then I really only have a Nord Lead 2X and an OP-1 for synths at the moment. I dabble with the baritone ukulele, hammer dulcimer, a few tin whistles, and a smattering of percussion instruments like sleigh bells, shakers, a hi-hat (I don’t have space for the full drum set in my apartment right now so it’s stored in my parent’s basement) I also try to source a lot of my drums from found sounds in real life if I can – or use 808s and the things we seek in well worn pop/ hip hop music, but I kind of play with and warp things in Logic to get them where I want them. I usually keep my mind really open-minded to changing the palette, or working with longtime collaborators for other instruments I don’t play, like violin (s/o Jeffrey Niemeir) or brass (s/o Brandon Bowker). I think my setup can keep things pretty open and adventurous. I’m not trying to emulate an existing artist as much as do my own thing.
OSR: Your background includes instruments like the hammer dulcimer and ukulele. Did any unusual textures sneak into this track?
Elare André: So, I didn’t use either of those specifically on this track! Aside from my voice, one of the main backbones of this song is a bass clarinet line I played on a little Casio with a little intentional pitch warble in post. (I love organic adjacent noises with a little bit of warble or digital effectation).
OSR: What excites you most about releasing Music for All Occasions in scrambled sequence before the vinyl drop?
Elare André: I think this method really affords some of the later tracks in the intended lineup to shine on their own, and also maintains a little mystery in the release. I feel strong about the intended order, but I think everything has a bit of a different feel or connotation when the context is removed – so in that sense, I think there will still be something a bit new when all 13 songs are out and on vinyl in the correct sequence.
OSR: If ‘What’s Baby’s Name?’ had to soundtrack a film scene, what would it look like?
Elare André: The music video, duh! The lyrics are so specific to Elare André – with me saying my own name on repeat in the “choruses” so I feel like it’d have to be a very particular film scene. Maybe a movie about a music artist struggling through the early years of building a career – a bit moody, but full of color and hope for the future.
Many thanks to Elare André for speaking with us. Find out more about Elare André on his Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and Spotify.
