In this episode, I sit down with actor, singer, musician & songwriter, Eleri Ward. And if you have been listening to Let Perfect Burn,  then you have heard Eleri's incredible voice and her soulful original music.

This summer, Eleri is opening for Josh Groban for his "Harmony Tour". Her signature indie-folk sound is most notable on her album A Perfect Little Death. This album was produced by Ghostlight Records, and features Eleri’s covers of Stephen Sondheim classics. In speaking about her amazing upcoming summer adventure, Eleri says, “I’m going to be doing this alone with the guitar, but in front of thousands of people. I’m freaked out. But also, excited AF about it.”

The genesis of A Perfect Little Death came during Covid. Eleri took to her walk-in closet and created an arrangement of the Sondheim song that she couldn’t get out of her head. Her Joanna Reprise arrangement and homemade video was created the next day, and before long, her social media posts took off. Over the course of a month, she recorded all 13 songs to create the album. She had a friend mix and master it. She took a Polaroid of herself holding a guitar for the album. She says, “When something is truly raw and organic, you can feel it. And I can’t help but wonder if that’s the thing that people have responded to.”

Eleri uses her reach to encourage others to put their work into the world and to make art from their authentic selves. “There’s something about people continuing and truly putting themselves out there, even if it’s uncomfortable or no one’s watching. Because you don’t know what can happen to that work that you put out years from now.”

Highlights from Eleri:

"It can be hard for me to let go and just trust that the audience's reaction is the truth versus my own inner experience that no one else is seeing. And I'm just I'm really, really hard on myself. And I'm working on not being so hard on myself. But it's definitely a double edged sword, because it's like, that clearly has worked for me in terms of working hard and being the best that I can possibly be."

"And it's like, jeez girl, give yourself a break—you're a human being. And they gave you a standing O, and that should be reason enough to ease up on yourself and believe that the imperfections of that performance gave them a special experience that they'll never get if they watch a video."

"A lot of the time as an artist, you don't even realize the gifts that you're giving people. And that is a really beautiful thing. I can't stress enough how important it is to me for people to fearlessly and continuously put their work out there.  Because that is a gift they are giving, even if they have no idea they are giving it to somebody."

Don't Miss a Beat.
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https://www.instagram.com/eleriward/