This is an interview done with Ella Aven, read her story below! If you, or anyone you know, would like to be highlighted in The Zillennial Zine, shoot us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com or DM us on Instagram!

Q: Tell us your story! Where did you begin and how did you reach the caliber you’re currently at?

A: I remember loving to perform as little kid and being obsessed with the idea of living in Nashville. I cam from parents who are far from musically inclined, yet they were music lovers and always encouraged me to pursue my dreams. At seven years old I began taking guitar lessons from a local studio. I owe where I am to my wonderful guitar instructor and his spectacular wife who I began taking voice lessons from when I was in middle school. They truly took me under their wings and gave the motivation and confidence to by myself and take my music seriously. They helped me with every performance and later helped me record and release my first single “City Stars”. With their help I was accepted into the school of music at Belmont University in Nashville, TN where I currently am studying Vocal Performance and Songwriting. My time at Belmont has been such a rewarding experience and has put me in community with so many amazing musicians, as well as start to build my team. It has given me the ability to continue recording music, as well as helped me find a bunch of performance opportunities. I will be performing my first headlining show on April 11th at the End!

Q: What makes you love what you do? How long have you been making music? Would you call it your passion?

A: I love the ability to be creative! There is no better joy than getting to spend my time not only making music, but getting to engage in other parts of the process like visuals for releases and putting together outfits for a show. Despite singing for a long time, I feel like my journey as an artist really began when I was in middle school. I remember how much writing songs changed my life because it was not only a creative outlet, but getting me one step closer to the life I always envisioned for myself. I would 1,000% call music my passion! It has been my favorite thing to do and biggest love for as long as I remember.

Q: What are some accomplishments or milestones you’ve reached lately?

A: I just released my second single “Graveyard”! It is my favorite song I’ve ever written so I am so happy to have it out into the world. It marks the start to a new era of my music and sets the tone for my debut EP that is set to come out this summer. Along with that I will be playing my first ever headlining show at the End on April 11th. It will feature a bunch of original music accompanied by the amazing players I have the honor of sharing the stage with!

Q: Tell us all about your latest project!

A: My latest song “Graveyard” is the first single of my upcoming EP “Messages to the Moon”. I took a lot of inspiration from Joni Mitchell, Zach Bryan and Noah Kahan with this project, and ended up with some indie folk songs. “Graveyard” has a bit of a country feel to it. It talks about feeling like a ghost in your hometown and growing and changing out of who you once were. The rest of the project feels songs I’ve written in the last year as I’ve navigated searching for love, falling in love and the nuances of entering into my 20’s. It features a bunch of acoustic instrumentation that I love dearly, as well as growing into a new space for me in terms of production! I have gotten to work with my amazing producer Griffin Tomaino all of these recordings. Along with him, I’ve been able to bring in Charlie Bove on mandolin and Henri Riddle on guitar, both of which I am lucky to get to play shows with!

Q: Do you have any advice for someone who might admire you? What do you think is the key to success?

A: Growing up, my voice teacher always told me “heal a heart” before performances or auditions instead of break a leg. It was a reminder to not just go up and put on a show, but to share my stories and move people with my music. It always stuck with me, so much so that i have it tattooed on my arm. To anyone who might ask me for advice, I would say the same. I think its so important to not just be a good performer and put on an act, but to stay connected to the music and how it can affect people. I’m not sure if I have quite figured out the key to success just yet but I think the most important part of getting to where I am now is making sure my head is always in the right place. It’s always been important for me to remember that there is always room for improvement and that I am where I am today for a reason.

Q: What do you want our readers to know about you?

A: My music means the world to me and I hope that love and intentionality comes out in the final products! I always aim to have people feel something from my stories and the music that accompanies them.

Q: Anything else you would like to add?

A: Thank you so much for taking the time to learn a bit about me and my music! I hope these songs ring meaningful to you in some way or another and that you love them as much as me!

Find Ella Aven On Social Media!

Instagram: @ella.aven

TikTok: @ella.aven