Elke Releases New Single 'Insect Song (Feat. Carter Ace)' From Forthcoming Album

Elke, the moniker of avant-pop Nashville artist Kayla Graninger, has released “Insect Song,” another taste of her incredible forthcoming sophomore album. Divine Urge is out October 25 on Congrats Records. The track, which is punctuated with blasts of punky, breakbeat drums features LA-based hip-hop artist Carter Ace.

Elke spoke on the song saying, “When you are so deeply and intimately connected with someone, it can free you from loss. It’s a euphoria that turns us immortal for a short amount of time.”

Kayla has also announced a poetry book to be released simultaneously with the album on October 25. Divine Digest is a collection of poetic explorations written by Elke during the making of her album. The writings explore off kilter observations on the sanctity of nature, purging inhibitions, and childlike freedom. The collection is available for preorder here

“I wrote a book of poetry for the lovers and loners. After making my record, I needed time to process what it was I actually wrote. Sometimes when I write lyrics, the meaning I’m conveying doesn’t immediately click into my brain or daily actions. Sometimes a year later I’ll realize what I was saying. Divine Digest helped me form the full picture of who I am and what I need in a deeper way. I’ve been leaving myself alone these days to just exist for once without constant definition thanks to this.” - Elke

The new song follows “Enchanté” and its ethereal and unforgettable music video for the song directed by Bérénice Bear Eveno with creative direction by AJ Gibboney and production by Quinlyn Ulysses. FLOOD Magazine premiered the video and wrote, “The first single from the record, “Enchanté,” lands somewhere between the blog-era synth-led quirkiness of Chairlift and YACHT and the maximalist radio pop of that same period, with jarring switches in vibe and tempo helping to relay the song’s message regarding the divides between humankind, nature, and technology.”

Co-produced by Elke and her close friend Jake McMullen and featuring Zac Farro (Paramore) on drums, the album seamlessly folds in her myriad influences, which span old school doo wop to prog rock to 2000s pop divas. With the sanctity of nature as a guide, Divine Urge is the sound of an artist who knows herself intimately. The album is the follow-up to Elke’s 2022 EP My “Human Experience” which Office Magazine called “eccentric and emotional… Elke wants to evoke and share a story, a narrative.” 

Elke was born to be an artist, but first, she had to figure out how to be herself. As an admittedly “super unusual” and often misunderstood child, adapting to the world around her meant hiding her true self – not a sustainable or healthy tactic for a Leo who came out of the womb singing and dancing. Where Elke found she could be her true self, however, was in nature. “I was very depressed while writing this record,” she says. “I kept thinking how I wanted to eat dirt and become one with the trees. I didn’t need to possess nature or build a garden; I just wanted to roll around and feel it.” 

Having finally freed herself from the pressure to make her music “palatable,” she’d much rather you not compare her to any other artist. “This record is so huge for me because in making it, I defined myself as a whole person, when before I felt like a million scattered pieces,” she explains. “I used to get a sinking feeling in my stomach from not having a reference in the world to know that what I was doing was ‘safe.’ Now that I know myself more, that feeling ignites me.” In short, Divine Urge acts as Elke’s answer to the ubiquitous question: What would you do if you weren’t afraid?

DIVINE URGE TRACKLISTING

1. Divine Urge
2. Enchanté
3. Hide in Heaven
4. One Fake Sedative
5. Insect Song (feat. Carter Ace)
6. Masters of Love
7. You Can’t Come With Me
8. Wild Lucy
9. Back To The Beginning
10. Butterfly Escort

Photo Credit: Brett Warren

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