With over 20 million listeners on digital platforms and known for her emotional, heartfelt songwriting, Elle Winter is set to release her highly anticipated EP Never Even Met Her on August 15, alongside the official music video for the title track. Produced by the acclaimed team The Orphanage, the project marks a chapter of vulnerability, self-discovery, and confidence, inspired by personal experiences that led the artist to reclaim ownership of her own narrative.
“Never Even Met Her” is such a bold and almost ironic statement. What was it like turning such an intimate disappointment — realizing someone created a distorted version of you — into an artistic project with so much strength and identity?
Thank you for saying that! It felt very empowering to write a song that allows me to reclaim my narrative. This song expresses how I felt when I realized someone I knew so well was spreading false rumors about me. I wanted to make a statement that I know who I am and that I will never let other people’s opinions dictate how I live my life. I have a feeling that I will be singing this song for many years to come and turning to it in times of any self-doubt.
You worked once again with the team at The Orphanage, who also produced your first EP, Yeah, No. What changed in your dynamic this time around? Did you feel more confident to express yourself and experiment?
It was so incredible reuniting with The Orphanage to make this project. The dynamic working with them was very similar to our past sessions. They encourage me to be the most honest and authentic version of myself I can be through the music we make together. This time around, though, I felt more confident to push myself even further, and I knew exactly the style of music I wanted to make and the stories I wanted to tell. Especially after working with them on “Yeah, No”, I went into these sessions with a deeper understanding of who I was and what works for me sonically and conceptually.
Your new EP dives deeper into themes like trust, self-awareness, and vulnerability. What were the biggest emotional or creative challenges in turning those experiences into songs that are both confessional and pop?
I approached the making of this EP with a new mindset: fear would never dictate my life. This new attitude and belief in who I am shine through in my latest music. In these songs, I can confidently tell my stories and truly dive deep into themes of trust, self-awareness, and vulnerability. It can be tough to be vulnerable in music, especially knowing so many people will hear it. Still, ultimately, the music I feel most proud of and that has connected me to so many incredible supporters around the world has come from the moments where I don’t hold back or shy away from the truth.
Is there any track on Never Even Met Her that surprised you during the process — whether while writing, recording, or even through people’s reactions? One that made you think, “wow, this is really who I am now”?
I think listening to “Never Even Met Her” for the first time was a pivotal moment in the making of my new EP. Once I wrote and recorded this song, the rest of the project just fell into place. The day I wrote the song, I had gone into the studio wanting to create a song that felt uplifting and gave listeners a sense of hope and strength, in the same way my song “Yeah, No” does. I told the Orphanage and my co-writer, Olivia Kiene, and Mel Robbins, a fabulous author and podcast host, about her book “Let Them”. In the book, she shares with her how not to let other people’s actions or gossip affect your life. When I wrote this song, I had just ended a relationship, and I had heard that my ex was not describing me or our relationship truthfully to anyone who would listen to him. After hearing the lies he was sharing, Mel Robbins’ theory felt very relevant to me, and I wanted to capture her inspirational ideas in a song. Believe it or not, the morning after I wrote this song, I was on a flight to NYC and ran into Mel Robbins at the baggage claim! I went up to her and told her it was kismet that we met and that she had inspired my new song and EP project. It was surreal and felt like a sign.
Your previous EP, Yeah, No, surpassed 30 million streams and helped solidify your identity as an artist. What did you take away from that project that gave you the confidence to take an even bolder step with this new release?
“Yeah, No” continues to bring me so much confidence and even guidance in my life. Knowing I can turn a painful experience into something empowering fuels my drive to push myself to be as open and honest as possible through my songwriting. I receive many messages daily from people who say “Yeah, No” has helped them through a breakup or tough time, which motivates me to create music that benefits me and, hopefully, others.
We know that, besides being an artist, you were also a student at the University of Pennsylvania. How did you balance these two worlds — academic life and the music industry — and in what ways does one influence the other in your art?
My time at the University of Pennsylvania gave me a broader perspective of who I am and how to approach my songwriting. Whether in a communications class or a cinema class, the material I studied enriched my writing and inspired me to explore different subjects beyond my personal life. I have been very fortunate to have one of my cinema professors from the University of Pennsylvania work on my upcoming music video for “Never Even Met Her”.
Follow Elle Winter on Instagram