Ella Galvin is strutting to a brand-new beat—the beat of her summer EP The Way It Goes.
A diary of music, New York City, and a life embraced with optimism, Ella’s The Way It Goes is a six-track journey into discovering how to be comfortable. From the highs of feeling like your best self in your boldest look (“Pink Shoes”) to reminding yourself not to avoid life just because it’s mysterious (“The Way It Goes”), this EP feels like the soundtrack to a Disney Channel original staring Ella. You know, Hannah Montana vibes. It’s serious. It’s fun. It’s relatable. Basically, The Way It Goes just gets us, and it will probably get you too.
We caught up with Ella to get the details behind the EP, info on the infamous pink shoes, and what it’s like to perform a show on your birthday.
Showstopper Magazine Online: You got your start performing with fusion bands, and now you play a lot with genres in your own music. Do you have a favorite genre combination?
Ella Galvin: I really love pop, funk, and soul. Sometimes pop music isn’t as sonically interesting as jazz/funk or not as musically complex, but I think it’s a huge success if you’re able to combine those and also sing with a lot of soul and passion. That’s something I’m always working on.
SMO: If you had to make up your own genre label for The Way It Goes, what would you call it?
Ella: Pop fusion! It encompasses so many different influences of mine but sort of modernizes them by having more current reference tracks as well.
SMO: How would you describe the range of emotions and experiences on this project?
Ella: It’s the story of my first few years navigating my life in New York City. The EP cycles through a big range of emotions, from joy and loving to disappointment and longing. It’s about the journey from feeling stuck and stagnant to finally making the changes you need in order to create the life you’ve always wanted.
SMO: When do you have to take a step back and realize that’s just “the way it goes”?
Ella: When things are out of your control! It’s so important to focus on what you’re capable of without putting ANY limitations on that. You are often the one holding yourself back and I think people forget that.
SMO: “Pink Shoes” is a light but realistic celebration of self. Can you tell us what inspired it?
Ella: I had just left a band I was in for a few years and it was a hard decision. I was going to stop making music altogether, but then I met someone that really encouraged me to keep going—he now plays vibraphone in my band! It’s really about working through hard times and believing in yourself and the success you want to experience and just going for that.
SMO: Is there a real pair of pink shoes?
Ella: Yes! I bought an incredible pair of pink boots a week before everything shut down in 2020. I never even got to wear them until April 2021! It felt so refreshing to finally wear them after so long, and it made me feel alive again, which inspired the lyric: “put on my pink shoes, and I’m feeling brand new.”
SMO: “Pink Shoes” describes (and feels like) a walk through New York City on a sunny day. Has building your music career in NYC influenced other parts of this project?
Ella: Building my music career in NYC has been so wonderful and I feel so lucky to know so many talented artists who are working so hard to achieve their dreams. It’s endlessly inspiring to see other people on their creative journeys, and it really encouraged me while I was making and planning out the EP. After seeing so many friends put new music out, it finally felt like something I could do too.
SMO: With multiple genres on the EP, what do you think ties the project together?
Ella: The story. All of the songs are in chronological order of when they were written which I think tells my story in a unique way!
SMO: The artwork and promotion for these songs have been full of bold colors. What role does color play in your creative process?
Ella: It’s so important to me! I’m someone who really values individuality and I feel like utilizing different colors, unique materials, and new styles really helps express that.
SMO: You celebrated the release of The Way It Goes with a show and birthday party. What was that like?
Ella: Incredible! It was super overwhelming since having a show is a lot on a regular night, never mind on my actual birthday! But, it was absolutely amazing too!
SMO: Do you have a favorite song from this project to perform live?
Ella: I love performing “Pink Shoes” because the rap section sometimes surprises the audience. It’s always electric when I play it live.
