Kings Elliot Riding High After Release of Personal Debut EP, ‘Chaos In My Court’

The London-based artist is riding high after the release of her anticipated, debut EP, Chaos In My Court. As we make a dent into this new year, she says 2022 (so far) has been a “really nice surprise.”

“It’s probably the first year I’ve not set myself 1 million achievable goals, so it feels like the best year yet,” she says.

Forging a path forward in music has been a long time coming, Elliot says, peering back even to her preschool days and noting she’s always wanted to write music, to be an artist. She moved to London as soon as possible to pursue her career in music, working multiple jobs over the last six years, which finally culminated in the release of her debut EP, making the journey “so worth it,” she says.

Listening to Chaos In My Court feels like witnessing an artist who is already very sure of their sound, each song flowing into the next, distinctly their own but holding a sense of unity through the person behind the mic and lyrics. Elliot notes her love for music from the 40s and 50s, particularly sad songs that have a “magical, beautiful yet eerie vibe.”

“I basically infuse all my songs with it as much as I can—It makes everything feel like a different world somehow,” she says.

The new EP features previously released songs, “Call Me a Dreamer,” “I’m Getting Tired of Me,” “Dancing Alone,” “Bitter Tonic,” along with the new track, “The Outsider.” She says the new single is an “anti-anthem” for anyone who never fit in, those who feel like they are watching a world unfold before them.

“There was one night in particular when I got dragged out by friends to a club … I was feeling like a pauper at the palace. I just sat and observed everything and I went home that night and started writing this song.”

Referencing the EP as a whole, Elliot says that chaos has been “ever present” in her life, and she’s never known how to function any other way. 

“To be honest, (Chaos In My Court) is all about living with borderline personality disorder,” she says, “how I experience living with myself, being in relationships and just getting through life.”

She hasn’t been shy about addressing her BPD and anxiety disorders in the past, even releasing accidentally filmed footage of herself having a panic attack for her music video, “I’m Getting Tired Of Me.”

The collection of tracks act as a world she’s always dreamed of creating for her own escape, and with its release, those who need it are able to join Elliot there as well. And so far, it seems like that space is needed. Elliot calls the EP’s reception “so incredible,” pointing to her pride in making this first body of work. 

“It’s something I’ve always wanted, and for people to connect with the music the way they have is more than I could have ever asked for.”

This year also marks a number of other shifts for the artist: She performed “The Outsider” on TV in January, which caused the song to hit number one on iTunes in Germany. She calls that experience “very strange and surreal,” referencing the polarizing feelings surrounding sharing one’s talents with the world.

“Part of me is like, ‘How is anyone letting me on TV?’ and the other part of me is like, ‘Damn right,’” she says.

That’s not to say she doesn’t have a long list of accolades already: She’s accumulated millions of global streams, spins on BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 6, and KCRW, along with praise from Consequence, Teen Vogue, Billboard, Clash, Wonderland, The Line of Best Fit, COLORS, and Lyrical Lemonade, even social support from the likes of Resse Witherspoon, Dixie D’Amelio, Lewis Capaldi, and Milky Chance.

Looking ahead, her second EP is already in the works. For the first time, she’s able to produce and mix all the new songs without working other jobs on the side, allowing her to be fully immersed in the process, and she’s loving every second of it.

For new and returning Kings Elliot listeners, she says she hopes to create a world for people to escape to and to show that there is a beautiful side to sadness.

“There is something so comforting and healing in it,” she says. “If there’s any way I can play even the tiniest part in destigmatizing mental health, then my ‘mission’ feels accomplished.”

For more from Kings Elliot, find her on Instagram @kingselliot, Facebook @itskingselliot, or her official website, kingselliot.com

Photo Courtesy of Karolina Wielocha