FAST forward a decade, and vocalist Elly Poletti will step onto the stage at the Meeniyan Town Hall for her highly anticipated performance, titled We May Never Meet Again: The music of Amy Winehouse, on November 15 at 7:30 pm.
“It’s incredible how a place can hold so much nostalgia and promise,” said Elly. “I brought this same show here just with a different lineup of instruments, and this show will bring music that people are familiar with, but it’ll be done differently.
“The show is about the arranger behind the pieces, Jo McEvily. Jo arranged the music so that it would highlight the heartache and trauma that were going on in Amy’s life at the time.”
“A lot of her songs, when you listen to them, if you take away the music and just focus on the lyrics, you can tell that she was going through a hell of a time,” Elly explained.
“But then she put this music behind it that was super upbeat – for instance, when you listen to Rehab, everyone dances along to it, and she's literally singing a song about how she has to go back to rehab because she's an alcoholic.
“It’s the music behind it that makes it a fun, dance-worthy song, and that’s what this show is all about – it’s highlighting the lyrics and what’s going on.”
Amy Winehouse was an artist who was an inspiration for Elly. “As a songwriter, I think she is incredible, and I took a lot of inspiration from watching the documentary. In fact, she started off her career just wanting to be that blues, jazz singer, and she really pushed for that, but unfortunately, she got swept up in the industry.”
Elly shared that she believes it is so important to stick to your main love. “My main love is that soul, funk, pop kind of music. I don't feel the pressure or the need to strive to be a famous musician and sell number one hits; I strive to do the best that I can,” she said.
“The industry isn’t like it used to be,” said Elly. “Back in the early 70s, you got discovered by playing at a pub, you released some records, and you weren't up against a lot of people. Nowadays, you could release a song, and it will go into the ether of Spotify with the 10 billion other songs that someone else has released – it’s so easy to upload music, and therefore, you’re constantly in competition. Almost like you compete with yourself, and that’s why it’s important to remind yourself that you’re doing this because you love making music.”
Elly is in the process of writing new songs, with her music set to be released early next year.
To see Elly’s tribute to Amy Winehouse – 10 years on, scan the QR code or visit https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1451532?qr=true&qr=true
