Ella Vos
Ella Vos is one of those artists whose true captivation comes from her live performances. Though petite in stature, Ella has a unique ability to command attention with her cool confidence. As well as being a rising artist, Ella is also a new mother, proving that indeed, you can have it all.
After the runaway success of her singles “White Noise” and “Little Brother,” Ella recently released her debut full-length album, written in the wake of her son’s birth and was inspired by the challenges she faced as both a new mother and artist. With more than 90 million streams on Spotify to date, Ella is well on her way to becoming a household name.
We asked Ella to put together some of her all-time favorite tracks for a FAULT Magazine exclusive playlist. Check out her selections below!
Leslie Gore – You Don’t Own Me
“My friend Garrett Borns turned me onto this song. I remember him showing it to me and saying, “Isn’t it crazy that this came out in the 60’s?” I agreed, it’s crazy because it was such a strong statement then, and it still is now. It hasn’t lost any weight or meaning. It’s really empowering.”
Dolly Parton – Jolene
“This is by far my favorite Dolly song. After I heard the story about this song—which was basically how she’d joke with her husband that she was worried he might leave her for their tall, slender, red-headed banker—it made a new impression on me. I guess it really stuck with me how it is such an honest and simple story, but at the same time so heavy. It made me think about how I write music; how it can be about a single feeling or moment, but also about everything.”
The Beatles – For No One
“The entire Beatles catalog was released on Spotify when my son was a few months old, and it was all I listened to those day when most of my time was spent with him and I was writing some of my first tracks. The Beatles have always inspired me, regardless of where I’ve been in life, but especially during my Postpartum Depression as it offered me some sort of an escape. The melody on “For No One” is one of those songs that is constantly popping into my head.”
David Bowie – Quicksand
“Throughout writing this album we lost several great musicians. It was really strange for me, as a new artist, to be releasing music in a time when all of my musical heroes were leaving this earth. I reflected a lot on what their music meant to me, and what I would do with that meaning. I always ask myself—am I adding something of importance or change to the world, or is what I’m doing going to have a positive impact? Will anyone care? I was listening to this song quite a bit, strangely enough just before he passed away, while I myself was struggling with depression and the meaning of life. ‘Knowledge comes with death’s release.'”
Big Thief – Paul
“My producer showed me this song at the beginning of the year, and I quickly fell in love. I’ve probably listened to her more than any other artist during the process of writing this album, and she’s one of my favorite new artists. Rarely do lyrics stand out to me the way hers do, in a way that makes me want to actually read them over and over and over.”
Lana Del Rey – God Knows I Tried
“The first time I heard this song I literally said, “FUCK THAT’S A PERFECT SONG, I wish I had written it.” Lana Del Rey is one of the only new(er) artists that has really inspired me and shown me that there is still room in the world to say and do something new. I’m a huge fan.”
Alice Boman – Waiting
“This song came up several times as a reference while recording “Words I Never Said” because we loved the piano sound so much. And it’s just a gorgeous song. Additionally, I was watching the show “Transparent” while writing a lot of my songs. “Waiting” appears several times in the episode when the Pfefferman’s go to the “Wimmins Music Festival.” This episode really made an impact on me because it so hilariously embodies everything that turns me off about exclusivity in “female empowerment,” and that was just really cool to see in a television show.”
James Brown – It’s a Man’s World
“This song, and the story about this song, was a source of inspiration when I was thinking about what it meant to me to be an independent female artist in a male-dominated industry. The song is about how man has achieved everything, but he couldn’t do it without a woman—but the kicker is that James Brown didn’t write the lyrics; his girlfriend did, and he ‘forgot’ to pay her royalties.”
Beyonce – ***Flawless
“This was another “Oh shit” moment for me. I’ve always been a Queen Bey fan. As she’s taken her voice and platform to another level, she’s impacted me even more. It’s hard to choose one song, but the spoken word in this song hit me hard. It’s a sample of spoken word from Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, basically asking the question “Why do we raise boys and girls differently?” To hear this in a pop song by Beyonce, made me realize that it’s going to be ok to say what you think. (Maybe not easy, but you’ll survive.) And if you don’t say it, then what’s the point.”
Pink Floyd – The Great Gig In The Sky
“I can’t leave this one out because, 1) it’s from my favorite album of all time and 2) I heavily referenced it on the bridge of “White Noise.” This album, more than any other album I’ve ever listened to, is one that I know I can listen to when I can’t explain or even comprehend what I’m feeling, and it understands me.”