Elise Is Making His Return To Denver

Photography by Victoria Glidden.

elise, or Joseph Abiakam by birth, is a local artist that might not be on your radar yet. Growing up in Denver, elise used college as a means to explore more of the country while studying piano. Now with his degree from Norfolk State University completed, elise is officially back in Denver and exploring the local scene.

“It’s always strange seeing things change. Living here and seeing all the permanent changes, it’s different,” says elise who now lives in Five Points. While adjusting to all the changes, elise is finishing up a full album, set to release on April 4. With a few singles out to tease the project, elise is very excited to share this hard work with his fans.

I’ve progressed as a musician, working on harmonies and the themes are a bit more vulnerable,” shared elise. “I’m still learning to sing and play piano at the same time.”

Despite his modesty, elise’s vocals will soothe any heartache with songs as soft as a light summer rain. Reminiscent of gentle R&B voices such as 808vic or other dream-pop leaning artists, elise is a perfect addition to your most romantic playlists or star-watching soundtrack.

Coming from a very music family it wasn’t always easy for elise to feel confident in his own sound, but with support from his mother and siblings his solo project elise blossomed into an experimental R&B showcase of his natural talent.

“My mom was a choir director, so I was singing all the time. It was funny, I was at this big church convention and she got me to play, which was a big deal. 40 churches around the country, and they’re like, why is this little eight year old dude playing?” joked elise. “I was so frightened. But it was great because, I was so small, and the piano was blocking my view of everybody, so I just had my head down- doing my thing.”

Thanks to early experiences and many years of dedicated practice elise is quite settled into the world of music and incorporates many classical instruments into his modern and self-produced sound. Bubbling piano lines dance behind ethereal effects or synths between each soulful chorus.

“When you’re really into the intro part of production, it can be fun. When you’re into the tedious, mixing part can be really frustrating,” he said. elise uses Reason to produce his music, thanks to a hearty recommendation from a sales rep at Guitar Center a while back.

“I usually start with production and then experiment on the piano and then the lyrics,” said elise, reflecting on his creative process. As longtime fans may already know, elise is taking his upcoming project in a more serious direction than some of his past work, even down to the visual details. “[Nomad] is about being really aware of mortality and navigating life when you only get one,” explained elise. “Regret and explore the one life you get.“

Though elise has a very solid listening base and has met some of his longtime music inspirations while attending the Grammys, there are still goals he is working towards.

Moments still exist on the horizon that will help elise feel he has truly “made it.”

When my name comes up first in the search bar or when I collaborate with one of my favorite artists,” mused elise.

As a deep lover of jazz elise is on the lookout for local jazz experimentalists to collaborate with or learn from. Perhaps in the next few years, elise will take a bold jump into a more experimental sound and become even more of a Denver legend. For now, his serene soundtracks are more than enough to make a mark in this local scene and beyond.

Stay on the lookout for the upcoming elise project on April 4 and local shows to experience his soothing R&B live.