ELLA AVEN’S HAUNTING NEW SINGLE “GRAVEYARD” IS A MUST-HEAR & Exclusive Interview

With only two songs under her belt, Ella Aven continues to wow audiences — especially with the release of her second single, “Graveyard,” teasing a larger project to come later this year. 

Graphic by Haley Petrone (Crave Music Magazine)

Originally from Washington, Aven brought her talent to the world of Nashville in 2022, where she often performed for crowds in the area. Her folk influence and cross-country experience melt together into an eye-catching musical career. Her first song was released just last year, in April, and “Graveyard” followed this March.

The softness and nostalgia layered into “Graveyard” showcase not only her influences — who she names as Joni Mitchell and Zach Bryan — but her own personal flair. The guitar leads the instrumentals of the track into a soothing tune that catches onto the nature of change that is woven throughout Aven’s words.

The track speaks of becoming a new person: a grown-up version of yourself that juggles with not being who the same individual that everyone remembers, but understanding the necessity in your mental and physical transformation. The back and forth of wanting the escape but never reaching for it is laid out beautifully throughout the layers of this song. Aven sings about the idea of if you think you have changed as a person, maybe the older version of you has died and became a ghost haunting the graveyard.

“I keep saying I want out / then I dig the deeper hole / If I don’t recognize myself / maybe I really am a ghost” 

“Graveyard” doesn’t only discuss Aven’s own struggles with change, but how the people around her are experiencing and reacting to it as well, influencing her own opinion of what’s been happening. The line “I’m not how they remember me / They act like that's a crime,” pushes through an important concept to grasp, one that shows that she’s listening, understanding and fighting how she’s being perceived by outsiders now. 

Aven excels at reaching into emotions everyone feels at one point and turning it into art. “Graveyard” tugs at the heartstrings of listeners in any way it can, drawing on the process of growing up in the ways no one enjoys. Her voice and words amp up the excitement for future works from Aven. 

INTERVIEW

INTERVIEW

We had the chance to talk with Ella about her writing process and the story behind the track. Here’s what she shared:

CRAVE: How do visuals or aesthetics influence your songwriting? Do you see your

music visually as you create it?

ELLA: I don’t necessarily see my music as I create it, but I do think visual inspiration

plays a big role in my songwriting process. I grew up in Washington state and

was constantly spending time outside. Nature has always been a place I draw

from to deeper my writing. I think it’s so cool to take the natural world and

compare it to human experiences. I’ve created some of my favorite lines

through doing so.

CRAVE: The track feels like a bittersweet farewell to childhood and the emotional battle

of growing up. How is songwriting a way for you to process these emotions?

ELLA:My writing has always been quite autobiographical, even when I’ve tried to

stray from that. A lot of my songs have started based off a line I’ve written in

my journal or from me ranting to my guitar and recording it on voice memos. I

have always been someone who feels my emotions so deeply. It gets

overwhelming to carry all of that alone and music has given me a place to filter

all of those emotions into.

CRAVE: Is there a specific lyric or line in “Graveyard” that feels like the emotional center

of the song? For me its “If i don't recognize myself / maybe I really am a

Ghost”

ELLA: I would agree that “If I don’t recognize myself/ Maybe I really am a ghost” is the

emotional center. I think in its simplest from, “Graveyard” is a song about

changing from a person you used to be. When I wrote this song, I was visiting

my hometown and I felt so torn between a version of myself that I had become

while being away and a version of myself I was growing up that I didn’t fully

resonate with anymore. I’ve always thought of myself to be someone who was

quite confident and sure of themselves, and this song was written in a place of

reflection on that idea. I think there’s times in life where even the most

confident of us get so caught up in the change we experience that we lose a bit

of our authenticity. I wanted to write something that spoke to this feeling.

Something that acknowledged the growth that had come from changing, but

also spoke to the hurt that it bring.

CRAVE: Another lyric that stood out to me is “I’m not how they remember me / They act

like that's a crime,” is the “they” used in this lyric and throughout the song a

reference to a specific person, or is it just a personification of your own

thoughts? How does this push your narrative along?

ELLA: When writing, the use of “they” was used to represent the people I grew up

around. I think it helps push the song along because it helps show what

defines this “old” version of me. Going home and talking to people I used to

know is what really made me realize the ways I had changed since being gone.

Change feels more recognizable when you’re constantly being reminded of the

fact that it’s happened and I think that’s what makes the “they” so important.

CRAVE: How does your track ‘Graveyard’ tie into your upcoming EP Messages to the

Moon, and what else can we expect from the project?

ELLA: Messages to the Moon is a collection of songs I’ve written through the past few

years of my life. It talks of searching for love, falling in love, growing up and the

nuances of beginning my 20’s. I always knew “Graveyard” would be the first

release because it was the song I am most proud of. I also think it did a great

job of setting the tone for the project. It featured all of the folksy, acoustic

country elements I’ve always dreamed of getting to work with. The rest of the

project will follow with that tone. You can expect lots of mandolin and fiddle! I’m

excited to not only highlight the acoustic instrumentation I love, but also the

amazing musicians that I get to work with to make it all happen.

CRAVE: Any other comments or anything you want to promote?

ELLA: Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me and listen to my music.

Be on the lookout for the next single from the project because there will be

more coming shortly!

Keep up with Ella Aven: 

Instagram / Tiktok / Youtube / Website / Spotify / Apple Music