Interview | El’Vee

UK Afrobeats duo El’Vee are twin sisters Vivian and Lilian Nwaneho, with Lilian an alumna of ICMP's Music Business and Entrepreneurship Programme. 

The pair have been working on their music for many years with Don Jazzy featuring on their debut track 'Oga Pata Pata' , while their latest release is the party-energy of 'U.A.R (Unapologetic African Rhythms)'.

In our new interview with Lilian, we learn more about her time at ICMP and how her outfit have ambitions to succeed on a global stage...

How did you start your musical journey? Was there a person or record who first inspired you?

We actually started singing in church when we were younger. Our parents felt it was good being a part of the church activities, so we chose the choir because we loved singing.

Could you talk a little about El'Vee? How did the project come about?

El'Vee is an independent Afrobeats duo, which consists of twin sisters. This project came about us wanting to express ourselves and our sound through a series of songs. 

We also wanted this project to solidify us as the go to Afrobeats artists in our industry.

How has your musical journey been? What have you learned along the way?

Our musical journey has been a long one so far as we started professionally in 2012.

It's not been an easy road but we've definitely learned patience along the way, incredible perseverance and belief in our sound and craft."

Could you talk a little about your musical style? Who are you inspired and influenced by?

Our musical style is versatile and expressive. We like to explore different genres too whilst expressing ourselves sonically. We're mostly inspired by other Afrobeats artists. 

And how did you find your sonic identity?

We found our sonic identity by firstly understanding who we were as individuals, what we represent as strong black women and how our culture and heritage influences us.

Could you talk a little about the 'U.A.R' release? What is the EP about?

'U.A.R (Unapologetic African Rhythms)' is a project that celebrates Africa, its rhythms and the empowerment that encompasses our continent.

It is also a project that reflects our liberation as women, with the intentionality to express our femininity and sexuality.

How has your time at ICMP been? And how has it fed into this project?

I had an incredible time at ICMP, I was lucky to meet some amazing lecturers who helped harness my skills which led me to be able to put out our debut EP successfully."

How are you approaching launching this project in the music industry?

It's definitely come with a lot of experiences, from distribution, to marketing and promotion and let's not forget funding too. 

What does 2023 have in store for El'Vee?

We definitely have a lot more music, collaborations, brand partnerships, performances and tours coming our way. 

Visit officialelvee.co.uk for more. 'U.A.R (Unapologetic African Rhythms)' is out now.

Watch the video to 'Jealousy' from the EP below.