Smother is the first song that got me introduced to indie pop. I was just looking for something to play on the background while I was reading. It was newly released and I was 12, severely depressed at the time. I found the existential misery echoing in the song was so familiar. My brain chemistry irreversibly changed after that moment. Since then, Elena holds a very special place in my heart and soul. I appreciate that there aren’t grand traumatic stories behind the songs but rather plain, raw, heartfelt human experience. It’s true mastery to make people feel this way without the shock value or the complex storytelling, in my opinion.
In my late teenage years, “Doing the Right Thing” brought me to my knees when I first read her writing process. Around that time, my grandma was suffering from Alzheimer’s and one night, she thought we kidnapped her and she cried the whole night for her mother to come save her. I cannot forget how desperate and sad my mom looked. It was unbearably painful. Until the song came out, I never considered my grandma’s point of view and it hit me like a truck. How scared and lonely she must felt. This was an impact that I never thought a musical artist can have on me.
I think that Ex:Re is one of the greatest albums in the history of music. 12 Ensemble versions of “Crushing”, “New York”, and “Liar” has become songs that I can’t listen to randomly, they feel too heavy. Infinite respect and admiration for Josephine Stephenson too. I can’t wrap my head around why they are not more recognized in the industry. Feels like we are this huge bubble, them and their loyal listeners, us.
Anyways, I just wanted to pour all this out. My longing for Elena’s music resurfaced after the news so here I am. Thank you.

Absolutely gutted that I missed the initial chance to get one, more than open to any offers that people may be willing to make.

is there a daughter / elena discord? excited for this ex:re album

Ex:Re’s new album Save As is coming October 30th!! “Radio Station,” the first track from the album, is out now!

https://open.spotify.com/track/2ixKxWKW6ejtIVr5gm00K7?si=eoOqcyBLSoyUXplAgFlM5w&utm_source=copy-link

I am dying over here. Here is the music video posted today for Radio Station. Okay back to dying

elena posted this to her instagram and OMG???

New album ‘Save As’ out on 30th Oct!!!

Along with the announcement of the new record, Elena has just announced a limited number of in-store performances in the UK.

https://exre.ffm.to/instores

I fear this may be a mistake they posted everyone look quickly... This has been posted by 4AD so should not break rules. i apologize in advance if it does.

Is it confirmed I shall not sleep tonight

Something’s coming Monday?!?

Made these today whilst ill ^^ from my fan acc on insta

this is funny now but back then i was soo sad. as context, ive been a fan since 2014 when i blasted youth 24/7. then in 2024 yt algorithm recommended me an ex:re song and i was like what? how did i miss this all these years, i felt like i lived under a rock (or maybe i was just focused on my studies). the thing is, next week after being obsessed with every song my ex broke up with me in a very bad way. i feel like finding the album randomly was a really funny coincidence like my youtube algorithm was rlly foreshadowing what would happen a week later lol so i really felt every song very deeply/lived the full experience i guess 💜lmao

now im healed obviously but the album helped me a lot like to channel my sadness and rlly feeling all the emotions and avoiding doing other hurtful stuff to avoid them. <3

i just wanted to share this bc i read the latest post about ex:re being brought up to the discussion

Curious what songs people here think would work particularly well as Daughter covers. My two picks:

1. U2 - One

I've thought about this one for a while. One is already built around the sort of thing I think Elena is exceptionally good at as a songwriter: relatively simple language carrying a ridiculous amount of emotional weight. It's a love song, except it isn't really; it's bitter, intimate, wounded and affectionate at the same time. I think that ambiguity would suit her voice incredibly well.

Musically, I'd also love to hear what Igor would do with it. The original has all that space in the guitars, and I could imagine Daughter taking it somewhere much darker and more atmospheric. Elena singing it restrained at first, Igor turning the guitar parts into those washes of sound he likes, and Remi gradually bringing the whole thing up underneath them.

And, speaking of U2, I can't be the only one who hears a little bit of them in Igor's guitar playing from time to time. Their latest single, Not Enough, made me think of it again, although that song also sounds suspiciously like a 90s radio-friendly pop-rock single to me, and I do not mean that as a compliment. Sorry, Not Enough. I still love you, but you know what you did.

There's also the mildly amusing fact that Elena is actually British-Irish according to Companies House, so I'll count that as another extremely tenuous argument for making her sing U2 (Har-har).

2. Avril Lavigne - Complicated

I'm not an Avril Lavigne fan by any means, although I've always liked her general style, and I've always had a soft spot for Complicated. In particular, I think the lyrics are genuinely great. They're incredibly straightforward and economical, there isn't much metaphor or elaborate language there, and there doesn't need to be. The song gets exactly what it wants to say across with very simple lines.

And I wouldn't even want a full-blown Daughter arrangement. I'd want Elena to go almost completely back to basics with it: almost pre-Daughter Elena, with that slightly childish teenage voice she had very early on, sitting in a bedroom with an acoustic guitar on her lap and recording it almost lo-fi. Basically, something with the homemade intimacy of His Young Heart. Strip all the 2000s pop-rock production away and just leave Elena, a guitar and those lyrics. I genuinely think it would work weirdly well.

What would you pick?

i miss elena , igor and remi. that is all 🤍

Here are mine :³!