Life & Work with Ellakate of Atlanta, Georgia

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ellakate.

Hi Ellakate, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’m a singer-songwriter, student, college athlete, and storyteller. I grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, in a home filled with music. My mom studied music, and my dad plays keyboard and still performs with me. Our house was always filled with all different genres of music, from disco to classical, rock to country.

I have been singing and making up songs for as long as I can remember. When I was little, I would constantly sing in the backseat of the car and make my brothers listen for hours to silly songs I made up. Music has always been part of me. As I got a little bit older, I discovered the magic of storytelling through songwriting. As a generally shy person offstage, songwriting became my language and a way to process emotions too complicated for everyday conversation.

I started recording my original music and performing officially in 2022, and I haven’t stopped since.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The most difficult obstacles I have faced have been less about music and more about life. As a student at the University of Notre Dame, I have to balance my music career with a full class load and competing as a Division I fencer. This can be a real juggling act.

I was also diagnosed with POTS just before my high school graduation. This condition forced me to take a medical leave during my freshman year of college. Coming back from that physically and emotionally was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I had to dig deep and overcome physical obstacles that were overwhelming. But, with lots of help from my family, friends, and doctors, I learned to manage my condition and reclaim my life. Now, I’m competing again and creating music that feels more honest and personal than ever.

POTS interrupted everything I had worked so hard for, and I had to rebuild from the ground up. However, it taught me how to adapt and fully embrace myself and my struggles. I will say that this kind of vulnerability pushed me to write honestly, which sometimes feels risky. But, I’ve learned that people resonate most with what’s real, not what’s perfect.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My music blends alt-pop melodies with lyric-driven storytelling that explores mental health, complicated relationships, and identity. I want every song to feel like a private thought said out loud,  unfiltered and deeply real.

My songs are introspective and bold at the same time, unfiltered. I hope listeners can hear themselves in my words. I want my songs to resonate with the humanness in people: to bring comfort, cause them to dance in their kitchens, or feel a little less alone.

Sometimes I write songs from memories, and sometimes from imagination. Often, I’m writing because I don’t know what else to do with the way I feel. It’s a way for me to communicate the things I feel and can’t say. On stage, I try to share this experience and create a safe space for people to express the things we don’t always talk about.

My next single, No Love in Your Heart, releases on July 18th.

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
I care deeply about people with disabilities, especially those whose experiences are invisible or misunderstood. I think living with POTS and dyslexia has created a soft spot for people who sometimes suffer silently and whose struggles are left unseen. I want to use my platform to break stigmas and raise awareness. It is ok to be imperfect, normal to encounter mental and physical health struggles, and that there is messiness in being human. I want people to hear my songs and feel seen.

The heart of my work is connection. The most meaningful moments are the ones when someone tells me, “Your lyrics said what I didn’t know how to say.”

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ellakate.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellakatemusic/?hl=en
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHwIYiSGU9847IUD_zoN8Kw
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/ella-greenbaum-434247428
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0t5IrUFo0RQnOfVkhZplHd