Meet Teia Elaine | Neo- Soul Singer/Songwriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Teia Elaine and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Teia, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Honestly, I never thought that I would pursue music. My father was a musician and I always correlated music with his absence in my life, so I fought against it. I pursued every other artistic bone in my body other than the one that felt the most fulfilling. I’ve always been musically inclined and artistic. I come from a musical family on both sides and I started singing before I was forming words. I began my music career in October of 2020 after losing my grandmother figure. A few days before she passed we had a conversation about my goals and she reminded me that you have to follow your dreams. You have to at least give them a shot even if you’re scared or think you may fail. ironically, later that year I was asked to be a part of a show and to share the music that I had been writing. Again, I wasn’t pursuing music so this opportunity came out of nowhere. I thought about turning it down, but after having the conversation with my aunt Ginny, I decided to take a chance. I had been so consumed with why my father wasn’t present and I blamed the one thing that would bring me the most joy. Getting on stage, sharing my soul with an audience was exhilarating. Once I had a taste of that energy exchange between yourself and the audience, I couldn’t go back. Being a singer/songwriter is my purpose. It’s what I’m the best at and It comes naturally to me. I just wish I had leaped sooner.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As I’ve shared previously, music was always a part of my life. I was singing with a perfect pitch before I was forming words. I was always entranced by the music, I used to write songs about whatever I was doing. Didn’t matter if it was washing dishes, riding a bike, or watching a movie, a song was sure to come. I remember watching the rogers and Hammerstein Cinderella with Brandy and Whitney Houston. I would run around my room singing and acting out each scene. To anyone that knew me, there was never a question that I would be a musician.

I believe what sets me apart from others is that my passion is raw and unfiltered. My music is 100% me, I write every word and it comes from my feelings and experiences. I only write about what I know. I think that is what makes me memorable. Vulnerability, In a world where everyone is vulnerable but afraid to show it. My music gives me release, but it also gives people the words to express their feelings.

I would have to say that my biggest challenge was me. Forever in my way, in my head. Self-doubt is poison to all good things. I tend to overthink and even though it was clear that people loved my music I still just felt like maybe it wasn’t good enough. I had to fight away the negative thoughts and take in the facts. People connect to me and they like what I have to say. Slowly, my confidence grew after each performance, every release of music.

It was not easy to get where I am today. I currently live in Durham, NC and it is a hip-hop hub. I am a Neo-soul artist, so it’s a little harder to get opportunities. There are not many showcases here for my genre of music. I kind of had to penetrate the hip-hop scene and pull out the soul lovers!

I am most excited about three things: number one would be that I won the WRAL Voters Choice Awards for the Best Local Music Artist. The Second is that after less than a year of having released music, I have over 70k Streams! Lastly, in less than a year I’ve been featured on four Editorial Spotify Playlists ( Fresh Finds, Fresh Finds: The Wave, Butter, and I’m currently on Fresh Finds: Jazz).

My brand is all about being honest with yourself. I write about my feelings even when they are embarrassing or dark. You have to speak your truth because It’s the only way to heal from whatever is hurting you. You have to embrace the good experiences as well because they are the payoff for all the bad. I create music for people who feel deeply and have a hard time with expression. I create an outlet of release and one of joy.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well, my favorite brunch spots are Dames Chicken and Waffles, Big Ed’s City Market, First Watch, Sir Walter’s Coffee, or GRUB Durham. Oh, there’s this amazing food truck called Olive Oyl’s where I go to grab lunch a lot! It is soooo good. Some of my favorite places to hang out would be Frankies, Boxcar, Wonderland, Kings bowling, and Sharky’s. For Dinner, I’d go to Oak City Meatball, Bar Virgile, Stir, Vics Italian Restaurant, Vidrio, and Morgan Street Food Hall. Now as far as nightlife, you can’t go wrong with going to downtown Glenwood Ave. There’s a strip of bars and nightclubs you can explore and there’s something for everyone there. Some of my favorite spots would be The House and Justin’s in Durham for karaoke nights with DJ RNB. I love to go dancing at Farotage, listen to live music at C Grace, and grab some drinks at Watts & Ward.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have an amazing support system. Every one of them has pushed me to believe in myself even when I didn’t. First, I’d like to thank my parents, for their unwavering support and love. I haven’t always been so sure of what I wanted to do and it took a long time to understand my purpose. My parents have been here every step of the way cheering me on.

Next, I’d have to thank my best friend Dea. When I say she’s my biggest fan and cheerleader I meant it! She’s always by my side, believing in me, and promoting me every single chance she gets. Thank you for all of the brainstorming sessions, working late in your print shop ( LeLuxe Prints) to get my marketing materials finished, and for sincerely loving me.

My management, 4 Phones Ent, LLC, has made me see my potential. They took a chance on me even when I doubted myself. I am so grateful to be a.part o this team and I appreciate all of the opportunities it’s given me.

To my fans. Without you guys, I couldn’t successfully do what I do. I love you all for every stream, every show you come to, the energy you pour back into me when I’m on stage, the love you show me on social media. All of it means the world to me.

Lastly, I have to shout out my producer/music partner Deuce Tyrell. we met at a Kingdem Karaoke show and he pursued me for almost a year, attempting to get me to start writing music seriously. I can’t tell you how many times I shrugged it off, thinking that he was just interested in me romantically. Finally, I gave in and decided to see what he was all about. We met up one day at his studio and the musical chemistry smacked us in the face. We wrote song after song every time we had a session. He saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself. For that, we are bonded forever. Not only in music, but in friendship. He now produces all of my music and has produced every single song in my discography minus two.

Website: www.teiaelaine.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/teiaelaine

Twitter: www.twitter.com/teiaelaine

Facebook: www.facebook.com/teiaelainetheartist

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl5QqDXOdNjABP6PeEzmJLQ

Image Credits
We Are Royalty Photography 8-Bit Photography