Equal parts liminal and grungy, e.lissa faden’s debut EP Daisy Chain pulls from 90s trip hop and alt rock. It combines the crunchy, infectious rhythms of Massive Attack with the confessional, raw lyrics of Fiona Apple. Produced by Austin’s glitter grunge trailblazer, Dossey, and engineered by J.J Plasencio of Plumb and Sixpence None the Richer, this record is equal parts nostalgic and modern. 

“I want to escort people into my word: a liminal, backlit hallway that’s equal parts unsettling and intriguing,” faden said. “It’s the kind of place that you’re scared to enter, but once you’re there, you never want to leave.”

Faden channels this otherworldly spirit in her live performances. Her band, complete with rich backing vocals and layers of synthesizers, is as theatrical as her sonic landscape. Cinched in boned leather corsets and flowing tulle skirts, faden has a way of transporting audiences to new places. 

That darkly dreamy energy is especially present on the track, “Cement” which faden describes as “powerfully cathartic.” The song explores themes of revenge, rage, and moving on. 

“There’s a liminal quality here that really works — the sense of wandering through a half-lit space where certainty keeps slipping away.”

- Simão Reis, Where the Music Meets