Erika Elona opens for Matchbox Twenty at the Blaisdell Concert Hall in November. She’ll celebrate the release of her solo debut album this weekend at The Republik. (Star-Advertiser File)
BY STEFANIE NAKASONE / snakasone@staradvertiser.com
Sure, nowadays it’s all about digital downloads. But when local singer-songwriter Erika Elona celebrates the launch party for her debut album “Things to Break” tomorrow, Jan. 4, at The Republik, it will be the realization of a dream.
‘Things to Break’
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“I know discs are going out of style, but to me, a child of the ’90s, with cassette tapes and CDs — to finally make one of those is huge to me,” she said. “To be able to hold it in my hand is like a whole ‘nother level.”
Elona, 25, has performed at coffee shops, bars and open-mic nights around Oahu since she was 15 years old. She’s gained some popularity in Honolulu the last few years and most recently opened for Matchbox Twenty at the Blaisdell Concert Hall in November.
Elona’s voice draws comparisons to ’90s folk-pop singer Jewel — and that’s no coincidence.
“Jewel is why I even started playing music,” said Elona. “I was little, like 6 or 7, and I just thought she was the coolest thing. I just remember trying to emulate her yodel, the way she sings, and it just kind of became my own.”
Elona’s acoustic sound is a mix of folk, alternative and pop, with influences that range from ’90s alternative to ’60s and ’70s folk rock. That’s reflected in “Things to Break.”
“The album is pretty eclectic, probably because I like so many different things,” she said.
The album’s lead single, “Anchor,” is available on iTunes. Elona wrote it a few years ago after getting out of a very bad relationship.
“I didn’t realize how closed off I was,” she said. “I didn’t realize how many people — my friends and my family, people I would meet — how much they were trying to be anchors to me, trying to keep me grounded in reality because, honestly, throughout that whole time I was kind of in my own head.
“Up to this point, it’s my favorite song that I’ve written. It’s really, really dear to my heart.”