elie zoé has changed names and is releasing the first track from their upcoming album this fall. “change my name”, a dizzying, incendiary piece of liberated energy, sheds light on the depths of their universe.
This track is a two-part manifesto where elie’s signature earthy guitars meet the raw drumming of Luc Hess (Coilguns, Beurre), recorded through the organic, vintage microphones of Louis Jucker and mastered by Johann Meyer (FOH for Gojira, Grammy Awards 2025). A symbiotic collaboration that carries a radical statement: “I can’t eat-win-know-learn-see-leave-care-beat or hate with those words anymore.” Words wound, confine, or set free. Choosing them carefully is an essential act. From now on, elie select those that create spaces of freedom, beauty, and kindness.
« But I’m as afraid as you / of losing my skin / of losing my friends / and my parents too.” Beneath this redefinition, fragile new sprouts emerge, revealing the doubts embroidered along the way. Fans will recognize a familiar movement in the Swiss songwriter’s work: transforming the most communicative fire into deeply intimate emotions, sometimes within a single verse.
The second half of the song is an invitation. A counterform drawn with softness. The energy settles, the landscape opens. The message is not meant to be kept to oneself.
“The foundation of this second part was recorded live last summer with a choir of close friends on my birthday. Then I went into the forest and placed this recording among the birds and trees. That’s when I had the idea to weave in other human voices—but not my own. I thought about our precious exchanges, especially voice messages; it made sense and led me to a text, a melody, a second movement for this song.”
“change my name” is guided by a reinvented voice, one that elie zoé has allowed themself to shape freely. A voice that answers an urge to align words and sound, unbound by expectations. The same original raw power and sincerity remain, now reinforced by the radiant joy of finding a true home after a long journey.
