Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Blake Elliott. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Blake thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

Since I began playing guitar and writing songs as a teenager, I felt that I wanted to make music my career. After performing in school talent shows and at local coffee shops, I was struck with severe stage fright and was scared away from performing for many years. I truly enjoyed being on stage, but I hated how bad my nerves were surrounding those joyful moments of sharing music. The love of writing and singing never left me over the years, although I rarely would share what I worked on with anybody. When I was about 27 years old, I got up the courage one night at a local bar to play. The guys hosting open mic were my friends, as was much of the bar crowd, so I wasn’t completely freaked out at the idea. And being candid: I’m sure some bourbon helped. To my surprise, I made it through a song without falling apart, though my nervous system revolted after the fact, which resulted in knocking knees and shaking hands. I returned for the next several weeks to play a song or two, which began me on the path of playing out at different open mics, singing at local farmers markets, and even art fairs. Eventually, that turned into singing with other bands, opening for fellow Michigan artists, and pursuing both solo and band projects of my own over the next 15yrs.

Blake , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’ve called Northern Michigan home for nearly 20 years, and for that, I’m deeply grateful. I grew up in and around Ann Arbor, raised by two parents who, while not professional musicians, made sure music was always part of daily life—whether through car singalongs, Broadway soundtracks, or Motown on the stereo. My dad’s eclectic taste exposed me to everything from Earth, Wind & Fire to bagpipes and jazz, while my mom raised me on Carole King, James Taylor, and classic singer-songwriters of the ’60s and ’70s.

By 12, I was teaching myself guitar (lefty, upside down), and by 14 I had my first garage “band” with a friend, channeling our love for Smashing Pumpkins and Hole. A couple years later, everything shifted when a friend gave me Ani DiFranco’s Not A Pretty Girl. Her fierce honesty, rhythmic guitar, and poetic lyrics cracked something open in me. I studied her work obsessively, learning alternate tunings and how to make the guitar a full percussive instrument.

When I moved to the Leelanau Peninsula at 25, I found a community that nurtured both my folk-rock roots and my evolving love for jazz and old standards. The music scene here is incredibly supportive—full of collaborative, hardworking artists—and I feel lucky to have had so many opportunities to work, perform, and grow alongside such talent. Northern Michigan has been more than just a home; it’s been a place of artistic evolution.

Over time, I’ve leaned deeper into my love of blues, jazz, and vintage aesthetics. Songs that echo the feel of smoky bars, cocktail lounges, and old film noir just feel like home. That retro high-femme style, musically and visually, became part of my artistic identity. Still, I never stopped writing across genres—sometimes I’ll get inspired by open tunings and grunge-era grit, or something fresh I’ve heard through my work as a songwriting faculty member at Interlochen Arts Academy.

Now, as I prepare to move to New England, I find myself standing at the edge of reinvention again. It’s thrilling to think about what’s next—new places, new people, and the possibility of a new album that weaves together all the threads of who I’ve been and who I’m becoming.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I believe the best thing that society can do to support artists and creatives is to recognize the value in their work, the depth of the contribution that all forms of art are to the fabric of our cultural fabric, and to ensure that they are compensated in a way that allows them to continue to create while thriving financially. In the digital age, where we own virtually nothing, the best thing we can do is purchase physical copies of art directly from the artist. Attending live shows, buying merch like albums, t-shirt, stickers, etc. is the quickest way to put money in an artist pocket. The model that we are living in is becoming increasingly more subscription based. If I stop using Apple Music, I lose that music. However, I own the album that I pick up at that show or at that record store. Musicians in particular are compensated so poorly with the streaming model of music, that unless something changes significantly, I think that’s going to continue to be the best way to be a supporter of the arts.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me, the most rewarding thing about being a creative, is being able to take something deeply personal, to share it, and for others to find something meaningful in it for themselves. Songwriting can be incredibly vulnerable, especially if it’s coming from a difficult time or working through really tough emotions. I know that when I put my words and music down, that they mean something significant to me. I’m never sure what other people will connect with, but there’s nothing like someone telling you how touched or moved they were by some thing that you created. I’ve had people invite me to play original songs for their weddings, birthday parties, and even funerals. I’m always honoured to be asked to play a part in these folks’ special days. I never take it for granted.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.blakeelliottmusic.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greatblakestate/
• Other: https://www.reverbnation.com/blakeelliott

Image Credits

Main Pic: JD Faunce

Additional:
#1 Mark Robson

#4 Kim Mettler