Eleri Ward Unveils 'Internal Rituals' and Connects With Us About Her Transformative New Sound
- STAFF
- Oct 8
- 7 min read
By: Staff
Eleri Ward’s 'Internal Rituals' is a mesmerizing masterpiece, blending vulnerability and ethereal power.
Prepare for a musical journey like no other. Eleri Ward, the ethereal voice behind some of the most captivating interpretations of Stephen Sondheim’s work, has just released Internal Rituals, an album that blends celestial soundscapes with raw, unfiltered emotion. With this album, she steps boldly into new territory, crafting a world where introspection and transformation collide, evoking a profound sense of vulnerability and self-discovery.
We spoke with Eleri to uncover the heart of this deeply personal project. From the mysticism that inspired the music to the transformative journey she embarked on while creating it, Eleri opens up about how Internal Rituals is more than just an album; it's a reflection of her own evolution as both an artist and a person.
What inspired her to embrace a sound so beautifully complex and layered? How did her experiences with astrology, karma, and transcendence shape the sonic landscape of Internal Rituals? And in a world where the personal often collides with the artistic, we explore the emotional rawness that runs throughout the album, especially in the tracks “Someone, Something New” and “Citrine (Would’ve Been Nice),” where past trauma and longing take center stage.
With her ability to blend vocal technique rooted in musical theater with the modern flair of electronic beats, Eleri has created a truly unique listening experience that will leave you questioning the boundaries of music itself.
Read on as we dive into the world of Internal Rituals, exploring the creative process, the art of vulnerability, and what’s next for this trailblazing artist.
Here’s how it went:
Begin Interview:
Hello Eleri Ward, we’re thrilled to have you here for this interview! We've had an amazing time exploring your music and diving into your creative journey. Now, we’re even more intrigued to get a deeper look into both your brand and your personal and professional inspirations.
Q. The album is truly a beautiful creation. You’ve made what essentially feels like the soundtrack to a beautiful movie that we haven’t yet seen but can actually feel. The powerful use of your vocals sets the tone for you to make the listener really experience music beyond the auditory but to actually feel it. When it comes down to the meaning behind the album, Internal Rituals, what’s the backstory behind why you created it, and how does the title fully express the meaning you had in mind?
A. Thank you for the kind words! Music is an experience for me, so to hear you say that these songs are felt means a lot. The entire album is a non-linear path through transformation, growth, and discovery. When you really begin to see yourself in a new light, you start to see everything and everyone around you in a new light too. As I was going through a major transitional shift in my life, this enlightening feeling took hold of me and the music just oozed out. To me, there is something ritualistic about writing music. When I experience something, I seal it with a song. All of these songs are rituals that took place in the very center of my heart and my psyche over the course of a year.
Q. You’ve spoken about the journey of transformation that you went through while creating the album. Can you elaborate on a moment during the creation process that was particularly transformative for you?
A. I not only went from making acoustic Sondheim covers to original electro-pop tunes, but I went from being one version of myself to another as well. The music was a byproduct of an overall identity shift and that shift caused me to experience so many new revelations, ideas, and ways of relating to the world around me.
Q. “Someone, Something New” touches on your relationship with your biological father and trauma patterns. How did you approach writing about such personal, complicated emotions through music?
A. As I approach every song I write: I listen to that voice in my head and get it out. There’s no filter with me. I’m very comfortable with vulnerability, so what may seem brave to reveal so candidly for some takes no courage whatsoever for me. If a song tells me it needs to be written, I feel it, honor it, and create it.
Q. Since this speaks to so much emotional complexity, does it ever feel difficult to reveal so much of yourself, or do you find it liberating to express that level of vulnerability through your music?
A. As previously stated, I’m such a heart forward person, it’s second nature to speak whatever truths need to be spoken. You’ll never see me hide.
Q. Are most of your songs drawing from your own life and experiences, or do you sometimes dive into completely fictional worlds? What’s your relationship to the stories and characters in your music? Are you typically on the “cast” within the theme?
A. It depends on the project, but when it comes to this album and the songs that naturally come out of me, I definitely draw from my own life and emotional world.
Q. In "Immortal," you explore a deeper sense of permanence or transcendence. What does immortality mean to you in the context of this song?
A. Love.
Q. You’ve mentioned astrology as an inspiration for some of your songs. How has astrology shaped your songwriting process, and in what ways do you see these influences coming through in Internal Rituals?
A. Most obviously, “Venusian Light” is in direct conversation with Venus, of course, but overall, I use astrology to transmute energy and better understand how to navigate my way through different periods of life. Everything is energy and the planets can be a guide for what that energy is and how to use it.
Q. Your vocal technique seems to be a bridge between your theatrical training and your indie folk roots. How have your performances evolved from those early days of musical theater, and what elements of that background still influence your music today?
A. I don’t think about how I’m using my voice. I really just sing the way I feel naturally expresses what I’m saying. I’m grateful for the technique instilled in me from 22 years of voice lessons studying musical theatre, but I’m also grateful I dismantled a lot of suppression and conditioning I used to have around my voice, especially with my breaks. So I’d say nothing from the theatre world directly influences me, especially sonically, but I am a storytelling artist through and through, so if that is the primary thing that is linked to my background, I’m thankful for it because it makes me that much clearer in what I do and how I express the stories I tell.
Q. Your earlier work involved acoustic covers of Sondheim, and now your own songs have taken on a more complex, layered sound. How did that shift in your music-making come about, and what inspired you to embrace more electronic elements?
A. I’m making the music I’ve always wanted to make, the music that is truest to me, and is most like what I enjoy listening to. Funnily enough, I’ve never identified as a folk artist, and don’t even really listen to that style of music, but merely used the genre to tell the story of the acoustic Sondheim project. So in all honesty, I think my transition was just following my inspiration where it was always meant to take me. At one point that was acoustic Sondheim covers. Now it’s my own stuff. All I ever have to do is listen.
Q. “There You Go” focuses on karma and gratitude—two very powerful forces in shaping how we move through the world. Can you talk about how these concepts show up in your own life, and how they influenced the creation of this song?
A. I can get really upset when faced with injustices, whether it be on the global scale or in my own personal experience. This was a song that acted as an outlet for what I would say to those who get away with bad behavior, wrongdoings, ego, and blindness. Sometimes all you need is a song to say what you really wish you could in the real world, but can’t.
Q. You’ve made a conscious choice to take control of your music by learning how to make beats and produce on your own. What did that journey of learning and self-production teach you about yourself, both as an artist and as a person?
A. Having fun will always win! Acting on your own taste will always win! Be a beginner! Be curious! Follow your joy! Follow your preferences! Follow your musical bliss and never question it!
Q. In the track “Citrine (Would’ve Been Nice),” there's a certain wistful longing. What do you wish could have been different, and how does this song provide a sense of catharsis or closure for you?
A. It sucks when things could be good, nice, chill, and easy, but ultimately are squandered by one’s insecurity and scarcity mindset. This song centers around that dissonance between my abundance mindset and the lack that I’ve witnessed in multiple relationships. Ultimately, abundance will always win, so if you can’t get on board, that’s okay, I’ll be just fine, but dang…you could have joined!
Q. The art of storytelling has clearly been a thread throughout your career. How does songwriting differ for you from acting or theatrical performance in terms of expression?
A. It’s the most connected to divinity. Acting and musical theatre is great, but it is ultimately being a vessel for someone else’s work. Art is something that comes from Source. You tap into it and create. It’s a liberating feeling to be the one who not only taps in but is also the vessel, not just the vessel.
Q. Eleri Ward, we can't thank you enough for sharing these intimate details! So, what's next? Can you give us the inside scoop on your upcoming projects and what fans should be excited about? We'd love the readers to hear the news directly from you!
A. Tour! Writing a musical! Other cool projects! More music at some point I’m sure! Thank you!!!
Eleri Ward, thank you so much, we appreciate you taking the time to talk to us!
End Interview
