With her latest single ‘Vulnerable’, Elle Limebear strips everything back—both musically and emotionally—to explore the power of honesty and transparency.

In this exclusive interview, she reflects on the personal journey that inspired the song, the significance of her upcoming album ‘Welcome to the Bloodline’, and how themes of faith, family, and freedom shape her music. From collaborating with Samm Henshaw to working with producer Troy Miller, Elle shares the heart behind her artistry and the messages she hopes to leave with listeners.

Nicolle: ‘Vulnerable’ is a deeply intimate and emotional track. What inspired you to write this song, and why did you choose to release it on Valentine’s Day?

Elle: This song was written in lockdown with a friend called Josh and in that time, everything was so stripped back and I was definitely in a place of just thinking a whole lot more, processing a whole lot more, and realizing that I haven't always been vulnerable with people, haven't always been vulnerable with myself, or with God.

This song just talks about how transparency is good, that vulnerability isn't a weakness as much as the world tells us that we should shy away from it, we should be closed, that we shouldn't cry, that we shouldn’t be emotional with one another, but it's the freedom that comes when we are vulnerable. There is relief and lightness that happens when we share where we are freely honest and open with God and ourselves. And I think, it's a powerful thing about vulnerability and transparency, honesty is that there brings freedom.

This came as a bit of when we were planning the singles. It wasn't split. It just landed on the day of spaced-out releases, but in the end, it felt quite significant to be on Valentine's Day. The day of love, whether in a relationship or not. Being vulnerable with one another is so key to really letting our guard down, really honestly saying how we are, and what we're thinking and also being loved and known by God. Fully known and fully loved by God is just the most beautiful thing.

Nicolle: You’ve described ‘Vulnerable’ as reflecting your evolution as an artist. How has your sound changed over time, and what led you to this stripped-back, raw style?

Elle: My first project was definitely more synthy sounding, which I love, but I think over time I gravitate so much to raw, rich, real sounds, and real instruments. And I know that I love listening to music that is made with real instruments and played together and I wanted to explore that this time around what would it be like for everything to be played, not programmed?

I think for a song like Vulnerable too, I wanted it just to feel very raw. And so, my friend, Siva, is an amazing ambient, neo-ambience composer who tracked this piano on his piano at home, so having him play Vulnerable, the keys of that felt very special and also just vocally having the vocals very up close was very intentional for it to feel right in your face and a bit vulnerable, honestly.

I did kind of like a few takes with Troy playing along and we performed it but basically took one of those takes as the real thing. So, it was this very natural, vocal, singing along to music, singing along to the sounds and very intentional.

Nicolle: Samm Henshaw’s soulful presence adds a powerful dynamic to ‘Vulnerable.’ How did this collaboration come about, and what was it like working with him?

Elle: When we were recording Vulnerable, I just kept hearing Sam's voice on the track. And I thought I just don't think that will ever happen. I knew we had mutual friends, but I'd never met him in person, never met him in part. But my husband just encouraged me to reach out and thought about what we got to lose.

So, I did, I reached out and I sent him the song and just said if you're free, by any chance, we're recording and he literally replied straight away and said he's free that week, and he'll come into the studio and record it, and loves the song. So, I think I was super encouraged that he jumped on it so quickly. So efficient, too.

It was just one of those things where you're just sitting in the room in the studio and he's recording his vocal, just like, wow, this is actually happening. And the voice that I heard on this song months ago is now in the flesh and it's just perfect, what he carries and the richness of his voice has added so much to this song. And I'm so grateful.

Nicolle: Your upcoming album, Welcome to the Bloodline, explores themes of love, courage, and authenticity. Can you share the story behind the album’s title and its significance to you?

Elle: The story behind this album is I started writing for this back in 2020, in lockdown, in my home, and in the early stages of pregnancy as a first-time mum, and it was when if you wanted to write with people, you could only write on Zoom, and so I was writing with friends all over the world and demoing these songs at home and just felt very raw from the get-go and very honest.

I felt like I was at a stage in my life where there was nothing to prove, and there was nothing to lose almost and that I felt I had to be completely myself in this and be strong in what I think and firm in what I love. Becoming a mother changed my life, but also it stirred so much in me to think about legacy and the future generations and the generations that have gone before and realise what I have inherited as a daughter in my actual bloodline from my ancestors and my parents and it goes on and on down to me and now what I'm going to carry on and what I'm going to pass down to my now children and their children and realising the significance of bloodline, the actual bloodline, but also the most significant thing is the bloodline of Jesus and that we are welcomed into the most significant bloodline, the family of God, and that is through his blood on the cross that we've been saved and welcomed into his bloodline and that we are heirs of Him.

So, there was this real juxtaposition of, thinking about my spiritual bloodline, as a follower of Jesus and being welcomed into his partner when I was seven years old, but my actual bloodline and what needs to be broken off, but also what needs to be passed down. Welcome to the Bloodline, the songs are an invitation to come in. These are an invitation, a reminder of what this is. It's a real reminder of who God is his characteristics of him and my testimony. These are such generational songs of freedom to deliverance what it means to experience the extravagant God and how surreal that is to be welcomed into such a big family.

I hope this album, whether you are proud of your actual bloodline or not, is an invitation to the bloodline of Jesus. The one you want to be in and how significant that is. That decision of following him will forever change the history and the legacy of future generations and your children and your children's children that your decision has forever altered your bloodline, which is just so powerful. There are lots of different themes of freedom and breakthrough, but also just realising that I’m a daughter and I get to simply sit and let him be a father and I can be that.

Nicolle: You’ve had an incredible journey over the past few years, navigating major life changes like marriage and motherhood. How have these experiences influenced your songwriting and the themes of your new album?

Elle: Honestly, it's really shaken, in a good way, the way I write songs, because now, whatever I'm writing, whatever I'm saying or singing, my children are going to sing.

But, you know, these are going to be songs that are going to be in our family and songs that I will hopefully tour and songs that I want to talk about and lead. And so, I think it definitely changed my personality and thinking about what I want my children to sing? What do I want my children to know? What do I want my children to grasp as the truth about our God and what he's done?

So, becoming a mom has shifted my way of songwriting and anything that's a bit too fickle or a bit too, like that can just leave and drop. And just the real honesty of lyrics and real honesty and openness of what I believe, but also who God is.

Nicolle: Your music blends personal storytelling with universal themes of hope and freedom. How do you balance sharing personal experiences while making your songs resonate with a wide audience?

Elle: I've always kind of balanced the rope of I love leading worship and wanting to write songs that will resonate with a wide audience, but also I know there are songs that I write for specific people, specific seasons, or themes that maybe will meet someone in their headphones walking to college or getting the bus to work, or those moments in the car where it's just you, and I'm so drawn to writing whatever the song might be that's kind of what's on my heart.

I want to write it and whether that is more congregational or more applicable to maybe a Sunday, but also those, the Monday to Saturday songs of life and humanness too and I think I know that it's all worship and that my life is worship and my life is the things that God's doing on my life that I want to talk about and I want to tell the story. I want to tell the story and share the good news. That's what's the beautiful thing about music, is that not everyone loves it.

Not everyone loves everything, and that's a good thing. But also you've got to stay in your lane and write what's on your heart. And I think that's why I just want everyone who writes songs, just like, write what's on your heart stay in your lane. Like, you don't have to write whatever anyone else is writing about but just continue to write what's on your heart and what you feel God's saying. And that's the most authentic and beautiful thing.

Nicolle: You’ve worked with producer Troy Miller, who has collaborated with major artists like Rag’n’Bone Man and Diana Ross. What was the creative process like working with him on Welcome to the Bloodline?

Elle: Honestly, this experience of working and collaborating with Troy Miller has been incredible. It's been an experience that I think I'll treasure forever, as he has stretched me in such a good way with my voice and what I hear melodically and musically. I remember playing my demos in his studio and as he was speaking and explaining even different elements of the songs, I just couldn't believe how much he got me from the get-go and what I was after and was the vision for the project, like sonically, but also just the feeling of it and even just the recording process.

This album is about family and generations and legacy, and I am someone who it's not just about the music and it's not just about how it all sounds but the whole process around recording and I think for me having my brothers come in and play on the songs, drumming on it and playing the guitar, for me was so significant and just grateful that Troy just opened that space for people to come in.

He had some dear friends to sit in the studio and listen and also his own family came in at the end of the studio days and heard what we'd been working on and we'd eat lunch every day around his dinner table with some of his kids or his wife and this real holistic approach of that it wasn't just the music but reflecting on togetherness and generations. The whole process of recording, the eating and the conversations and the playing and the little chats that I think was equally as significant for me and having my children also come into the studio but I think that’s the whole essence of it.

There was a night we did gang vocals, and some of Troy's kids were involved, and my brothers were part of that, and friends as part of the choir. I was just like, this is it. This is exactly how I want to make this record, is with people that I love, that I cherish, but also the next generation, and which I'm so passionate about is these songs for the next generation. So I'm so grateful to God for the experience of working with Troy.

Nicolle: You’ve cited influences ranging from London Grammar to Bombay Bicycle Club. How have these artists shaped your approach to this album’s sound?

Elle: I've loved these artists been to their shows and I think why I've always been so drawn to them is the actual music, the sonically, the different types of instruments and vocally what they do and the arrangement of the and I think that it has shaped the way, with this album, the particular sounds or sampled in sounds that marry together with the theme of the song and vocally. Especially with London Grammar, I'm so inspired by vocally what they do and the airiness. So much to be inspired by but so many artists have influenced this and just loved using my voice as an instrument and every single song, and that's what Troy has held so much is to help me with my voice, to make it into an instrument and kind of manipulate it here and there, but also having it in its rawest form and stacking it and being creative with it, was just so much fun, honestly.

It's a lot of fun creating this project, a lot of joy and a lot of tears all at the same time of just realizing the significance of these songs and the presence of God in the studio is so strong and so I am very grateful for that pure music.

Nicolle: Beyond music, you’ve also written a book, Say Goodbye to Anxiety. How does your journey with overcoming fear and anxiety shape the way you create and perform your music?

Elle: Once you've experienced freedom there's no going back and there's the story you want to share. And my life now is a life of freedom, but it once wasn't and just daily gratitude for what He has pulled me through. And so, writing and creating now I don't want to hold back in any shape or form and being truly myself in it all and not having to do certain things for certain people or having to impress anyone but the freedom of the mind of what do I need to say? What do I want to say? What do I want to sing? Hopefully, there's freedom in all of it. And that's what I hope my songs leave people with, is the taste of freedom and the taste of there's more and there's hope.

Nicolle: With Welcome to the Bloodline set for release in March, what are you most excited for your fans to experience in this new era of your music?

Elle: I'm excited for people to live with these songs and have them in their pockets. There's a real variety of songs but I just want other people in their lives to go on a journey of it. Finding freedom to experience freedom and the nudge to keep going and the nudge that these songs hopefully will nudge them to maybe sit still more or just want to be closer to God and to experience all that he has for them. And I hope that people feel welcomed in by this record and united in spirit so that they can lift their heads a bit higher.

I know that every story, every little moment, or breakthrough is God and nothing's insignificant to God, nothing is too small, and nothing's too big for Him to take, and carry. I think that he's a big God and I want people to be reminded that he's a big God and that his arms are big enough for all the things and that he's the safest place to be at his table, that it's never too late to come back. There's a place for every single person at his table.

As Elle Limebear prepares to release Welcome to the Bloodline, it’s clear that this new era of her music is one of deep personal reflection and bold artistic expression. Vulnerable is just the beginning—an invitation to embrace honesty, lean into faith, and find freedom in being fully known. Whether through her raw, soul-stirring sound or the powerful stories she tells, Elle is creating music that resonates far beyond the notes. And with this new chapter, she’s inviting us all to take a seat at the table.

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Nicolle Knapova is a little bit of everything. She is a freelance translator, and content creator. She loves indie music and is always browsing through Spotify to find the next amazing artist to obsess over. Her love for storytelling means she’s always writing something and she’s not afraid of any genre. Her biggest dream is to be a published author. If she’s not writing her fan fiction, she’s writing her poetry and sharing it on her Instagram @elisecaverly.

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