Elmiene has a natural light. His charisma, humor and self-awareness strikes first, but the knockout blow is that vintage voice.
If I didn’t know better, I’d assume I’m listening to someone with years of Baptist church training and countless life experiences. Yet he’s a 23-year-old Muslim man, quick to say that he writes mostly from the perspectives of those around him. He’s a poet, born to perform, which is likely why he wasn’t really nervous but more so in awe of performing at the Tiny Desk — especially when he found out the toy glockenspiel he played was left by Dua Lipa.
The emotion that the British singer-songwriter pulls from is linked to his fascination with ’90s R&B. Crooners like D’Angelo, Anthony Hamilton and Silk all have that knack for crying out for love. Since so much hip-hop is incorporated into today’s love songs, Elmiene’s adaptation provides a welcome balance.
He’s yet to drop a full length LP, instead opting for an EP here and a single there, devoting himself to developing and learning who he is as an artist. Draped in a custom kaftan, Elmiene stepped behind the Desk to play highlights from his latest EP, Anyway I Can, and a couple from 2023’s Marking My Time.
SET LIST
- “Marking My Time”
- “Light Work”
- “Crystal Tears”
- “Anyways”
- “Someday”
MUSICIANS
- Elmiene: lead vocals
- Simeon Jones: keys
- Jerome Johnson: drums
- Tjoe Man Cheung: guitar
- Max Doohan: bass
- Erik Brooks: vocals
- Megan Parker: vocals
- Rachel Gonzalez: vocals
TINY DESK TEAM
- Producers: Bobby Carter, Ashley Pointer
- Director/Editor: Joshua Bryant
- Audio Technical Director: Josh Newell
- Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame, Maia Stern, Mitra I. Arthur
- Audio Engineer: Hannah Gluvna
- Production Assistant: Elle Mannion
- Photographer: Zayrha Rodriguez
- Tiny Desk Copy Editor: Hazel Cills
- Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
- Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
- VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
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