ON THE RADAR: An 11-Year-Old Minnesota Songwriter Sings a Story of Hope

Minnesota native, Ellie, is the charming young songwriter with an old soul that you wish you heard sooner. Writing straight from the heart, Ellie pours her soul into her music, painting self-portraits of finding peace with, and ultimately overcoming, her eating disorder.

Her debut single, “Somewhere by the Coast,” which was released on November 27th is a perfect blend of soft-pop singer/songwriter vibes and showcases the young writer’s ability to marry together heavy topics with bright, hopeful overtones.

Speaking about the inspiration behind the song, Ellie spoke about the difficulty she faced overcoming an eating disorder. “I wanted to be perfect. Perfect at school, at gymnastics, at gym class… in everything I did. I wanted the perfect body, too. So I researched it, started counting the calories, and overexercising. It quickly became severe and took over my life.”

“But, thankfully, with the help of my parents, my younger sister Emery, and the staff at Melrose and the Rogers program, ten months later I was able to start finding myself again. A part of that came through songwriting, so I wrote this song because I wanted it to be a light for others.”

“Somewhere by the Coast” is the musical embodiment of hope, and with that, Ellie plans to use the proceeds from the song to bring hope to other girls and boys alike by donating her earnings to clinics here in Minnesota that focus on treating and healing eating disorders.

“Somewhere by the Coast” is available on all major streaming platforms.