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elie zoé in short :
elie zoé’s rugged guitar playing and melodic artistry immediately stand out. At times soft, at times bold, it has been compared to that of PJ Harvey or Cat Power. With more than 700 shows to their credit, they have gained a reputation for highly dynamic and soaring live performances and received several prices such as "Best Act Romandie" at the Swiss Music Awards 2019, and a "Swiss Music Prize" in 2020. Their latest record "Hello Future Me" from which the single "Roses on Fire" was taken, published on Humus Records, was acclaimed "Album of the Year 2022" by Indiesuisse. elie zoé envisions desirable futures through music as a powerful tool for collective reflection and shared experiences. Inspired by transdisciplinary research (physics, sociology, anthropology, biology), their work reimagines humanity's place within Earth's ecosystem, promoting collaboration, mutual aid, and deeper connections to the living world.
BIOGRAPHY
"elie zoé whispers screams that don’t hurt into your ear," writes Arnaud Robert in the pages of Le Temps. elie zoé is one of those rare artists whose music and words find a direct path to the soul.
The songwriter reveals their unique magic first and foremost on stage. Earthy guitar playing, a voice that moves along the tightrope of emotions, a deep and magnetic presence—leaving a live performance by the Swiss artist means having been profoundly moved.
But elie zoé also stands out for their ability to craft albums with love and care—albums that become lifelong companions. Their sharp sense of melody, the simplicity of the guitar-and-drums formula, occasionally enhanced with thoughtfully placed overdubs, gives their work a radical and minimalist beauty.
Born in 1991 in Lausanne (CH), elie zoé discovers the electric guitar as a teenager and quickly gains solid stage experience as a guitarist and backing vocalist for Anna Aaron. The project Emilie Zoé takes shape with the key encounters of musician-producer Louis Jucker, drummer Nicolas Pittet, and the Chaux-de-Fonds-based label Humus Records. Lo-fi, low-tech, DIY, and a community-driven approach working with close collaborators in short supply chains—these ingredients, present from the very beginning, contribute to the project's growing recognition. Dead-End Tape (2016) immediately positions them as an artist to watch, while The Very Start (2018) opens doors to European stages.
Hello Future Me (2022) marks yet another milestone in this steady progression. Prestigious venues follow, including the Stravinsky Auditorium at the Montreux Jazz Festival (CH), where they share the bill with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (Live at Montreux Jazz 2022, released in 2024), and a performance in front of 20,000 people opening for Muse in Bern (CH).
Awards come to celebrate both the project's raw power on stage (Best Live Act at the Swiss Live Talents 2022) as well as the subtlety of their songwriting and the album’s quality, with Hello Future Me earning Album of the Year 2022 from Indiesuisse.
In Spring 2025, the Swiss musician announces the release of “change my name” and “dormant plants”, the first singles from « shifting forms », a new album to be released in autumn under their new name: elie zoé—a statement equally powerful and deeply moving.
Photos: Lea Kunz