Singer-Songwriter’s New Single Born from a View of the Felton Meadow 

Elisabeth Carlisle’s new music emerges from transcontinental collaboration

By Mary Andersen

When Elisabeth Carlisle posted a photograph of mist rising over the Felton meadow and Santa Cruz Mountains on her Facebook page last December, she was simply sharing the beauty of a foggy mountain morning. Within hours, the post sparked an unexpected creative partnership that would become her latest single.

Michael Saxell, a Swedish Grammy Award-winning songwriter who has worked with Bryan Adams and numerous other artists, sent Carlisle a message: “I love your pic. I think we should write a song.” He included an opening lyric: “Mist rises over the Santa Cruz Mountains.”

“I said thank you and I love that opening line, let’s do it,” Carlisle recalls. What followed was her first transcontinental remote co-write, a new experience even for a musician who has been crossing the Atlantic for songwriting collaborations for nearly 25 years.

A Quarter Century of Swedish Connections

Carlisle’s relationship with Sweden began in the 90s, when she launched her career as a pianist and subsequently formed a band in the Scandinavian country. Her partnership with renowned producer Amir Aly and bandmates will celebrate its 25th anniversary next year, having produced 17 songs (and counting) that blend Swedish indie rock sensibilities with Carlisle’s Americana roots.

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” Carlisle says of the creative chemistry she’s found across the ocean. “We have good chemistry, the same musical backgrounds and ideas, and everyone’s open to challenge each other. It’s been an incredible process for over 20 years.”

The pull of Sweden goes even further. Over two decades, Carlisle has developed a network of musicians and songwriters who share her artistic vision. “I have developed so many relationships with musicians over there and enjoy writing and producing music with them,” she explains.

Sweden ranks as the third largest producer of music in the world, behind only the United States and the United Kingdom. The country that gave the world ABBA, Roxette, and legendary producer Max Martin (Backstreet Boys, Ed Sheeran, Ariana Grande) maintains robust music education in its schools, with a particular emphasis on jazz.

“I find Swedish songwriters to be more jazz-influenced and willing to go out-of-the-box,” Carlisle observes. “They stretch the limits with chords and music.” Ironically, Swedish musicians have long been fascinated with Americana music, creating a perfect creative bridge for Carlisle, who grew up between Santa Cruz and Montana and studied classical music in college. 

The Making of “In the Wake of You”

The collaboration with Saxell unfolded unlike any traditional songwriting session. The two musicians have never met in person. Instead, they worked by sending files to each other, with Carlisle recording chord progressions on piano and sending them to Saxell, who would respond with guitar ideas.

“As with any song, for me, while songwriting, when I start playing chords, songs, words, lyrics just start to develop,” Carlisle explains. The image of mist after a storm led to questions about renewal and replenishment as seasons pass. The lyrical phrasing emerged naturally.

“He’s really good at lyrics, Michael. My lyrics are more literal, and he’s more poetic,” Carlisle says. “It was a really good combination.”

The song’s central phrase, “in the wake of you,” carried immediate resonance for Carlisle, who has been navigating grief for three years following her husband’s death. But as the writers worked, they recognized the phrase’s broader application.

“We realized that a wake could also refer to other losses.” Carlisle reflects. “There’s many grieving processes. You don’t have to physically lose somebody. You can lose the love or the time you had with somebody over a summer break, or you met somebody spontaneously in another country and then you had to leave. There’s always that memory of something you longed for.”

The song’s structure follows a traditional verse-verse-pre-chorus-chorus format, but with a distinctive twist. Carlisle requested the song be written in 6/8 meter, the same rhythmic structure Leonard Cohen used in “Hallelujah” and Emmylou Harris has employed in several songs.

“It has that one-two-three, four-five-six feel with the emphasis on the 1 and 4 of the beat.” Carlisle explains. “People can’t put their finger on it, but that’s what it is. I like that meter. I hadn’t done a song in 6/8 before.”

The chord progressions themselves became a crucial storytelling element. “I’m very much about chords and how they support the lyrics,” Carlisle notes. “If something goes melancholy, we tend to go to minor chords. And if we want something to suddenly be positive, we might change that minor chord to a major chord.” She and Saxell structured the chords to convey both longing and renewal, with the melody always resolving into hope and forward movement.

Recording Across Oceans

Elisabeth Carlisle Band L-R Göran Engström, Mattias Pedersen, Malin Larsson-Lingström, Elisabeth Carlisle, Amir Aly, Jörgen Larsson-Lingström and Pelle Jernryd

The recording process for “In the Wake of You” marked another first for Carlisle. Unable to travel to Sweden, she recorded her vocals at Santa Cruz Recording with engineers Chris Cottingham and Jim Wirt. She then sent the tracks to Sweden, where her band of two decades recorded their parts individually around her voice and the chord progressions.

“For the first time, I didn’t even go over there to rehearse,” Carlisle says. “Amir Aly put together a scratch track for me to sing to, and then I sent that back for the band to record their parts. The trust and understanding we have made it possible.”

The band started with drums to establish the 6/8 feel, then added bass, guitar, and Hammond B3 organ, with producer Amir Aly coordinating the various elements. The process reflected the deep musical confidence these collaborators have developed over 25 years of working together.

Life Between Music and Education

Carlisle’s former career as a Grammy-winning music educator complements her songwriting. Her recording arts program at Scotts Valley High School won recognition from the Grammy Foundation, teaching students the technical and creative aspects of music production in Santa Cruz County.

“When I was traveling around the world working as a musician, you’re having incredible, impactful experiences every day,” she reflects. “But the last 20 years, I was married, raising my daughter, running band programs and teaching recording arts. I didn’t have a whole lot of time to sit and ponder lyrics and chord progressions while working full-time and caring for my family.”

Now, with more time for creativity, Carlisle finds herself inspired by the landscape that has been her muse since college. Friends at UC Santa Barbara used to call her a “tree hugger” because she constantly came back to campus writing about the mountains. “I have a picture of me wearing a flannel shirt with my long hair and an acoustic guitar,” she laughs. “Everybody just knew I was from Santa Cruz.”

Her music has been compared in reviews to Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell for its poignant lyrics drawn from life experiences. Performing across Europe, Carlisle has discovered something profound about the power of music.

“What’s so beautiful is that emotions and deep feelings of grief or love or adventure are universal,” she says. “People ask me how audiences respond to my music in other countries, and I tell them that human emotions are the same wherever you go.”

Looking Ahead

After wrapping up their fall Sea Glass tour through the Northwest, Carlisle and her band are following their familiar creative cycle: write, tour, rest, repeat. She’s currently collaborating with an artist from Montana on new material.

“In the Wake of You” has received airplay on Jefferson Public Radio’s Folk Show and is available for request on KPIG and KBCZ. The single was also considered for a Grammy nomination. Listeners can find it on all major streaming platforms including Spotify, iTunes, iHeartRadio, and Amazon Music.

For a songwriter whose career bridges Americana and Swedish Indie Pop Rock, whose music emerges from Santa Cruz Mountain mist and Swedish studio sessions, the creative journey continues. The mist still rises over Felton, and the songs keep coming.

IN THE WAKE OF YOU
Written by Elisabeth Carlisle and Michael Saxell
ecband.net

Listen here on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/17UNzpGX9PvBdn54GJ11GE?si=282a4a91c4354822

Listen here on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mon4wljYw5g

Featured photo: The Felton Meadow by Elisabeth Carlisle