Elle King has found a new confidence, both on and off the stage, as she brings her tour to the Granada Theatre on May 30
ELLE KING w/Barns Courtney
The Granada Theatre
7:30 p.m., Thursday, May 30
Tickets: $24-$39; VIP, $79
Information: (805) 899-2222; https://ticketing.granadasb.org/
Just shy of her 30th birthday, Elle King has experienced more than most will in a lifetime.
The daughter to two Hollywood elites — actor Rob Schneider and model London King — she grew up near the spotlight, admittedly influenced by the fast lifestyle that can overtake many.
“(I was) a sloppy mess for most of my 20s,” Ms. King told the News-Press. “(Being around Hollywood), you’d think maybe it’d help you, but you see the bad shades of Hollywood glamour. (I believe) we have a set path, we’re presented with choices — sometimes wrong choices, sometimes right, sometimes stupid.”
Despite what some would describe as wild days, Ms. King saw mountains of success, particularly behind her smash, chart-topping hit “Ex’s and Oh’s.”
And while she is seemingly in control of her universe when on stage, she also took the time to learn from her initial success, following the lead of others while traveling her initial path with her first studio album, “Love Stuff.”
“I kept my mouth shut. Got the songs, sang them, let others take that leadership role,” Ms. King said. “I watched, I listened and I learned.”
And then she applied those lessons to building her latest offering, “Shake The Spirit,” which was released in October 2018 — a culmination of both three years touring in support of “Love Stuff,” as well as pent-up stories that she was determined to tell, in her own way.
“I really matured as a songwriter and a technical musician, a lot more confidence in myself,” Ms. King said.
“I do have cool ideas, I do have a vision of what I want to do. I made a record with my best friends.”
Ms. King’s 2019 is one with little time to herself, as not only is she on this current tour on her own, she’s also joining forces with Joan Jett & The Blackhearts in August, and then tagging along with Miranda Lambert and Maren Morris starting in September.
“A total honor to be on a female-led (tours),” Ms. King said. “The universe lined me up to do a whole bunch of touring.”
And her stage show is a bit different than what fans might be used to, pointing to her maturity for the change.
“I’m a lot less drunk these days,” Ms. King said. “I was quite the hellion from 16 to 28, trying new things. Growing up, shows are much easier if you’re not hammered wasted. It’s a different experience, a little bit mature Elle King.”
And with that maturity has seen the return of “America’s Sweetheart” to some of her set lists, a song that she had removed from many shows after growing tired of the song and searching for a new way to connect with it. She knew that fans were disappointed to not hear it at her shows, so she worked with her band to find a fresh approach, showcasing it at the Tortuga Festival.
Close friends looked at the song’s return as a good sign for Ms. King.
“They came to me and said, ‘Wow, Elle, you must be in a good place,’” Ms. King said. “That’s so true. I had to come full circle.”
While her performances might be different, her look is very much the same as fans have grown to love, adore and replicate. Ms. King has a plethora of tattoos on her body, something that came along with trying to “stick it to the man” and “be older than I was” as she grew up in Hollywood.
“I always wanted to be older than I seemed, I was ready to grow up when I was a kid,” Ms. King explained. “I felt icky about my body. But I love my form (now), it’s beautiful to see all these crazy body modifications, to each their own. Do something to make yourself feel better. If it’s a safe thing, that’s wonderful.”
Regardless of her newfound maturity, Ms. King still has no interest in being tame.
“No one could put me in a box if they tried,” Ms. King said. “I’d bust out of it.”
