Elijah Harvey: Multifaceted Dedication [SwanoDown Report]

Written by Imani Wj Wright
Photo by Jamel Stefàn

"I never left as an artist I was in the cocoon- I didn't want to but I had to fall back to evolve" – Elijah Harvey

We tend to admire people who are great at their given crafts. And of course we do, why wouldn’t we? The amount of hours, talent, and steadfastness involved in being what we consider great is much of an anomaly. Being “above average” inherently indicates superiority in their abilities. Now, imagine having to do that several times with varying skills and industries. Well, that’s what artist Elijah Harvey has been pursuing since the age of five years old. Harvey, formerly known as LX, has touched the musical world with early production on records for platinum selling artist, Wale, and also having his hands in commercials and podcasts. Harvey plays five instruments, all self-taught. His musicality is prevalent in much of his current work.

Harvey’s track, “Everything You Need”, is a significant showcase of his innate ability to understand soundscape, songwriting, and melodic development. “Everything You Need” has a heavy RnB feel, accompanied with a great bass line. It’s the type of piece you turn on when a potentially spicy night with your lover is on the horizon. Harvey begins the track with a sensual voice, telling his lady that she’s in for one hell of night. Though, Harvey keeps it in the house, suggesting that they should stay in and order instead of going out for the night. That may seem minuscule on the surface, but it’s major in regards to the visual Harvey sets for his audience.

“Let’s dim the lights, and let’s order in,” Harvey sings. Immediately, my mind developed an environment with semi dark lighting, lit candles, a red undertone, and that energy you get waiting for the doorbell to ring when a delivery is on the way. The song had me fully immersed, and as it progresses, you feel like you’re watching a movie. There’s no surprise there, as Harvey has been intensely involved in the film industry, scoring films during the Novel COVID-19 lockdown. Harvey's voice glides of the Jazz-esque instrumentation, and is the cherry on top of this piece. It's something for mature listeners to enjoy, and it has all the aspects to be a treat to hear live. The drums, percussion, and Harvey's confidence adds credence to the aforementioned.

Check out Elijah Harvey’s “Everything You Need” Below:
https://open.spotify.com/track/0A3g5yac59XKOmPJnRabxm?si=7b3d5ad94d994318