Elliot James Reay Talks About His Recently Released Debut EP 'All This To Say I Love You'

British singer-songwriter Elliot James Reay released his debut EP, All This To Say I Love You, on June 27, 2025, via Interscope and EMI Records. The EP consists of a six-song tracklist, which includes his hit single, "I Think They Call This Love."

Is there anything you're looking forward to this year?

Elliot: Tour is a big one. This is my first tour, and I've never been out on the road. I’m really excited to experience that and get a feel of what it'll be like. There’s a lot going on, some things I can and can’t say because I don't know the dates of things yet. But there's a lot of things happening, a lot of exciting things. I’m excited for what's to come. An album for me has to be ten incredible songs. I don’t want one song on the album to be something people are going to be like nope, it’s a miss. A slight bit of pressure in the next year to make sure I get it right. But it is all very exciting and I can't wait for it to come out.

What do you want listeners to take away from the EP?

Elliot: This specific EP, the clue is in the title. It’s five tracks of all love songs back to back. Some are happy, some are sad, and some are a love you might not have and want to reach for. I want to take people on a journey from start to finish, that love doesn't have to be this or that. Everyone experiences it differently. I want people to take away from this a different emotion than their friend or their sister. Everyone interprets things differently. I want people to feel like it's okay to do that. Not everyone has to have the same relationship as everyone else.

Which one of your singles gives us a glimpse into the EP?

Elliot: That’s difficult cause I would say all of the tracks are about love. Whether it’s wanting love, having love or losing love. The whole EP is a lovey dovey EP. There is no deeper meaning to it. I feel like it’s setting me up for when I release my next body of work. The love songs will be the love songs and hopefully the next one will be something with a different meaning that's not love. What that will be, I don't know yet.

What part of '50s music do you find most inspiring for your own creative process?

Elliot: The thing I love the most are the melodies. I listen to a lot of songs. When I watch people write songs today. The go to thing most people do is pick out chords and then hum a melody to this chord, and then I'll put the words together. I feel like it wasn't that way back then. I can hear it in the melodies. I’ve been reflecting on a lot of Brian Wilson stuff, and his passing brought a lot of stuff back. The way that he wrote things, everything was melody first. I think it makes his songs stand out, and a lot of these artists from that era wrote that way. That to me is something I try to put in my music. I don’t think about chords till I put the melody dow,n then I figure out the chords. That might be what helps a little bit more with my songs.

Your stage presence is often described as magnetic.what does performance unlock in you that the studio doesn't? How does your relationship with the audience shape that energy?

Elliot: I get lost in the music. Once I'm lost in the music, everyone else is. Sometimes I'll listen back to my own performance, and I'll be my own worst critic. I’ll be all over and be like I could have done this or this better. Most people watching probably wouldn't notice the things I notice. At the time, I won’t notice either cause I'm so lost in it. That's what's interesting about my performance. Another thing that really gets people is that I sing, and it sounds like the record. To me, that's what it should be. You shouldn't sound different from the record. It shouldn't be something you struggle with singing on stage. I always strive to sing it on stage and prioritize that which helps with performing. It makes it easier; I don't have to change anything.

What can we expect from your live shows?

Elliot: I did a show in Manchester before, and it was a test to see how people would react and respond. We set the bar pretty high with that show in my eyes. I was really happy with how it came out. I want to push above that now and try and get a show that I'm willing to take around the world and show everyone. I think a lot of that is going to be amping up the music, making the production sound as good as it can. I want it to feel like it's intimate as well. Something that you can only experience on this tour. That's what I'm going to try and do with most of my tours. Because the next one will be better or completely different. But for this one, it’ll be more intimate. I want people to really listen to the music and enjoy it.

What songs are you most excited for fans to hear?

Elliot: “Sweetness” is one I'm excited for, I feel like it has a lot of components of a song that I would listen to. “Daydreaming” was a big one for me. I really enjoyed singing, recording and writing it. The main thing is I want people to experience things in their own way and interpret this EP however they feel.