Elliot James Reay on what makes him unique, dancing & Elvis comparisons

The EP, which includes the Northern Soul track ‘Who Knew Dancing Was A Sin', is inspired by his partner’s parents, and the video sees the 23-year-old break into a Northern Soul dance. When it came to the video, “It was new to me. I haven't danced in years,” Reay confessed. “I did dance as a kid, and to get out there and to show myself dancing, that was the first time I’ve ever danced on a camera and given people that side of myself.

“So to do something like dancing, it was out there for me. It was nerve-wracking at first, because we had a whole troop of people that can Northern Soul dance really well, and then I am there trying to give it a good go. And yeah, they were very warm. And actually showed me a lot and encouraged me very well, which was great. And yeah, I would definitely show more of my dancing in the future, and I'm looking forward to it,” the singer added.

Starting out his career as a busker on the streets of Bury, Greater Manchester, Reay has enjoyed considerable success in a short space of time with his modern yet nostalgic brand of rock 'n' roll. In July 2024, Reay released his debut single, ‘I Think They Call This Love’, independently, and it was an approach that paid dividends. The song was a rousing success with over 125m streams on Spotify as of today, and it led to Reay signing with EMI and Interscope Records ahead of the release of his second single, ‘Boy In Love’ – a song that references the “King of Soul”, Sam Cooke. But how long did it take Reay to convince others of his approach?

“It took a minute, actually. We'd written a few songs. This is before I think they call this love. And everyone had their opinion on what we needed to do, what was the right thing to do. And when we took it back to just the core team, we all knew that – I think they call us love – it was the right choice. This is the case, and everyone around me was like, No, that's not going to get on the radio. That's not going to do well. Labels were also saying it. They were saying, Oh, we think you should do this song instead.

“And it was a pop song that I've written and just had in the bank. And I was like, No, that's not what I want to do. And putting it out and just doing what I want to do was the best thing I ever did, because, you know, it went really well. Everyone loved the song, and then the labels changed their mind, and they were like, Oh, actually, we were wrong. And I think that was an interesting moment to see, to see something like the industry or the people in the industry around me all kind of like, Oh, actually, yeah, you do. You will let you do what you need to do. So it did put me in a very fortunate position to now be able to call the shots on my career and just say, like, I want to do this. I want to take it here. I want to figure this out. And I think that's an important part of having that control in your career,” Reay finished.

Competition in the music industry is undoubtedly significant, to say the least. However, Reay’s an artist that desires to innovate, combining his modern yet nostalgic brand of rock 'n' roll with a 21st-century mindset on promoting on social media, namely TikTok, where he has 71.1m likes and 3.9m followers. In short, it’s a recipe for success for Reay. “I think TikTok is a place where everything's welcome; anyone and everyone can get to make a TikTok account and post a video and go viral. There's no privilege on there. No one stands above anyone else, and I think that that's what makes it such a good app,” Reay stated.

“It allows people to choose what they like, to listen to what they like, and then they're not fed something, which is the old way of making a career. They are being fed their eyes, people like, you know, you get a promotion, then they're in front of you, and then you see them, and you buy a record. It doesn't work that way anymore. So you really do have to kind of sit there and think about what makes you different and how you do this. And I think that for me, I've always been, personally, a different character from everyone else in my life. At school, I never really fit in with many people. So I think the main thing that just made me different was me just being myself, because everyone's an individual, and I think that if you be yourself and you don't try and, you know, be something that you know you're not, then it's just about realising that you have your own individuality, and that's what makes you different and what can make you stand out online. And I think that's just what I did, and it's paid off,” the 23-year-old concluded.

Drawn on influences that include Elvis Presley, Billy Fury and Roy Orbison, to name a few, Reay wears his inspirations on his sleeve and comparisons between Reay and the aforementioned names have inevitably materialised. "It's an honourable thing," the singer stated when asked his thoughts on the comparisons before adding, "I think it's just a matter of time for me to showcase who I am and to show what I want to do and show them that I'm different." I think once that hits, it'll die down,” Reay finished.

Elliot James Reay is touring across the UK this month with dates in Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and London.