Married country-rock duo
Eleyet McConnell are no strangers to baring their souls through music. With a seamless blend of 70s rock, blues, and country storytelling, Chris McConnell and Angie Eleyet have built a sound as unique as their love story. Their latest release, “I Want You to Know,” stands out as their most personal work yet, delving deep into themes of vulnerability, connection, and transformation. In this candid interview, the couple shares the inspirations behind their music, the dynamics of creating as a married team, and how their deeply personal journey resonates universally. Whether on stage or in the studio, their chemistry is undeniable, and it’s woven into every note they play.
1. “I Want You to Know” is being described as your most personal release to date. Can you share the inspiration behind the song and what made this track stand out for you both?
Chris: Well, I guess I have to take a lot of responsibility here. I knew that Angie and I were developing the kind of relationship that I flat out avoided for years. The inspiration here came from the fear of allowing yourself to give into your feelings and be completely vulnerable to another person. It’s a scary thing, at least it was for me. Even now, I can remember where I was emotional when I heard my own words organized in a song for the first time. Few people know how to get me in my core. Angie just knows me like that. This song stands out for us because it symbolizes those moments when we really admitted how we felt.
Angie, your lyrics in this song are incredibly raw and vulnerable. How do you approach writing about such personal experiences, and do you find it challenging to put those emotions into words?
This song really comes from Chris, even though he didn’t sit down with the intention of writing a song. The lyrics of this song are actually from a lot of text messages he sent me during the first year of our relationship—talk about a roller coaster. Chris had been a bachelor for 32 years with girlfriends here and there, but I don’t think he ever had the notion of settling down and growing roots. There were really special, intimate moments followed by days of resistance and that went on for a good long time. The lyrics are raw and vulnerable because that’s exactly where we were at the time in our relationship. Having all those messages collated in one song did have an impact though. No denying any longer.
As a husband-and-wife duo, your creative partnership is unique. How has your relationship influenced the way you write and perform music together, especially on tracks like “I Want You to Know”?
Chris: For us, music is that safe zone in a way. Especially in the beginning, this was our way of working through some of those difficult moments as well as acknowledging the more tender ones. We’ve got several songs not on this album that are even more personal. Angie and I have been through a lot, but our joke is that we got all the difficult stuff out of the way in the very beginning. I joke with her often and tell her I should do something to upset her. She writes some great stuff when I make her mad. Ha! She’s got a couple aimed at me when she was good and mad and those are some of my favorites. I promise that it isn’t as twisted as it sounds.
Angie: We both do embrace music as the “safe space”. It allows us to work through things but also share honest, raw experiences that we know everyone else goes through too. It’s healing. Chris makes jokes about some of those songs written after some tense moments when we are on stage. People get a kick out of that because it’s nothing unique to us. Every couple goes through those growing pains. I love that our music is relatable.
Your music blends classic 70s rock, country, and blues with modern storytelling. Can you talk about how your influences, from Beth Hart to Merle Haggard, shape the sound and soul of Eleyet McConnell?
Chris: Oh man, Angie and I listen to so many types of music. Our playlists are all over the place but once in a while we will get in a mood and hone in on a specific genre or even artist. No question that Angie’s songwriting ability comes from the authentic, story-telling approach of Merle Haggard and even Beth Hart. Both write about serious life experiences and have the ability to make the song a very relatable experience. Angie can do that. She was also way more influenced by country music than I ever knew. I think her influences have allowed her to develop this uncanny ability to connect with people on stage. It’s really something.
I love the groove of the 70s and blues and when we are so locked into each other that we just sort of dance around each other musically. Add all that together and you have Eleyet McConnell. People ask us all the time if we are country? Blues? Rock?
We just say, “YES” because we are all of those things.
You’ve both mentioned feeling an instant musical chemistry when you first met. How has that evolved over time, and how do you continue to inspire each other creatively?
Angie: It was pretty instantaneous and to be completely honest, it caught us both off guard. So unexpected. Over time, we’ve just settled in more and are so comfortable playing with each other. It’s kind of involuntary sometimes. He knows where I may go vocally, I can feel where the bass line will go and we just dance. It’s pretty special. Keeping that level of inspiration up requires balance. Some days you need to step away and just go do something unrelated to music, go out with a friend, go sit in the park or just have some time alone outside at home. We both made a commitment to one another that if one or both of us needed some space we would just be honest about it. We are together all day, every day and we love that, but we need to preserve what brought it all together in the first place. That was our individual personality, but even funnier…when we go about the alone time thing, we end up calling each other a lot. It’s cheesy but we love being around one another!
The accompanying video for “I Want You to Know” visually echo the song’s emotional depth. How involved were you in the creative direction of the video, and what do you hope it adds to the song’s message?
Chris: We produced and directed that video ourselves. We wanted to capture that essence of finding your perfect match. Having Angie at the piano or alone on camera lends to that feeling of vulnerability and to an extent, loneliness. Our hope is that the video illustrates all that I went through personally when I sent all those messages to her in that first part of our relationship. There is something intimate about cellos and violins. We thought it just added to the vibe we were trying to create.
“Crazy World,” your debut album, explores both personal stories and universal themes. How do you strike the balance between sharing your personal journey while connecting with listeners on a broader level?
Angie: Honestly, we don’t tweak too much but we do try and not make things so specific lyrically that no one else can relate if that makes sense. Musically, we let the song grow and mature as we work on it.
Chris: One thing we’ve always felt strongly about is that we make the music that is true to us and is something we like. We aren’t trying to sound like anyone else or fit a mold. Of course, we want people to feel connected and love the music we write, but at the end of the day, if that doesn’t happen, we have a blessed life. We are loving this journey and are thrilled that we’ve been in a position to live our dream.
We are living our best life.
You’ve garnered recognition through award nominations and chart success in the UK. How has the journey of releasing your music to a global audience impacted you both personally and professionally?
Angie: Honestly, I still pinch myself every day. I feel so humbled by the love and support we’ve received around the world. It’s just incredible. It does make me appreciate the personal time at home a lot more because we are non-stop on the go most of the time.
Chris: This has been a dream of mine since I was a kid. I’ve recorded many records, toured the Midwest and been in a lot of bands for the past 54 years that I have been playing music. I feel vindicated that persevering in music was worth every minute of sacrifice, and I feel so blessed that I get to do this with the love of my life who takes me just as I am. Not sure I’ll ever get used to it all but I’m having a blast enjoying it all. Truly incredible. As I’ve always said. “We could lose it all tomorrow and we would be just fine.” We have so many irons in the fire unrelated to music that it would take a couple lifetimes to complete. Every day is new to us. Never a boring moment. God has blessed us.
