Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Elise Testone has released her new EP, This is Love

Seven years after her run on American Idol and five years after her debut album, “This is Life,” Elise Testone recently released its followup.

The six-song EP is called “This is Love” and features the same soulful vocals and passionate performances that made Elise a fan favorite when she finished sixth on Season 11.

“The first song (‘Flying High’) is about self-love,” Elise told the Charleston Post and Courier. “There are others about intimate relationships, working relationships, love that hurts, love that was disregarded.

“The last song (‘Tell Me Now’) is about love in terms of honesty, about a particular situation where someone got screwed over by someone they trusted.”

She initially intended to release a full-length album, Elise says on her website blog.

Then she decided “the cohesiveness and flow of these songs feel perfect to me and summarize my experiences over the past few years.”

A special track on the EP is “Holly,” written in honor of a good friend and former roommate who committed suicide in 2015, two years after undergoing brain surgery.

“Holly had a light around her that was like no one I know,” Elise recalls in a press release announcing “This Is Love.” “She could make anyone smile within the first few seconds of seeing her. We bonded instantly and had a relationship built on honesty and playfulness.

“We looked out for each other. We were family. Both of us young at heart, we shared a deep passion for music. Holly always dreamed of being a music star but was always a little afraid to perform.”

They were roommates in Charlotte, but then Elise moved to New York and Holly moved to Texas.

“This song took me three years to write because it was so important, but also because I had a real tough grieving process and felt stuck,” Elise admitted. “I am so happy with how it turned out. I am so confident that every lyric was the right lyric, and I am so grateful to have had the time with her that I did. Hopefully this song can convey the positive mark she has left on me and the world.”

Check out Elise’s upcoming show dates on her website. Here’s a live version of “You Never Leave Me,” one of the tracks on the new EP.