Currently on tour with O.A.R., up-and-coming singer-songwriter Brynn Elliott has just released dual debut EPs — Notions of Love and Notions of Youth. A sophomore at Harvard (and yes, she’s been attending fall classes even though the O.A.R. tour is ongoing), she writes songs that have a bit more edge to them than most singer-songwriter fare.

The moody ballad “Dear Anna,” for example, has a simmering intensity to it as her voice veers from a whisper to a near-scream. We recently spoke with Elliott from her tour bus parked outside of Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica, where she performs tonight with O.A.R.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=c8xxEXOzXG4

This article appears in Sep 2-8, 2015.

Jeff has been covering the Cleveland music scene for more than 25 years now. On a regular basis, he tries to talk to whatever big acts are coming through town. And if you're in a local band that he needs to hear, email him at jniesel@clevescene.com.