Beth Elsden is definitely no stranger to Rolling Stone AU/NZ readers.
The promising Aotearoa pop star regularly featured in our weekly music roundups thanks to the strength of her single drops, which all culminated in her debut EP, The Waiting Room, which arrived last month.
A coming-of-age record in every sense of the phrase, the deeply personal collection found Elsden contemplating the sort of personal evolution that accompanies early adulthood.
Listening to The Waiting Room, it’s clear why open-book songwriters like Taylor Swift and Maisie Peters have been major influences on Elsden. The EP is achingly vulnerable, tumbling through heartbreak, healing, ambition, and so much more within its five tracks.
“The EP starts in a fragile place, where I’m questioning if I’m making the right choices in life, and it ends in a more powerful tone where I’ve found my voice, so to speak,” Elsden reveals.
“I think the EP lands on the idea that it’s okay to take your time and trust the process of blooming and becoming.”
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Following her debut release, as well as a celebratory launch show at Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s Public Bar, we caught up with Elsden as part of our Up-And-Coming Aotearoa Artists series. Read the full conversation below.
Beth Elsden’s The Waiting Room EP is out now.
Rolling Stone AU/NZ: How much did music influence you in your early life?
Beth Elsden: Music has been my main passion from a very young age. My family don’t play instruments or sing themselves, but they all love music so deeply and it is one of the main ways we bonded as a family. I discovered musical theatre first and got enrolled in some after-school classes, which was my first introduction to performing.
And then from there I began writing songs, learning guitar, and looking for any opportunity to perform, whether it was the school talent show or busking outside of the supermarket. For my 11th birthday, my parents booked me a day in a recording studio where I recorded a whole set of my originals on my squeaky nylon-string guitar — a core memory, for sure.
What artists influenced you growing up?
I believe Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus single-handedly got me into songwriting and learning guitar. My parents’ music taste rubbed off on me, so I loved The Killers, The Civil Wars, Fleetwood Mac, U2, and The Cure. Musical theatre played a huge part as well. I remember latching on to Mamma Mia! and making it my whole personality when I was about 10. Then there were the artists I was discovering on my own accord in my teens such as Carly Rae Jepsen, The 1975, Broods, and Lorde. All of these artists and bands are still on heavy rotation to this day!
What are some career highlights so far?
My biggest highlight so far has simply been releasing my EP. It has arrived after five years of slowly chipping away at it and building my confidence as an artist. There was a time where I wasn’t even considering pursuing music at all, so to be here now with my first full body of work out in the world feels hugely fulfilling.
What kind of personality traits and values do you believe it takes to succeed in the music industry?
I think resilience and optimism are really key, and I’ve been practicing both traits this year as I share my first body of work. It can feel very vulnerable at times, and nothing is a guarantee, but you have to believe that your creativity and art are worth sharing and pursuing regardless.
I also think being collaborative is important. It took me a while to realise that just because I am a solo artist, it doesn’t mean I have to do everything by myself. Working with other artists, being a student of life, and staying curious can really elevate and evolve your own artistry.
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How would you describe your music to a potential fan?
My music is lyric-forward, dreamy, and cinematic. I’m so inspired by female singer-songwriters like Maisie Peters, Lizzy McAlpine and Taylor Swift, and I think they have heavily influenced the slightly folky inclinations in my music.
Sonically, I loved playing with big vocal stacks, washed guitars, and string arrangements in this first EP, a little bit of the musical theatre girl coming through. I think my music is perfect for midnight walks and drives and it’s for anyone who is still in the process of blooming.
How was your EP release party and do you have any gigs coming up?
My release party was so special! There was laughter, there were tears, so I think we covered all the bases! It was nerve-wracking to be playing most of the songs from the EP for the first time, but the team at Public Bar were great hosts and my friends and family really rallied around me so it ended up being a lot of fun.
We also had these themed cocktails such as ‘The Waiting Rum’ which I thoroughly enjoyed once I finished my set. I definitely hope to be playing a few more gigs this year! Now that my EP is out I am in the process of getting some shows lined up.
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What are your goals for 2026 and beyond?
I want to get as much live performance under my belt as possible while I work on a new project in the background! I think performing will help me learn so much about myself and what kind of musical direction I want to take in the future.
For my next project, I have a concept that I am really passionate about so now I’m just aiming to deepen the dream-pop and synth-pop elements I touched on and push my songwriting to the next level. A lot of the songs from my first EP were inspired by the experiences of friends around me, so my main goal is to get really honest with myself for this next project and write about my personal experiences this time.
