Artistry Unplugged: Talking Tunes With Local Musician Elena Dunn

If you were stuck on a remote island with University of Colorado Boulder sophomore Elena Dunn and three albums of her choice, chances are you would be entertained for quite some time. 

At least, I was far from bored when I sat down to interview Dunn. Throw in her choice albums of Queen’s “Greatest Hits”, “Guts” by Olivia Rodrigo, and “Djesse Vol. 3” by Jacob Collier, and your hypothetical remote island becomes intriguing–and almost enticing. 

In partnership with Big Table Records–CU Boulder’s first student-run record label–and the CU Boulder Music Industry Club, I was given the opportunity to talk to Dunn. We discussed her journey through music and her upcoming position in the student showcase benefitting the Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence–at Boulder, CO’s beloved Fox Theater on Oct. 19, 2023. Dunn will be performing with fellow young musician Carlos Taal. 

And trust me–Elena’s performance is not something you will want to miss. From her lifelong dedication to performance and the subtle undertones of female empowerment in her music taste to the dry humor perfect for Gen-Z audiences she incorporated throughout the interview, Dunn will surely put on a show. 

Hailing from a musical family in Buena Vista, Colorado, Dunn was put in community singing groups by her parents from a young age. She admitted she “didn’t really care” about the groups until her parents expressed disappointment she wasn’t in her local production of “The Sound of Music”–and Dunn found herself agreeing. 

“I was like ‘You’re right, that is really sad’, and so when I was 8, I auditioned to be in a musical–and I got in. I was plant number four”, Dunn said. 

Plant number four was her first role out of a ten-year career in theater, continuing throughout middle school and high school. She eventually added band, jazz band, and choir to the mix, excelling in each respective field until high school graduation. 

Now, she’s majoring in Business at CU Boulder, with emphases on personal financial planning and accounting. A music minor, and involvement in music-oriented clubs outside of the classroom, have guaranteed her more chances to perform–which she prioritizes. 

“When I got to college, I was like, I don’t care what I do, I just know music needs to be a part of it somewhere”, Dunn said. She continued, “I really enjoy performing”. 

Although only a sophomore Dunn has already been involved with choir and acapella organizations, as well as through concerts with Big Table Records. 

She’s been posted covering both Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo online–citing her love for “angry girl music” as a reason for covering and being inspired by Rodrigo. 

After seeing her cover Swift’s “Wildest Dreams” with Taal by her side online, I had to ask Dunn about her relationship with the record-breaking artist. 

She thought a second before answering: 

“Swifties can be pretty radical, and I’m not–I just really like her music. And as a businesswoman, she’s making moves–it’s really impressive…I had a phase a bit ago where I was [like], I’m a music person, I need to listen to artists that are really unique, good musicians…but as I was coming out of it, I realized, ‘Man, I’m going through a rough patch in my life right now, I think some Taylor Swift is just what I need.'” 

She continues, “Taylor Swift is amazing, you don’t have to be super technical to be good at what you do! I haven’t heard a song of hers I don’t like.” 

Dunn’s admiration for the simple talent in an artist continues with her current musical inspiration, Lizzie McAlpine. McAlpine’s style is similar to Dunn’s; it doesn’t need much mixing or editing–but both of them can “carry a tune”. Dunn’s tone was eager and hopeful when she speculated how far both she and McAlpine could go with “a voice and a guitar”. 

She’s gotten far enough to perform at Boulder’s premier live music club come Oct. 19. When I asked for some hints on what she and Carlos would be performing, she graciously dropped the names “Sammy Rae and The Friends”, and”Laufey” (who was just reviewed by HCCU, check it out here), and mentioned one of Taal’s original songs. 

“I do a Google Doc full of silly little poems, but I haven’t gotten super into writing originals yet”, said Dunn. “Carlos, though, he wrote an original song, he’s amazing…he brings the sound together”. 

Safe to say, Dunn holds the musical expertise of someone twice her age and the versatility of ten musicians combined. Don’t miss her at the Fox Theater come Thursday. 

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