Confessions of a Singing Shopaholic: How study abroad inspired my style and songwriting
By: Leigha Francis
“They say clothes make the person, but in London, they also made the musician.”
When I decided to study abroad in London, I had no clue that my fairy godmother would bless me with both styling and songwriting abilities. But, as it turns out, that’s exactly what happened.
Before coming to Middlebury in 2021, I took a gap year to focus on music. I chose my stage name, ELLE, built a brand, and began recording covers to get my voice out there. I’d tell you why I chose the name “ELLE”, but then I’d rob you of listening to this podcast episode). I even started vocal lessons, and I remember my coach telling me, “Leigha, I can’t wait for the day you write your own music. You’re so emotive and passionate—just imagine what could happen when you sing your own songs!” She didn’t know I’d been trying for ages, but songwriting just didn’t come naturally to me. Honestly, it didn't even come unnaturally.
When I got to Middlebury, I poured myself into dancing. If you saw me on stage, I was almost always dancing. Yeah… I sing… But dancing seemed to define me here. And I loved that. I’m in Evolution Dance Crew, I’m a Dance major, it just made sense. However, I got so sad and tired of passing up singing opportunities because I didn’t have my own music or live singing experience, so my junior Fall, I decided to give songwriting another shot (Lesson #1: Don’t give up!). I had space in my credits/schedule to take an Independent Study in the Music department, so I approached Prof. Matthew Taylor and we got to it. We'd meet every week and low and behold... I still couldn't finish a song.
Around that time, I worked on the Midd Kid video, and though I couldn't finish a song of my own, it offered this amazing, exhilarating environment of collaboration. The process repeatedly taught me a major truth: my inspiration thrives when I’m not alone and kept working at it (Lesson #2: “Inspiration does exist, but it must find you working.”). For years, I’d pressured myself to write songs that had to be as groundbreaking as Lauryn Hill or Alicia Keys. It was holding me and my creative flow hostage. Then came the decision to study Media Communications abroad in London at Goldsmiths University. I wanted to dive into this media space that I had treaded on over the years (@soundsofelle on Instagram for proof).
Little did I know I needed to go to another cold, dark place…to find what I’d been searching for all along.
London: A Catalyst for Creativity
Living in Camden—London’s music heart—I found myself mesmerised by the boldness of those around me; from music, to style, to dance, to art. And coming from VT, no tea, no shade to the Patagucci, I felt like a kid in a candy store.
Sofar Sounds was my first stop; it’s an intimate live music experience featuring emerging artists. Sofar’s secret locations and lineups meant I was stepping into the unknown, fully open to being inspired. I'd been to Sofar Sounds in Jamaica before, and they're extremely established in London so I was really looking forward to it.
Picture this — the first time I went, I went alone, and sat on the floor in my knee-high boots because I was late. The artists poured their stories into their music, and I hung onto every word, frantically taking notes. I probably looked rude, but I didn’t care — when the artists are talking to you they are actually talking to *you*; the people in the room, telling us about their journey. It felt like I was learning how to live my dream, so I kept going back to school. I returned to Sofar week after week to soak in that energy and inspiration.
Dressing for Inspiration
I was living with a friend who was working full time and finishing university, so needless to say she didn't have time to frolic around London with me. But my class schedule was wildly open, so I spent hours exploring different parts of the city, people-watching, waiting around an extra minute or two at the artists busking in Hyde Park, and creating Pinterest boards (Lesson #3 - Make Pinterest your best friend) of the unique ways Londoners would style themselves, reimagining pieces I already owned and experimenting with my wardrobe. I was determined to see all that London had to offer – jazz clubs, concerts, events – so I had to go alone (Lesson #4 - Get comfortable doing things alone).
Before London, I actually really liked putting outfits together and (unfortunately for me/my bank account) love shopping (I blame my mother). Though I hadn't truly explored my personal style. But in London, everyone is so fashionable. Firstly, and for everyone going abroad in the Spring, let me tell you, *Europeans don’t wear sweats outside*. I don't even know if they wear them in the house. And athleisure...? In some ways, even worse. If you do, you may as well write “tourist” on your forehead. While I love a good sweat set, not relying on it forced me to get creative. (Lesson #5: Challenge yourself: try going a week without wearing sweats. You’ll be surprised how liberating it feels to dress up, even just for yourself!). That said… IF you do step out in sweats, you better accessorise that, honey; think layers, statement jewellery, a cap, cool bag, or standout sneakers. You gotta sell it (Lesson #6: Accessorise like you mean it!)
Embracing this new city girl lifestyle, each day, I experimented with new outfits. It felt so different walking out and around the city, than walking around on campus. And seeing everyone else “dress up”, empowered my individuality; uniqueness was cool, weirdness was wearing, and even if you missed the mark, there was no one to judge because of this general understanding and appreciation for fashion (Lesson #7: Experiment fearlessly: Does your school or city have a sidewalk? Make it your concrete catwalk, honey!).
Finding My Sound
London also introduced me to extremely talented, intimidatingly cool people in the same or similar industries as me (interested in music, fashion and social media). At a Black creatives event with Prophet Magazine in Hackney, I met an artist I’d just seen perform at Sofar.
Returning to those spaces every (other) week reawakened something in me, and from that first night on, I started writing again. I made the *fourth* new notes app on my phone with a bunch of random lyrics in it that I would think of everyday, and eventually I would find myself on the train connecting them, and then finally I made a new note with the first verse of a song, then the second, then a chorus, and then I made another new note, and another one. By the end of my time abroad, I’d written four songs—including my debut single, “Give Me a Sign.”
The other 3 will, by the time this comes out, either be out or coming out soon in my EP. And funnily enough, they all have at least one lyric from the song I was trying to finish during my Independent study at Midd. It’s crazy how things come full circle.
Fashion became integral to my creative process. Once the songs were written, I immediately started thinking about the music videos that would bring them to life, and I got really invested in the styling and costuming for myself. I was riding this high that songwriting gave me and taking it straight into style, which was so exciting for me, because I’ve wanted my whole life to do this. I drew inspiration from Sofar Sounds, creator events, and artists like Rihanna and Tyla, who use style to command attention (Lesson #8: Locate your role models). This, in turn, lended heavily to my personal branding, engaging colour schemes that complimented my complexion (warm tones: yellow, red, pink, orange) and hairstyles that embraced Black femininity.
I was also blessed to be able to travel around Europe while abroad, and loved leaning into the fashion trends that existed wherever I was; whether that was the "clean girl aesthetic" in Paris, more colourful and maximalist in Madrid, or a more funky “Copenhagen girly". Like I said, I made Pinterest my BEST FRIEND. I would make boards beforehand so that I could plan out my outfits before packing…to fit in my backpack that I was taking on my budget airline flight… and almost always filling a foldable duffle inside with clothes that I would bring back (because shopping in London was...so excuse my language... 'bloody expensive').
Thrifting in London though…now that was my kryptonite. Once I started to understand my personal style more, I did want to expand my wardrobe, and discovered one-of-a-kind pieces at what they call charity shops (thrift stores like Goodwill), and free thrift events like kilo sales (Lesson #9 - As a baddie on a budget, Thrifting is where it’s AT). I would only buy items I could style multiple ways with what I already owned (Lesson #10 - Don’t buy til you can multiply). I forced myself to think outside the box, while in turn, ensuring I didn’t let the pieces come home with me to collect dust.
A Journey of Self-Expression
London flipped a switch in me – I had finally found my sound. I stopped chasing perfection and started listening— with my eyes and my ears, from fashion on the streets of Shoreditch to musicians busking at Charing Cross station. There was inspiration everywhere, and for once it didn't feel like it was pressure, but release.
Now, by no means can my perfectionist ass write a song in 15 minutes, but I actually can write songs now…outside of being in London (...I've written about 5 more songs since then in part to prove to myself that London wasn't this like utopia where my songwriting abilities were kept). I realised that music and fashion are intertwined forms of self-expression. I began crafting a persona that not only reflected my personality but also felt like a natural extension of my music.
So, dress like life’s your runway and sing your pretty little heart out. Creativity has no limits when you embrace what makes you, you.
In case you forgot (because I didn’t) I would have one last wish. And I think it would be to continue to grow, dig deeper and ultimately get better. Since I’ve been back at Midd I’ve been giving it a try, so I’ll leave this one to you… Do you think my 3rd and final wish has come true?