Elmiene: Tiny Desk Concert

Elmiene has a natural light. His charisma, humor and self-awareness strikes first, but the knockout blow is that vintage voice. If I didn't know better, I'd assume I'm listening to someone with years of Baptist church training and countless life experiences. Yet he's a 23-year-old Muslim man, quick to say that he writes mostly from the perspectives of those around him. He's a poet, born to perform, which is probably why he wasn't really nervous but more so in awe of performing at the Tiny Desk — especially when he found out the toy glockenspiel he played was left by Dua Lipa.

The emotion the British singer-songwriter pulls from is linked to his fascination with '90s R&B. Crooners like D'Angelo, Anthony Hamilton and Silk all have that knack for crying out for love. Since so much hip-hop is incorporated into today's love songs, Elmiene's adaptation provides a welcome balance. He's yet to drop a full length LP, instead opting for an EP here and a single there, devoting himself to developing and learning who he is as an artist. Draped in a custom kaftan, Elmiene stepped behind the Desk to play highlights from his latest EP, Anyway I Canand a couple from 2023's Marking My Time.

SET LIST

• “Marking My Time”
• “Light Work”
• “Crystal Tears”
• “Anyways”
• “Someday”

MUSICIANS

• Elmiene: lead vocals
• Simeon Jones: a case study
• Jerome Johnson: drums
• Tjoe Man Cheung: guitar
• Max Doohan: bass
• Eric Brooks: vocals
• Megan Parker: vocals
• Rachel Gonzalez: vocals

TINY DESK TEAM

• Producers: Bobby Carter, Ashley Pointer
• Director/Editor: Joshua Bryant
• Audio Technical Director: Josh Newell
• Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame, Maia Stern, Mitra I. Arthur
• Audio Engineer: Hannah Gluvna
• Production Assistant: Elle Mannion
• Photographer: Zayrha Rodriguez
• Tiny Desk Copy Editor: Hazel Jills
• Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
• Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
• VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins