Elijah Woods didn’t get into fame the way some do, through a viral video or overnight success. His rise has been quieter, more stable, and ultimately more organic. Before he was on top of the charts and with millions of streams, Woods was just a kid from Ottawa, building beats in his bedroom. His gateway into the industry was atypical: first producing, then writing for others, and learning the architecture of a good pop song from the inside out.
His first big break came with the duo Elijah Woods x Jamie Fine, thanks to ‘The Launch’, a Canadian music competition series that served as a proving ground for future pop stars. Their debut single “Ain’t Easy” became a hit in 2018, earning them recognition. But when the duo split in 2020, Woods found himself at a crossroads: stay behind the scenes, or step into the spotlight on his own terms. He chose to shine with a new direction, producing, writing, and singing his own melodies.
As a solo artist, Woods has leaned fully into his sensibility, with a more vulnerable music. His songs come with love, heartbreak and healing. Since then, he has gained millions of fans, sold-out tours in Asia and an opening slot for Niall Horan. What separates Woods from many of his peers is his ability to be both the architect and the artist.
Schön! sits down with Woods ahead of the release of his debut album ‘Can We Talk’.
I would like to go back to your beginnings first. How did you get into music and realize it was something you wanted to pursue?
So, I grew up in a very musical family. My dad taught me how to play guitar at a really young age, but I never really got into it. I got into EDM; there was a huge boom between 2013 and 2015. I would DJ at my high school dances. It was wild! It started off really slow — nobody was really into it because hip hop and R&B were huge at the time. I would just throw raves at my high school. We started charging for these dances, and I even sold merch. It got to the point where people were coming from other schools, and it was really, really fun. I guess that was my introduction to music production.
When did you transition from producing to singing and songwriting?
When I got bored with just playing everybody else’s stuff, I started making my own edits, but the songwriting came a lot later. At that time, I was playing basketball semi-professionally. I was on track to get a scholarship in the States, but I was so tired of it. I was pretty good, but I hung it up after six months of going to university. I dropped out and decided to pursue music full-time.
When I dropped out of university, my mom, without me knowing, enrolled me in a music program called ‘The Launch’. She was like, “You have to go to school.” We showed up on the first day, and I was like, “I don’t wanna be here. I don’t wanna do this.” But after three or four months, I realized it was perfect timing for me. I had more time to develop my craft, and I spent a lot of time in the basement making the music I wanted. The professors there were amazing — they really respected and understood that I was motivated to make music. I just wasn’t motivated in a classroom setting.
Is that where you met Jamie Fine and became a duo?
We actually met Jamie before ‘The Launch’, I believe in 2014 or 2015. Jamie has an amazing voice! I knew nothing about singing and was like, “Yo, you should sing on this — some of these EDM songs I’m doing.” We did a couple of placements with a few artists and wrote for a bunch of big DJs back in the day. We ended up getting some placements with some amazing artists — it was really cool! It was an introduction to a world I knew nothing about. We started writing some of our own original music, and that’s when we got approached by a television show. At the time, my manager was like, “You guys have to do it. You gotta do it.” And we were like, “No, we’re so cool, like we’re so underground. We don’t wanna do a TV show. Like, what is music television?”
But this TV show kept hinting that we could do a single deal based on the song that was in the show. It ended up being the greatest launching pad for my career because it showed me another side of the industry I’d never seen — radio success, signing to a major label, learning about label infrastructure, dealing with A&Rs, all that sort of thing. That show basically gave us a hit song written by Ryan Tedder. It was initially supposed to go on Camila Cabello’s big album, but it got cut from her project.
That song had huge success, actually. How did it feel at the time?
This song did all these things for us and opened so many doors. It was awesome! I remember it was charting on iTunes the first day it was out, and I was like, “Oh my god.” In 2016 and 2017, that was a huge deal — it was legit.
I had no idea what to expect. Then we got our first check from Big Machine. I can’t even remember the amount, but I remember thinking, “Oh, amazing. I could go do something nice.” It was life-changing for me. I was a kid from a small town. I remember taking all my friends to the bar, buying them drinks all night, and then realizing most of the money was gone. I was like, “Oh, this isn’t a lot. I need to work harder for this.” But it was a really fun chapter of my life. That relationship was so formative. I learned so much about the industry, about myself, my skills, and my songwriting ability.
How would you say you have evolved from that moment to now?
I think the best way to sum it up is this: initially, when I was making songs, it was like — can I make songs? Can I sing? Can I do all this? I literally didn’t sing a song until 2020. I didn’t grow up in a church, never sang in front of my parents or friends, nothing. During COVID, I thought, “I don’t know how I’m gonna keep the music thing going if I don’t learn a new skill.” So I taught myself to sing. That’s how the journey started—can I be a singer? Can I be a performer? Can I write songs? Can I do all that?
Now it’s more about the why: why do I write songs? What do I get out of it? Why do I feel this need for human connection, for self-expression, for helping people? I’ve moved from the ‘what’ to the ‘why,’ which is an exciting chapter for me.
You have been touring in Asia recently. How was that?
It’s different. It’s wild. Pretty early on in my solo career, I realized I was getting traction there. There are obviously over two billion people in Southeast Asia plus mainland China, so it’s a huge market. In the last couple of years, I’ve had the opportunity to go there twice, plus a few festivals. The best way I can explain it is: it’s a different kind of love. In the US or Europe, there are a lot more artists touring regularly — it’s cheaper and easier logistically. So the fan mentality is like, “Oh, I could go see Sabrina Carpenter tonight, or whoever, because they’re all in LA.” It’s more casual. But when a Western artist goes to Asia, people are dialled in.
How different is touring in Asia compared to touring in Canada or the US?
I’ll never forget my first show during my first tour in Malaysia. I played at 8:30 PM, and people were lined up at 3:00 PM. It was 42°C, 105°F. There’s no alcohol in the venue because it’s a Muslim country. There’s no opener, nothing. People were just sitting on the ground waiting for me. They were calm, happy, and so stoked.
That’s just the culture around music there — you go, enjoy the show, and go home. Compared to North America or Europe, the audience is more present. It’s a different kind of love, and it’s incredible.
You probably hear this question a lot, but do you still get confused with the actor Elijah Wood?
Never. Never! [he laughs] I’ve actually turned it into a strength. There’s even a song literally named after him, “Hey there, Elijah…” I tried to get him in the music video for it, but the timing didn’t work out, which sucks. Early in my career, I asked myself, “Should I go by an alias? Should I go by something else?” because, obviously, there’s a very well-known actor. But he’s not on many socials, not doing much, and all the power to him — he’s got more money than God. I’d probably be on a beach too. I respect that.
So I gladly slide in there and take his clout. I get tagged in Lord of the Rings stuff every day, and I just go, “Yeah, this is me.”
Did he get back to you when you asked him to play in your video clip?
I didn’t even hear back. I got connected with his agent, and then he gave me Elijah’s email and phone number. I was a bit wary about texting someone without a mutual friend, so I sent him an email, followed by a follow-up email. I wrote something like, “Hey, I’m a huge fan. I watched all your movies growing up and was obsessed with your roles. I think you’re a very talented actor and apparently a lovely human.” I explained the project, told him about the video, and mentioned I had a really great director and concept. But I don’t even know if he read it. It’ll happen when it’s meant to happen.
What does success look like to you?
Success has always looked the same to me — it’s about freedom. Freedom of time, freedom financially, freedom to surround yourself with good people. No matter what, I couldn’t be doing anything else. I’ve realized over the last couple of years that as things get bigger, your time becomes less your own. It’s a strange feeling because the trade-off for success is being on planes, going to meetings, travelling to countries you’ve never heard of — it comes at a price. I’m not sure why I wasn’t more conscious of this earlier, but now that things are going well, I’m very protective of my time. There’s a Taylor Swift quote I love: “The only thing valuable that I have is my time.” I think that’s the truth.
Who has been your biggest support system during this journey?
My wife and my family! My wife and I got married just over a year ago, but we’ve been together for almost seven years, which is crazy. She listens to everything—debates with my team, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Same for my brother. Having that grounding support system of people who aren’t directly involved in the business but care about me as a human is really special. I don’t take that for granted. It’s easy to assume everyone has this, but I feel very grateful when I sit and reflect.
What advice would you have for someone starting in the industry?
My favourite answer is the practical one. I could say, “Stick to it, trust your gut”—and that’s great advice—but here’s the reality: own your masters. If you own your masters, you earn your money. If you put out a song and it gets a thousand streams, that’s already money in your pocket. Master the skills, do the work, see if you can produce your own songs, or buy them back from producers to own your masters. I was lucky to have great mentors early on, but ultimately, your masters are your legacy.
What can we expect from you in the near future? What are you working on right now?
I’m laser-focused on my debut album, ‘Can We Talk’. I’ve been working on it for a year and a half. I finished it around May, then went into tour mode all summer. It’s my debut album with 11 songs. I think it’s a lot more mature than my previous work, and I’m excited for people to hear this side of me. Before the album, we dropped a single called “Slicked Back Hair”, which I wrote a couple of years ago. The album balances fun and introspection. At its core, it’s about having difficult conversations — whether it’s telling someone you love them for the first time, or telling a friend, “We can’t hang out anymore.” It’s about the importance of going through difficult periods in life to grow, reflect, and focus on what really matters. It’s been a challenging but exciting project to make. I’ve put so much into it—this has been a labour of love and passion. It’s probably the most personal project I’ve ever made.
‘Can We Talk?’ is out now.
photography. Shamlo Faek
interview. Mehdi Bensalah
