American Idol season 11 alum Elise Testone released her first single on ITunes on Thursday.
The song, "I Will Not Bend," offers a taste of her forthcoming album, In This Life, which which she will release independently on her own label, Red Tambo Records. At press time, "I Will Not Bend" has reached the No. 18 spot on the iTunes singer-songwriter chart.
The track is a simple ballad featuring acoustic guitar and a spare cello, as the South Carolina-based musician serenades the listener with the lyrics, "I will stand tall through it all/just so you can see/the strongest parts of me" as she continues "my heart is under attack."
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter in July at a show in Asbury Park, N.J., Testone revealed that the album, recorded mostly in Charleston, will "combine all my walks of life put together."
“It's 12 songs, all original with three co-writes," she says. "I wrote most of the cello and horn parts as well as the songs, and the backup harmonies."
The record also features a duet with Darius Rucker and a guest vocal courtesy of season 11's Erika Van Pelt, she said.
“It covers every genre: Americana, pop, country, soul , blues, funk, jazz and rock, but I feel like it’s cohesive and it flows," she says. "I’m glad that I did it this way."
Twitter: @MicheleAmabile, @Idol_Worship
