Elisia Savoca: from shower to stage.

Singer-songwriter Elisia Savoca, currently living in L.A. but raised in San Diego, has no qualms about being known as the “Shower Singer,” a sobriquet bestowed by her beloved father. Everyone has to start somewhere, and she started when the hot water hit. Asked if the rest of the family ever banged on the door and shouted for quiet, she’s candid: “Yes, all the time. Especially when I was jamming to ‘My Sharona’ or ‘Crazy On You.’” Not everyone complained, however, “‘My Sharona’ was one of Mom’s favorites, and Heart was always being played by my Dad. Ann Wilson’s vocal capabilities are stunning.”

Savoca, who recently gave the world MANIFESTO – VOLUME 1, grew up grooving in “Pacific Beach, La Mesa, Point Loma, and Ocean Beach. Sometimes downtown San Diego. My favorite memories would be surfing with my mom at Tourmaline, bonfires on the beach with the homies, and of course house shows. I love house shows.” Dining-wise, “I loved Mr. Frostie off of Garnet. That was our middle school spot after school. Rigoberto’s for sure. Still one of my fave spots. If you want some good guac, go to the one off of Marine Street beach.”

As far as formative influences, she feels like she’s been “a bit too redundant in my love for Gwen, Amy, Madonna, Tyler, Lady Gaga, etc. But they’re just so dope. Multi-faceted artists who bring you into their world and put on an incredible show. ‘Born This Way’ and ‘Single Ladies’ were super influential as a kid, belting out freedom and femininity at the same time. Empowering for a young kid like me. Currently I am stuck on To Pimp a Butterfly. Kendrick [Lamar] is a legend. The record ‘Institutionalized’ is crazy.”

She can still recall facing the world as part of her first band. “Ahh, Natural Disaster. My first show ever, when I was 14. I just remember wanting to be there, to make them feel the adrenaline I feel.” After that, she had momentum. “My earlier gigs were getting my feet wet. Everything was [about] showing up and just being there. At pubs, bars, but mostly cafes. At that point, I just needed to get it out and get used to it. This led me to my first headline show at Soma with my second band, The Casualist. Soma became one of my favorite spots: young kids in a place they’re allowed to get a bit wild. My favorite show to date was at Hotel Cafe though, a classic venue in L.A. We brought my homies up from San Diego, which turned into a one-of-a-kind jam session. We hit capacity from walk-ins off the street. Was a great night.”

She makes an effort to vary her approach tune by tune. “‘Falling’ is more of a fun, melodic sing-along record that shows how much I love pop structure. ‘Youth’ is more emotional, about finding myself as a teen in San Diego, little bit moodier, grittier. They’re kind of a contrast to each other, much like me. As an artist, I can feel many different things, and I want to try and convey my truth as much as possible.”

Asked about her post-virus schemes, she’s already got a list. “Definitely starting to think about shows in San Diego. Nothing like playing in your hometown. It’ll be fun and interesting to see what we can come up with, cautiously, but still bring that live juice we’re all in need of.” One of the last local gigs she played pre-Covid was at Lestat’s in Normal Heights, which recently announced it would no longer be hosting live music. But a dwindling number of local venues will not deter her plans. “I have a song dropping every month, so I’ll be itching for the stage, to try them all live for the first time.”