There is a measured assurance to Fighting for Freedom, a collaboration between HL and vocalist Elvii that resists excess in favour of emotional clarity. Released on Make Your Era, the record balances controlled production with a vocal performance that feels raw and immediate. We caught up with both artists to talk about restraint, trust, and finding alignment early in the creative process.

There’s a confidence to this record, but it’s not loud or overbearing. When did you both realise it didn’t need to be pushed any further than what we’re hearing now?

HL: I think the record sits perfectly in the sweet spot of not being too much sonically but also not being boring throughout the track. When we completed the final version, I think we both kind of knew it was done; there was no need to go round and round with different versions.

Elvii: Agreed with HL, sometimes a track can end up overworked. Vocally, this was pretty much a one-take for me. I often re-record vocals again and again before even sending them to a producer because I get caught up chasing perfection, but these vocals came from a really raw place, and I didn’t feel the need to push for anything more.

Elvii, the vocal feels very lived-in, like it came from a real moment rather than a writing session. Was this something you’d been carrying around for a while, or did it pour out quite quickly once you sat down to write?

Elvii: The motivation for this song had been building quietly in the background for a while. It wasn’t something I forced, it just existed, waiting for the right moment. When I started working on the track, it all came out quickly and naturally. Everything just clicked into place. The process felt smooth, but it carried all the weight of what had been sitting in my head for a minute.

HL, your production here feels deliberately controlled. How much of that was instinct, and how much was you actively holding things back in the studio?

HL: When producing this track, I was very conscious about overproducing. I think the final version complements both Elvii’s vocals and my production very nicely. I came to this conclusion just through instinct and the overall feeling of the track when listening back.

You connected originally through HL reaching out after hearing Elvii’s vocals online. What was it about that first exchange that made you both think this could actually work?

Elvii: For me, the first thing I noticed was location, HL is located very close to me, which works well for creating content, possible studio sessions etc. Also, HL’s pre-released music was very similar to the vibe and direction I wanted to go with my own, so it was a no-brainer for me.

HL: Location was also something that i noticed first and i thought it would be easier to connect for future projects or content. The covers Elvii was doing on her TikTok were tracks I really like and vibe with, so I thought she would suit singing on a track like that.

There’s a tension running through the track between frustration and release. Did that shape the arrangement as it evolved, or did the emotion come into focus later on?

Elvii: The track is definitely exactly that for me. It’s two versions of myself in a war, the version of me wanting to follow my heart and do what I love and the version of me that feels stuck in my current situation. I feel as though, for me, the emotion came into focus as soon as I received the instrumental from HL.

HL: The first version I sent Elvii was very brief in terms of arrangement, but when she sent the vocals back, I edited the arrangement to suit the vocals and how they portrayed her emotions.

When you were building the record together, were there moments where you had to pause and reassess direction, or did it feel unusually aligned from early on?

Elvii: Overall, the creation of the track ran pretty smoothly. Originally, there were an extra 16 bars on the end of the track, but HL suggested removing them, and I agreed. This was a great choice and kept the track short and snappy to reflect feelings of frustration. Other than that, the track was very aligned early on and stayed pretty much the same throughout the process.

HL: Yeah, I completely agree with Elvii on this one, however, I was just going back and forth with mixing techniques to see what sounded better.

Putting this out on Make Your Era feels quite intentional. What about the label’s approach made it feel like the right place for this release?

Elvii: Working alongside Make Your Era, as a new artist, has been an incredible experience. The team has been so helpful with any questions I have had during the process. Make Your Era’s approach to artist development as the top priority has made me absolutely sure that they were the right label choice for Fighting for Freedom. A massive thank you from me to them.

HL: I had been following MYE for a while and really liked the vibe of the whole label. When we signed the track, they invited me up to London for a content day, where I met the whole team. They were all really genuine and nice and had a vision of developing underground artists.

HL, you’ve mentioned this marking a clearer sense of artistic direction. Does that clarity feel settled now?

HL: This track definitely demonstrates the artistic direction I want to take, but I feel in practice I'm still figuring out how to create this artistic vision on a consistent level.

Elvii, how does this record sit emotionally compared to other work you’ve done?

Elvii: This track sits in a really honest space for me. It’s less about trying to mark a turning point and more about capturing where I was at the time. It feels immediate, like it came straight out of that headspace without overthinking.

You’re stranded on a desert island with one turntable, a generator and one record. What’s it going to be?

Elvii: Atmosphere – Hybrid Minds.

HL: All Goes Wrong – Chase & Status, Tom Grennan.

Thank you to both HL and Elvii for taking the time to chat!

Fighting for Freedom captures HL and Elvii meeting in a shared space of restraint and emotional clarity, allowing the track to breathe rather than compete for attention. Out now via Make Your Era, the track reflects a shared focus on restraint and emotional clarity, letting the song do the work without forcing the moment.