Elliott Fullman can do it all! Actor, interviewer and musician, Fullam made his singing debut at The Mercury Lounge on Feb. 22. If you missed his debut, you missed the launch of a very promising career in the music industry.

Fullam got his start at 9 years old as the host of the YouTube channel “Little Punk People,” interviewing some of the biggest names in the music industry such as Ace Frehley, Ghosts and The Melvins. Since then, he has amassed over 40,000 Instagram followers, 94,000 YouTube subscribers and over 270,000 TikTok followers. 

Alongside his budding social media presence, he has been featured in commercials and television shows and starred in the movie “Terrifier 2.” His most recent accomplishment is the release of his single “A Hopeful Ending” following the success of his last album, “What’s Wrong,” which was released in September 2022. With almost 200,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, he is embarking on a new journey: live performances. 

With a truthfulness that is unmatched by many up-and-coming indie artists, his advantageous debut at The Mercury Lounge will surely be the first of many musical monuments in his career.

Fullam has the perfect voice for intimate venues, like The Mercury Lounge. His natural charm and trepidation add to the allure of his performance. The second he walks on stage, all eyes are drawn to him. 

With a unique strumming style and nostalgic lyrics, his music feels like reuniting with a long-lost friend or returning home on a stormy night. His lyricism allows his fans to gaze into the inner workings of his mind and his thoughts, the songs becoming outlets for feelings that are often difficult to share. He opens up about the personal effects that equality, isolation and self-doubt have had on his life. 

While finding his own sound, he gives a voice to the misplaced, the misfit and the maverick. As a member of Generation Z, his music demonstrates the maturity and resilience of our generation, a sentiment that reflects our desire to be truly seen. As Fullam sings in one verse, “Sometimes I like the rain and then the clouds clear away,” reflecting on his enjoyment of the darker moments until he realizes that there is a possibility for change. His songs are anthemic, self-affirmative musings that he is a person and he is worth being seen, despite how alone he feels in the world. The stylistic simplicity of his songs allows for total transparency between Fullam and his listeners, a fanbase that is treated with as much care and consideration as his music. 

With all this being said, he still has a lot of room to grow vocally. His boyish charm does not mask the immaturity of his voice, regardless of any training he may have received. He has a hard time sustaining notes, inconsistent vocal clarity and a breathiness that can all be chalked up to either nerves or lack of proper training. The beauty of his guitar work was overwhelmed by the lack of proper technique vocally, which was only amplified by his very elongated notes and simple lyrics.

His boyish voice is only exacerbated by the less wordy, more drawn-out and often-repetitive choruses. Although his lyricism is what makes his music accessible, it is also what reveals the flaws in his skills. In his latest single, “A Hopeful Ending,” the chorus is, “Will you be a part of my hopeful ending? I sure hope so,” a 20-second long chorus with two verses that are equally as short. The majority of this song consists of guitar instrumentals, and in drawing out the vocals on very short verse and choruses, the audience can hear the lack of support from his diaphragm. 

With a truthfulness that is unmatched by many up-and-coming indie artists, his advantageous debut at The Mercury Lounge will surely be the first of many musical monuments in his career. I cannot wait to see the growth of this young artist in the future.