Elles Bailey: “Ballad of a Broken Dream” — When a Song Feels Too Personal to Record

In this episode of The Hardest Part, host Kieron Banerji sits down with Elles Bailey to unpack the long, personal, and painful process behind “Ballad of a Broken Dream,” a track that sat in her voice notes for over five years before she could face recording it.

Originally written after an emotional phone call, the song felt too raw, too unresolved, to finish. Elles shares how she rewrote it again and again—changing verses, adjusting melodies, pulling back—trying to make it more manageable. But every version felt wrong.

We also talk about:

• How trauma can freeze the creative process

• When you know a song is too close to touch—but too important to ignore

• Why voice notes can become emotional time capsules

• And the challenge of singing something you’re still going through

The episode closes with a stripped-back performance of “Ballad of a Broken Dream,” recorded live at The Thin White Duke in Soho, London.

Artist: Elles Bailey
Song: “Ballad of a Broken Dream”
Album: Beneath the Neon Glow

Host and Executive Producer: Kieron Banerji

Recording Engineers: Max Walker
Creative Team: Callum Baker (Photography), Giovanni Almonte (Videography)
Recording Studio: The Thin White Duke, London.

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