BIOGRAPHY

Born and raised in Saskatoon, SK, first-generation Ethiopian Canadian Elsa Gebremichael has continued to evolve as a multi-hyphenate artist and creative entrepreneur. With a dynamic musical history fronting band of various genres, Elsa has toured throughout Europe and North America, gracing stages at festivals like SXSW, NXNE, CMW, HPX, CMJ, BIME in Spain, The Great Escape in Brighton, and Afropunk Music Festival in NYC, and has opened for renowned artists such as Janelle Monae, Tegan and Sara, and Metric. In her last project, electro pop duo We Were Lovers, she worked with Chris Coady (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Beach House, TV On The Radio, etc) on their self-titled EP, was nominated for Western Canadian Music Award for Pop Recording of the Year, and has synced several songs to TV, Film, and Ads, via The Greater Goods Co.

Now, under the moniker, Wild Black, Elsa has gained acclaim from major outlets like The Fader, Indie88, The Toronto Star, and Analogue Trash, who dubbed her latest single "Madonna and Blood Orange collaborating on a glittering pop bop." CBC highlighted Wild Black’s music on Q and The Block, and CBC Music named her an "emerging artist to watch" and has featured her in "Songs You Need To Hear." Wild Black's single “Moon Star Lover” secured sync placements on TV shows such as “Strays” on CBC Gem, “Querencia” on APTN's Lumi, and “The D Cut” on Crave Canada, and the accompanying visual, which celebrates LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC individuals in a charming summer camp queer love story, premiered on AFROPUNK.com. Some exciting and notable achievements include signing to Toronto indie label Next Door Records, showcasing at Pop Montreal, Toronto Jazz Fest, PrideTO, Saskatoon Pride Festival, and Regina Folk Festival, and being selected as a recipient of the MVP project by RBCxMusic and Prism Prize, supporting the visuals for "Moon Star Lover" and her NDR debut release, "Stay Dreamin’”.

Blending influences of disco, 80s/90s dance, pop, and rock, Wild Black's genre-fluid alternative electro pop sound and dynamic stage show combine electronic elements with live instrumentation to create a dreamy yet upbeat and infectious soundscape that lures audiences straight to the dance floor.

Stay close for Wild Black’s debut LP release out Summer 2025 on Next Door Records!

PRESS QUOTES

“”I Miss The High” is a bittersweet take on glossy 80s pop with a soul undercurrent in the vocals and lyrics. Wistful but allied to a sublime melody, think Madonna and Blood Orange collaborating on a glittering pop bop to get a feel what delight awaits you once you hit play” - ANALOGUE TRASH

“Wild Black hits the sweet spot between dreamy melancholy and forward-looking desire on her dancey new single "Stay Dreamin" which channels the 80s-inflected spirit of Blood Orange and Carly Rae Jepsen" - TORONTO STAR

"Wild Black embodies the qualities of the ultimate cool girl who moves through the world with balance and intention. Stay Dreamin’ tells a story of optimism, self-love and authenticity, and her smooth, self-assured vocals are set to a dance mix that you'll be humming for days. - CBC MUSIC

"Now based in Toronto, it’s been super exciting to see her blossoming as Wild Black, bringing an emotionally poignant songwriting perspective to progressive, new-wave dance beats." - AFROPUNK

"The funk-laden track is smooth, and its guitar-heavy production the perfect backdrop for Wild Black's airy vocals." - THE FADER

"it's fresh and earnest, embodying the fairytale weightless nature of the night sky's landscape.. 'Moon, Star, Lover' is not just a tribute to the misrepresented and mistreated but it's a confidence-soaked reminder of how far you can come with acceptance in your heart." – EARMILK

WILD BLACK PRESS

HEAVEN IS WILD BLACK’S “MOON STAR LOVER” VIDEO

We at AFROPUNK have known and admired the woman behind Wild Black for a hot minute. Elsa Gebremichael was just a musically rambunctious teenager from Saskatoon, Canada when her first band, From Chimpan A to Chimpan Z, played AFROPUNK events in NYC, before the festival even launched. Over the years, we’ve seen her grow in the synth-rock duo, We Were Lovers. Now based in Toronto, it’s been super exciting her blossoming as Wild Black, bringing an emotionally poignant songwriting perspective to progressive, new-wave dance beats.

Head back to summer camp with Wild Black’s “Moon Star Lover”

Toronto-based artist Wild Black is holding onto the long-chilled memories of summer with the camp-themed visuals for the single "Moon Star Lover." The funk-laden track is smooth, and its guitar-heavy production the perfect backdrop for Wild Black's airy vocals.

Wild Black urges you to find your "Moon, Star, Lover" in a unifying summer camp

In a time where the world is left arguing over who is right, defining the new wrong, and generally just shoving its own opinion down the Twitter throat, Canada's Elsa Gebremichael (aka Wild Black) eagerly reminds us of a better, simpler time in the latest video for "Moon, Star, Lover".