More often than not, it’s the simple things in life that make us happy. Long walks on the beach, waltzing through the rain on a warm afternoon, a cup of coffee in a quaint loft overseeing the big city. Here you’ll find moments of bliss, ones that leave their imprint for years to come and stay beneath our skin for a lifetime. But as with all things in nature, even the simplest of forms have layers of complexity. And singer-songwriter Ellen Once Again is about capturing that essence, and preserving the moment so it can be relived over and over.

Based in Dallas, Ellen Hinton, better known by her stage name Ellen Once Again, was introduced to music in early childhood. “I grew up in a musical family,” she explains. “We sang at church, at home, in the car – so from a very young age I knew it was something that I wanted to do.” Different from most kids, Ellen preferred tinkering on the piano than playing outside, and soon developed a love for musicians like Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers, and Nina Simone. “I was really introverted growing up. I discovered that writing songs helped me express myself and my feelings.”

Over the years Ellen has established a reputation for her pop-driven melodies, lively vocal performance, and Lily Allen-esque flair. Soulful, bubbly and vintage at heart, she’s released three EPs, and her songs have been featured on hit television shows like Glee, Dance Moms, and Mistresses, along with others such as Manhattan Love Story and Hand of God. In 2015, her song”I’m Feeling Lucky” was used in a Hershey’s Kisses Deluxe commercial, and her song “Chasing Rainbows” was featured in a Friskies TV spot. She’s also been written about and praised in numerous publications, including PopSugar, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, American Songwriter, as well as various tech blogs for her clever transposition of music and technology.

Ellen’s latest single, “Another Chance To Live,” was released in the summer of 2015, and she has plans to enter the studio soon to begin work on new material. “I want people to be encouraged and inspired when they listen to me,” she says. “It’s about spreading love through music.”