Elke Robitaille (“Elk-ee Ro-bit-tie”) is a new kind of troubadour. Described by Brian Tucker of Bootleg Magazine as “churn[ing] up folk music with the fire of a woman taking control of things,” Robitaille evokes the dustbowl stylings of Patty Griffin or Gillian Welch in equal measure to the Lilith Fair poetry of Sarah McLachlan. The young artist took a break from promoting her new album Flowers in the City to talk about Portland’s music scene, the hottest qualities in a lady, and her time working the cruise ship circuit.

Just Out: Flowers in the City — which, incidentally, is brilliant — is your third album. What’s different about this release than previous ones?

Elke Robitaille: Thank you. It is my third album and I believe it very accurately portrays the person that I am today. My first album was released when I was 18, and my second when I was 20. So I have experienced a lot of personal and artistic growth since then. Musically it is more mature and lyrically I have more to talk about. I took my time with this recording, and gathered a fantastic group of musicians to work with. It was all recorded here in Portland at The Toadhouse. I’m very please with the finished product. I hope that people will enjoy the music and stories that I have to share.

JO: Where do these songs come from?

ER: I gather inspiration from all aspects of my life. Flowers in the City is a collection of songs that I wrote while living in LA, touring across the US and Canada, and moving to Portland. So for this particular album, traveling, meeting new people and seeing so many new places was a huge inspiration that I drew from.

JO: Many Portland musicians have stopped trying to get signed to major labels and started focusing on making a new model for success as a musician. What do you think about this? What things work and what don’t, in your view?

ER: I think this reaches far beyond just Portland musicians. Artists everywhere are following more ‘DIY’ career paths. Online social networks like Myspace, Facebook, Reverbnation, and YouTube make it so much easier for independent musicians to get their music out to a broad audience and gain exposure. And with online sale outlets like iTunes and CD Baby, a lot of musicians are able to support their careers financially as well. I think this is fantastic. If you know how to network and market yourself, you can really use these tools to your advantage. It’s a chance to have your career in your own hands and cut out the middle-man. Of course, it’s always nice to have a team to help you build your career, but I feel it’s easier nowadays to choose the team that you would like to have work with you.

Read more, after the jump…

JO: What is hard about being a musician in Portland?

ER:  I think that Portland has a very artist-friendly music scene. I lived in Los Angeles for 4 years where the music scene is much more dog-eat-dog. So in comparison, being a musician in Portland is much easier. It was particularly hard being a singer-songwriter in LA. Not many acoustic-friendly, supportive venues to chose from. Portland has some fantastic venues, great promoters, and lots of musician resources for networking. I guess the hardest part, like anywhere, is continually building your fan base and making a living just playing music completely on it’s own.

JO: What other Portland bands do you enjoy?

ER: I have a lot of Portland favorites. Portland Cello Project, Tap Water, Keegan Smith & The Fam, Kate Mann, Carley Baer, Voltronic, and many others. Going to live shows and discovering new artists is one of my favorite things to do!

JO: What do you think are the hottest qualities in a lady?

ER: Women have so many beautiful attributes. Nothing is hotter than a woman that exudes self-confidence and self-expression.

JO:  You once held down a 4-month stint as a featured performer on the Diamond Princess cruise ship. Tell us about that!

ER: It was a great experience. I was basically a lounge singer doing jazz standards… but I was getting paid to travel and play music, which is what I love, so it was a pretty sweet deal. I had so much fun and met a lot of cool people from all around the world.

Elke is running an “Online Holiday CD Special” for the month of December. If you visit her website you can order a copy of Flowers in the City for only $5 plus $2 shipping — a big savings from the normal online price. Gift wrap is free!

For more song clips and Portland performance dates – check out www.myspace.com/elkemusic and www.elkemusic.com.