Elaine started her career as a session singer and commercial producer spending 4 years working for a recording studio in Cardiff that specialised in Television and Radio commercials, as well as Radio Station indents. During this time Elaine put together a small band called Talon and released a single on the Sain Record label called 'Hances Felin'. It became one of the most played songs on both BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Cymru.
Over the next 10 years Elaine and husband Derek formed Rose Among Thorns, but she also worked as a solo artiste as well. This included festivals, theatres and touring the U.K. and Europe, together with Television and Radio shows, performing original songs written mostly by Derek and herself.
Rose Among Thorns Artwork
Some of the people Elaine has worked and toured with include Ralph McTell, Ashley Hutchings, The Albion Band, Fairport Convention, Celine Dion, Alan Stivell and Dan Ar Braz Heritage Des Celtes from Brittany. She also performed in the Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo 1996. Most of this work took Elaine into the Celtic and Folk world, but her style of writing and vocals crossed over into Country Music, so for a while she worked on the country scene. As a result Elaine was responsible for creating the backing vocals on a number of British Country albums. For several years, it has been suggested that Elaine release a solo album. So in the summer of 2000 she seriously looked at the possibilities of producing such an album.