Edmonton, AB singer-songwriter Ellie Heath returns with “Too Old (For This Shit),” a witty, uplifting indie pop anthem that leans into the absurdity of aging without ever feeling like a grown-up. Playful yet pointed, the track captures the familiar feeling of being a kid in adult clothes; paying bills, following rules, and quietly wondering when adulthood is supposed to click into place.

“At its core, the song is about aging with humour,” Heath explains. “Feeling like a kid wearing adult clothes, navigating expectations, responsibilities, and the slow realization that nobody ever really tells you when you’ve ‘arrived.'”

Co-written and produced alongside Hawksley Workman and Tristan Konkle of Tapes In Motion, “Too Old (For This Shit)” balances joyful, child-like production with a dry, deadpan vocal delivery that gently pokes fun at the seriousness we’re told to adopt with age. Whistles, chorus layers, and playful textures bring a children’s song sensibility, while a tight rhythm section keeps the track grounded and cool.

1. Tell us the story of this song. Why did you choose to visualize this one specifically?

This song was written on the very last day of a writing trip in Ontario, at a moment when everything felt raw and honest. It came from the strange, funny tension of being labeled “too old” when, internally, you still feel young, curious and a bit like a kid figuring things out for the first time. That contradiction is really at the heart of the song.

I chose to visualize this track because it’s fun and full of attitude. It has this bright, slightly defiant energy that felt incredibly visual to me right away. The idea of setting it in a school felt perfect; that na-na-na-boo-boo, Freaks + Geeks kind of misfit energy. I’ve never really felt like I fit in and that feeling has stuck with adulthood. I still feel like someone walking around with a backpack, looking thirteen and forty at the same time. Capturing that tension felt playful, honest and true to the song and ultimately, ME. 

2. What was the inspiration behind this video (visuals, storyline, etc.)?

The inspiration really grew out of that same outcast energy. I kept thinking about characters like Spinelli from Recess, or the world of Freaks and Geeks; these people who exist just outside the social order, who are aware of the rules but don’t quite buy into them.

I loved the idea of placing a forty-year-old inside a junior high as a total fish-out-of-water moment. It’s funny, but it’s also a way of revisiting your own childhood with a bit of nostalgia and rebellion. There’s something powerful about winking at an institution and saying, I don’t play by the rules you’ve set here.

Musically and visually, the song was also inspired by artists like Sheryl Crow and Alanis Morissette; that alternative pop/rock space that feels confident, expressive and a little bit messy in the best way. Alanis’s Ironic video was a big touchstone, especially the idea of playing multiple versions of yourself, which felt like a natural extension of the song’s themes around identity, age and self-perception.

3. What was the process of making this video?

The process was fast, focused and very DIY. We rented a school for six hours, so everything had to be planned down to the minute. We came in knowing exactly which spaces we wanted, what shots we needed and how we were going to move through the building.

Most of my music videos are made with a very small crew (usually just my photographer, my videographer and me) and this one was no different. It’s a lot of trust, a lot of hustle and a lot of moving quickly. There’s no time to overthink things; you just commit and make it happen.

We showed up prepared, stayed nimble and powered through. It was one of those shoots where you’re just getting shit done and honestly, that energy suits the song perfectly!

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The song was written quickly during a final co-writing session in Peterborough, ON, manifesting as an effortless burst of inspiration on the last day before Heath headed back to Toronto to catch a flight home.

“We weren’t even going to try writing anything, but this idea came flooding in and we laid down the demo track in what felt like an instantaneous, effortless, fun and inspiring writing session,” she recalls. “I was fairly certain I’d listen back on the bus ride to Toronto and think it sucked, but I was pleasantly surprised to find a banger visit my ears when I tuned in!”

Rather than mourning youth, “Too Old (For This Shit)” honours the clarity that comes with time. “Aging isn’t a death sentence,” Heath notes. “It deepens the fun moments and makes them richer. It’s more of a choice as you get older to keep your childlike wonder and enthusiasm for things.”