Hen in the Foxhouse is the lo-fi indie project of Honduran American composer/lyricist, Elena Sophia Krell, PhD.

Born in Germany and growing up all over Europe and Latin America, Elena speaks five languages and considers music her first and primary one. She trained as an opera singer at Oberlin Conservatory and sang professionally for five years. She then earned a PhD in Performance Studies at Northwestern University and went on to teach in Africana Studies, Latin American and Latinx Studies, and Women, Feminist, and Queer Studies at Vassar College for nine years before transitioning to part-time remote work and focusing on music full-time.

Her classical and academic trainings form a rich bedrock for music. She’s written punk songs and string quartets, and everything in between.

Reminiscent of Natalia LaFourcade, The Magnetic Fields, and Philip Glass, Look Up (2024) feels eclectic but cohesive, like "an aquatic ecosystem of disparate plant and animal life that belong together."

Krell collaborates with Ru Lemer (engineer, co-producer), based in the UK, for Hen in the Foxhouse recordings.

Elena lives nomadically between New York (upstate), the UK, and Latin America.

“Unquestionably one of the summer’s brightest gems.” -- Klof Magazine 

"An international treasure right in our backyard!” - Hudson Valley ONE

““Krell’s warm and versatile voice sparkles in both the folk, pop and latin songs. Nice and enjoyable album.” - Keys & Chords

“Thought-provoking lyrics with road savvy influences meld together the unique genre combinations of country, western roots & western swing with a foot in rockabilly” – Time Machine Music.org