Art pop band Elk City presents their new single ‘Your Time Doesn’t Exist’, from their forthcoming ‘Above the Water’ LP, which opens a new chapter in the Montclair, New Jersey band’s evolutionary story. Vibrant, raw-edged and bold, it showcases a new guitar-rich lineup featuring members of Versus, Luna and the Psychedelic Furs side-project Feed.
Elk City revolves around its founders, artist/ vocalist Renée LoBue and producer/drummer Ray Ketchem. Rounding out the band are guitarists Sean Eden (Luna) and Chris Robertson (Feed, Punch Havana) and bass guitarist Richard Baluyut (Versus).
Since their formation in 1999, Elk City has released 5 albums, 3 EPs and numerous singles. Pursuing a glimmering rock thread, Elk City makes potent atmospheric pop with psychedelic undertones and overtones.
‘Your Time Doesn’t Exist’ lays the entire Elk City story plain: It’s got a rock solid VU groove that reveals the band’s North Jersey roots and lineage with The Feelies, Yo La Tengo (with whom they share a former label, Bar/None) and Luna (with whom they share a guitarist). And it asks the old New Jersey question once more, but this time with elegance and elocution: Have you got a problem with that?
Renée LoBue says, “This is our most jangly jangle pop combined with our love of The Paisley Underground. Right out of the gate, the song serves as a reminder that time is just a construct. It’s a bit of an emotional check-in song”.
Earlier, Elk City released the single ‘That Someone’, which explores the dual nature of self and other, excitement and dismay. Opening with a riff akin to early Sleater-Kinney, it quickly goes Blondie before unleashing a full-fledged tornado that is uniquely Elk City. The shadow-laden video, which was filmed in NYC and Montclair, NJ, was edited by Ray Ketchem.
The ‘Above the Water’ LP will be released via the new Magic Door Record Label, founded by Guided by Voices drummer Kevin March with Ketchem and LoBue. These three neighbors, collaborators and friends launched the label with a simple mission to release music created by the rich community of artists who surround them.
‘Above the Water’ was recorded, mixed and mastered at Ketchem’s Magic Door Recording, opened in 2017 as an acoustically lush refuge for musical expression and experimentation. Ketchem, whose production credits include Guided By Voices, Luna and Gramercy Arms, partnered with legendary studio designer George Augspurger to transform a cavernous warehouse into a freeform studio where vintage microphones, modern studio gear, and bespoke sound tuning elevate and inspire.
As of September 21, ‘Your Time Doesn’t Exist’ will be released through all fine digital outlets, including Apple Music, Tidal, Qobuz and Spotify, where ‘That Someone’ can also be found. Out on October 21, the full ‘Above The Water’ LP is already available for pre-order via Bandcamp,
-Official bio
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