Art pop band Elk City presents their new video for ‘Floating Above The Water’, a trippy chill track from their new ‘Above The Water’ album, out now via Magic Door Record Label. Performed live at Union Pool in Brooklyn, this video was recorded and filmed by H. Robert Escurel.
Some bands have that striped-sunlight sound; Elk City has that moon-reflecting-on-the-water sound. It’s always nighttime in Elk City – the same nighttime where Big Star liked to see the people. The same nighttime where, every so often, that ol’ killing moon comes too soon. Elk City’s ‘Above the Water’ LP is that particular stripe of evocative post-everything rock ‘n’ roll, exalted and earthy at once, revelling in the joy of experience. Because that’s exactly how these songs got written in the first place – the band jammed until they existed.
Drummer-producer Ray Ketchem and vocalist-artist Renée LoBue have helmed Elk City since 2000, opening new chapters into their sound across 5 albums and 3 EPs. But with their 2022 LP, Above the Water, they’ve abandoned the script altogether, and that has everything to do with the group’s current lineup, which features guitarists Sean Eden (Luna), Chris Robertson (Psychedelic Furs side project Feed) and bassist Richard Baluyut (Versus).
Renée LoBue says: “The lyrics to “Floating Above the Water” are partially a nod to my favorite cult documentary ‘The Source Family’ – “There are homes we can live in. There are names we were given.” In a broader sense, it’s a call to float or rise above immersive illusions of the material world. Ultimately, it’s about expansion; remaining psyched (pun intended) about the continual journey of seeking that which opens doors to a soul’s unfolding.”
This single following their Suzanne Vega-esque confessional single ‘Apology Song’, upbeat introspective lead track ‘That Someone’ and the laid-back and philosophical ‘Your Time Doesn’t Exist’.
A new chapter in the Montclair, NJ band’s evolution, the new album is vibrant, raw-edged and bold, showcasing a new guitar-rich lineup. Released via the newly-launched Magic Door Record Label, founded by Guided by Voices drummer Kevin March with Ketchem and LoBue with a simple mission to release music created by the rich community of artists who surround them, this album 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).
‘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.
The ‘Above The Water’ LP is out now, available across fine digital outlets, including Apple Music, Tidal, Qobuz and Spotif
LIVE PERFORMANCE CREDITS
Renee LoBue – vocals
Chris Robertson – guitar
Richard Baluyut – bass, vocals
James Baluyut – guitar
Ray Ketchem – drums
Video recorded and filmed by H. Robert Escurel
‘Above The Water’ LP recorded, Mixed & Mastered by Ray Ketchem at Magic Door Recording, Montclair, NJ
Written and performed by Elk City
© 2022 sound is crazy music (BMI)
Album artwork by Ray Ketchem & Renée LoBue
ALBUM TRACK LIST
1. That Someone
2. Someone’s Party
3. Apology Song
4. Your Time Doesn’t Exist
5. A Family
6. Don’t You Wanna Try
7. Floating Above the Water
“Elk City’s cool and elegant sound draws on 1980s “dream pop” and bits of 1960s folk-rock” ~ The New York Times
“This music is sophisticated – vivacious, harmonious and memorable due to many factors, not least of all is the remarkable vocal timbre and convincing delivery of vocalist Renée LoBue, recalling Eddie Brickell at times and Jefferson Airplane’s Grace Slick at others” ~ Music-News.com
“A formidable offering… animated, brazen and effervescent. LoBue’s commanding vocals are the icing on the cake, making for a highly infectious track” ~ The Spill Magazine
“White-hot, catchy and propels the listener ahead in forward motion… with a vocal timbre somewhere in the midst of Chrissie Hynde, Blondie and Patti Smith” ~ The Record Stache
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