New Jersey art pop heroes ELK CITY present whimsical single 'Tried to Move On’, bouncing into new 'Undertow' album

A breezy slice of pastel pop that asks heavy questions

FOR FANS OF: Camera Obscura, The Clientele, The Cardigans, The Smiths, Fleetwood Mac, 10,000 Maniacs, Belle and Sebastian, Dusty Springfield
FCC clean

'Tried To Move On'  https://youtu.be/UwMbMITz-8E
Order the single  https://bit.ly/3OWgqYz
Spotify  https://open.spotify.com/track/4vM1ZajGlbiHvqHLtH0ql4
Bandcamp  https://elkcity.bandcamp.com/track/tried-to-move-on
'Strong (You're Not Alone)'  https://youtu.be/G6Um2_CQWNE
Order 'Strong (You're Not Alone)'  https://bit.ly/3NX8ANW
Spotify  https://open.spotify.com/track/1lM1WsG0M7ATwMLulqEzZD
'Undertow' LP pre-order  https://elkcity.bandcamp.com/album/undertow
LinkTree  https://linktr.ee/elkcity

"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

"Formidable... animated, brazen and effervescent. LoBue’s commanding vocals are the icing on the cake... highly infectious" ~ The Spill Magazine


New Jersey art-rock collective Elk City present 'Tried To Move On', the second taste of 'Undertow', the band's seventh album to date. This follows the voluminous consciousness-building lead track 'Strong (You're Not Alone)', a swirling neo-psychedelic folk song baked in cult obsessiveness.

Founded by Renée LoBue and Ray Ketchem, Elk City is brilliantly rounded out by Luna’s Sean Eden, Richard Baluyut (Versus) and Chris Robertson (Psychedelic Furs side project Feed, Punch Havana).

Ketchem, a renowned producer (Guided By Voices, Luna, Gramercy Arms) recorded, mixed and mastered the 'Undertow' album, which will be released via Montclair, NJ-based Magic Door Record Label, co-founded several years ago by Guided by Voices' Kevin March, Ketchem and artist Renée LoBue.

“'Tried to Move On' finds the band following our pop tendencies. The song is perfect for the end of summer, while the weather is still inviting outside. Close and intimate during the verses and chorus, the song opens up in the middle with a triumphant instrumental section," explains Ray Ketchem.  

"In the production, I used small, close sounds to create the rhythm track. I recorded the sound of various metal objects, such as music and microphone stands, and then manipulated the audio. The songs feature one of my favorite lyrics, “the hours turn into weeks, turn into years”.

Renée LoBue adds, "A boomerang of a breezy pop song that slides into your DMs to say, "Hi, you're living in denial." Wearing pastels and beaming. Bursting with... Joy? Anger? It’s “All Gucci” as the kids say, until the chorus barrels through, morphing into a different song that's not on the guest list. You're left in a whirlpool of self-created confusion. But I do like whirlpools because they remind me of jacuzzis and any correlation between our band and jacuzzis satisfies me to pieces. People put up with hunks of BS because fooling themselves is easier than walking an unknown path. Walk your unknown path. But keep your jacuzzi."

Like their sixth album 'Above the Water', this record is inspired by the band’s love of documentaries like 'The Source Family' and 'Wild, Wild Country' - films that explore the allure of cults and extreme alternative lifestyles.

From the opening title track, 'Undertow' sucks you into a different kind of record with peculiar pop constructs built of rare materials, found only in the wilds behind Magic Door Recording Studio in Montclair, which legendary studio designer George Augspurger helped transform into a freeform studio where vintage microphones, modern studio gear, and bespoke sound tuning elevate and inspire.

This is where Elk City has meticulously built this record and this band a whole other way. Even after seven albums, Elk City are still deliberately hard to define, still seekers, unafraid to shed this life and lead the listener on a journey to new sounds and feelings... Welcome to Elk City.
 
As of August 30, 'Tried To Move On' will be available across fine digital outlets, including Apple Music, Spotify and Bandcamp, where the full 'Undertow' album (out September 22) is already available for pre-order.

CREDITS
Written and performed by Elk City
Renee LoBue - vocals
Sean Eden - guitars
Chris Robertson - guitars, backing vocals
Richard Baluyut - bass, synths, backing vocals
Ray Ketchem - drums, synths, sounds
Claudia Chopek - violin
Recorded, mixed and masted by Ray Ketchem
Produced by Ray Ketchem
Created at Magic Door Recording, Montclair, NJ
© 2023 sound is crazy music (BMI)
Single cover artwork by Renee LoBue
'Strong' video directed, filmed and edited by Ray Ketchem
featuring Renee LoBue, Chris Robertson and Richard Baluyut
'Strong' video filmed at Eagle Rock Reservation & Kip's Castle Park, Essex County NJ


Keep up with Elk City
Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | Apple Music | Tidal | Qobuz | Spotify