*The Following Press Release Was Issued By Shameless Promotion PR*
 Elk City Undertow Magic Door Records 22 September 2023 New Jersey five-piece ELK CITY presents vivacious ‘Undertow’ LP – their rich seventh album is out now via Magic Door Records FOR FANS OF: Camera Obscura, The Clientele, The Cardigans, The Smiths, Fleetwood Mac, 10,000 Maniacs, Belle and Sebastian, Dusty Springfield FCC clean “Elk City’s cool and elegant sound draws on 1980s “dream pop” and bits of 1960s folk-rock” ~ The New York Times “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 “Clever lyrics, winning arrangements and superb production, but with a seemingly darker underbelly… one of the best albums of 2023. From start to finish, this is a solid offering – a thoroughly pleasing and inspired aural experience” ~ The Spill Magazine New Jersey art-rock outfit Elk City present their seventh album ‘Undertow.’ Founded by Renée LoBue and Ray Ketchem, Elk City is rounded out by Luna’s Sean Eden, Richard Baluyut (Versus) and Chris Robertson (Psychedelic Furs side project Feed, Punch Havana). 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. Songs often begin with improvised live-jams that become load-bearing beams for layers and layers of instrumentation and harmonies. It’s a process that both asks questions and answers them. What is a pop song? (Whatever we say it is) How many guitars are too many? (none) Should we add strings here? (Yes! No! Strings and what else?) Elk City’s live shows also push boundaries of what a band should be, adding and subtracting, sometimes pulling James Baluyut (Versus) into the vortex, sometimes playing acoustic, never afraid of what ifs and what is rock, really? 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. And as long as they remain curious, they will report back what they have found, with albums like ‘Undertow,’ packed with siren songs to lure you in and fill you with a devout ecstasy, body and soul. You came here looking for something. And now you know. Welcome to Elk City. Like their previous 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. Earlier, the band released the singles ‘Tried To Move On’ and ‘Strong (You’re Not Alone).’ “‘Undertow’ is the companion piece to our 2022 album ‘Above the Water.’ Both albums were recorded simultaneously. We actually considered releasing them together as a double album. ‘Undertow’ is the darker of the two. Numerous songs on ‘Undertow’ are long and sprawling and take the listener on unexpected adventures. Of course, there are a few pop songs too. Like all our albums, there are pop songs, but ‘Undertow’ has a musical darkness that is unique to this release, yet lyrically it seems to be about independence and personal strength,” says Ray Ketchem. Renée LoBue adds, “The most interesting thing about these records (to me) is that the water theme was not planned. The water theme revealed itself to us after. Even more ironic: The cover art pieces that were chosen for both records have water themes. I created both pieces of art before the records were done. At the time, I didn’t realize they were part of a larger water theme expressed in the music. Upon completion, we were able to look at both the art + the music with a way more objective lens. We could see the hidden theme looking back at us. It had been there all along.” Ketchem, a renowned producer (Guided By Voices, Luna, Gramercy Arms) recorded, mixed and mastered the ‘Undertow’ album, which is being 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. The ‘Undertow’ album is available across fine digital outlets, including Apple Music, Spotify and Bandcamp. On December 1, Elk City will perform, along with Ted Leo, in their hometown of Montclair, NJ. TRACK LIST 1. Undertow 2. Strong (You’re Not Alone) 3. Tried To Move On 4. Ride the Surf 5. Keep It 6. Pathaway 7. A Messenger CREDITS Written and performed by Elk City Renée 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 Renée LoBue ‘Strong’ video directed, filmed and edited by Ray Ketchem featuring Renée LoBue, Chris Robertson and Richard Baluyut ‘Strong’ video filmed at Eagle Rock Reservation & Kip’s Castle Park, Essex County NJ Elk City live photos at the Bowery Ballroom by Eric Kayne Keep up with Elk City Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | Apple Music | Tidal | Qobuz | Spotify Magic Door Record Label Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Soundcloud | YouTube |
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