With these last few months of Covid-19, self-isolating, social distancing, travel restrictions and closed borders, 2020 really feels like a nightmare that never wants to end. Yet through all of the trials and tribulations of having our lives turned upside down, you cannot ignore that 2020 continues to be a great year for new Canadian music. We have been spoiled for choice with fresh offerings from many of our favorite artists here at Team GDW, but the news we’ve been waiting to hear all year was finally made official late last week. Yes, Elliott BROOD, our favorite Southern Ontario alt-country (death-country, even) trio are set to release their seventh full-length studio album, “Keeper,” on September 18, 2020.
With the exception of an exclusive digital-format live album that Elliott BROOD made available on Bandcamp this past spring, “Keeper” shall showcase some highly anticipated new material; their first since the “Ghost Gardens” release from September 2017. “Keeper’s stories are those of forgiveness, loyalty and longevity; revealing both the beauty and struggle that comes with life-long relationships,” the band share. “A Keeper is something that’s worth holding onto despite everything else. It might just be the thing that saves you.” To coincide with this announcement, Elliott BROOD have released “Stay Out” as the first single from the album. “Stay Out is a mandolin driven foot-stomper ready to be blasted at obscene volumes from your summer speakers,” they add.
With “Keeper,” Elliott BROOD deals with the past in more personal terms. The title, which speaks to loyalty and longevity, sets the tone for an album that explores the strength of conviction, and how that strength is tested, again and again, over time. Thoughts of worthiness and dedication, and their emotional flip sides, inform a collection that sees the band exploring those battlefields much closer to home. Recorded over the course of the last few years at their Hamilton studio, the trio acknowledge that the new album was brought to life with the help of some incredible friends and people, including multi-instrumentalist Aaron Goldstein (pedal steel) and Michael Johnson (horns). “We recorded a few of the songs at Darryl Neudorf’s (Neko Case/Blue Rodeo) studio just north of Orangeville,” the trio share. “[We] had some incredible production help on ‘Stay Out’ from Ryan Hadlock (The Strumbellas), and from Sylvia Massey (Johnny Cash) on ‘Bird Dog’ and ‘Full Of Wires’.”
From the Polaris Music Prize short-listed breakout album “Mountain Meadows” to the JUNO Award winning “Days Into Years,” the well-traveled trio of Mark Sasso, Casey Laforet, and Stephen Pitkin have created a body of work that is at once meticulous and boisterous, substantial and entertaining. “Keeper” shall be available via Six Shooter Records, the label who were instrumental in the commercial release of Elliott BROOD’s earlier works, and the band are incredibly excited to turn full circle and work with their trusted friends at this label once more. “Keeper [is] packed with evocative tales conjoining myth and mystery with vivid reality,” Stephen shared over the weekend. “Compare our stories with your own as you plot your way from beginning to end.” Mark your calendars folks – this is an album you do not want to miss.
The British guy that crossed the ocean and crash landed in central Pennsylvania (to quote Greg Keelor, “And I wonder what am I doing here?”). As the youngest of four siblings, exposure to music from a very early age nurtured my passion and appreciation for many musical genres. Continuing to discover some amazingly diverse and talented musicians based in Canada, I gravitate to live music experiences and remain devoted to spreading the word about such a vibrant music scene.
