Elephant Island

Bio:

The music on Elephant Island's third album Don't Say You Don't Know What You Want is built on tension; a desperation that's kind of warm and cozy. Over the course of its ten songs, singer Galen Hartley seems to argue every angle of a private madness, retracing his steps over themes of family entanglement, doubt and desire. In accompaniment, the band roams wild across the territory of Elliott Smith, João Gilberto and The Zombies, creating a dynamic indie folk landscape. Elephant Island started as a quiet sound: an accordion's wheeze drifting out a bookstore window atop only finger-style guitar, finely textured drums and haunting vocal harmonies. Beautiful and unusual music. Long songs played at low volumes for seated audiences and documented to great effect on their self-titled debut in 2004. With the understated grandness and manic edges of Monument, released in 2006, the band announced its entrance into the world of shorter songs meant to be played standing up. Don't Say You Don't Know What You Want was generously funded by the Canada Council for the Arts and will be released by Aaargh! Records in January, 2009. Featuring the addition of cello, trumpet, saxophone, upright bass and mellotron, it is the group's most ambitious recording to date, a concise and purposeful account of honesty, illusion and uncertain victories. ..

Member Since:

May 02, 2006

Members:

Jamie Cummins, Galen Hartley, Kelby MacNayr and Marc Jenkins

Influences:

Nick Drake, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Gillian Welch, Mississippi John Hurt, Elliott Smith, João Gilberto, The Zombies, Os Mutantes, The Kinks, Elvis Costello.

Sounds Like:

Elephant Island plays beautiful and unusual music. We write well crafted pop songs that are equal parts tension and warmth.

Record Label:

Aaargh! Records