southern records

Elfin Saddle have recently joined the Constellation family. Ringing For The Begin Again is the band's second record. With their mystical, calm and fresh music, Elfin Saddle have shown us the magic they are capable of. Jordan McKenzie and Emi Honda use accordion and junkyard percussion as a foundation to build an organic brew of hybrid folk, using acoustic guitar, ukulele, banjo, xylophone and bells to create atmospheric soundscapes, to which they add vocals in both English and Japanese. The addition of Nathan Gage (Shapes And Sizes) on double bass and tuba creates a new anchor for these magical tunes.

Jordan picked five questions out of our grab-bag of fifteen to answer.

Where were you when you wrote the songs for your most recent album,and who or what was your muse?

Ringing For The Begin Again was written over the course of about 18 months in Montreal where we settled after having moved from western Canada a few years back. By this time the city was really taking hold of us; its intensity, its bleakness and its pace of life. Being from rural areas (southern Japan and the west coast of Canada), we yearned for more natural surroundings, but were confronted with the problematic realities of the modern city and its correlation to the rest of the world. Making this record was our way of resolving and sharing some of that frustration.

Why do you think Constellation was the best label to release your new material?

Constellation has always placed artistic value decidedly ahead of commercial value, which fits with our outlook as a band. We relate to their hand-made aesthetic / ethic, similar to homemade packaging we have made in the past. We both have the desire to affect our community in a tangible, meaningful way.

Where did the artwork for your new release come from, and why did you choose it?

All of the art for the album was put together at home by Emi and myself. We built a miniature landscape on a shelf out of old junk that we collected and plants rescued from the garbage. It's a similar formula to the sculptural / installation work that we focus on when we're not busy with music.

Do you have any routines or rituals (that you can talk about) before recording or playing a gig?

Bananas. One each. They say it calms the nerves.

Draw a quick drawing of what your music sounds like. Then scan it and send it back as your answer!

Ringing For The Begin Again is available from the Southern web shop.

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