“...(the) Lounge Rock part of their genre title referring to the laid back Soft Rock with its subtle Bluesy overtones and the Progressive prefix giving rise to the more playful, experimental moments in the overall soundscape that come from either spatial sounds or moments that get closer - but never fully commit - to a Hard Rock bite.” - Mark Allard-Will
— North Sask Music Zine
Biography
Anticipation marked the beginning of 2022 for Elephant Seal as work began on their sophomore album. Weaving moments of art rock, elements of classic rock, and a textured smoothness with the grit and sorrow of the blues, they further explored a sound that endears the band to fans of progressive rock, dark wave, and dream pop. Spring brought the awarding of a Creative Sask recording grant and the band headed back into the studio. Shortly after recording the first two tracks, the life of band member Joshua Peters was suddenly taken. In honour of Joshua, the recorded tracks, "Redshift Horizon" and "New Felt/Maelstrom", were released in Autumn of 2022. The two tracks were produced by Matt Stinn (Dump Babes, Friends of Foes, Saul the singer) and mastered by Trevor Case (Missy Elliot, Kelly Clarkson, Alessia Cara).
Elephant Seal previously worked with Stinn and Case on their single "Fear to Fly", released Spring of 2021. The single debuted at #3 at Valley FM Radio 89.5 in Australia and also had airplay in Europe and North America. It was released on the vinyl compilation "How Flat Sounds" in December 2021 to raise funds for the SaskMusic Emergency Financial Relief Fund.
The band originated as The Elephant Seal Song Company in 2016, when cousins Seth Peters (Cue the Chase) and Jordan Reimer (Fisticuffs, Dream Country, The Gravity Brothers) commenced collaboration on a new project. They quickly recruited an unrelated friend, Joshua Peters (Unreal, Sonitus, JJ Atrio, Josh & Van). Throughout long nights, the three experimented with every aspect and nuance of creating music, fusing together genres to create a sound of their own. Described as a progressive lounge rock album, the Saskatoon based band released their self-titled debut in late 2019 (mixed/mastered/produced by Matt Stinn). Soon after, pianist Joyce Reimer became the fourth member, providing the ability to bring the muli-layered sounds of the album to live performances, and adding a new dimension to the song writing process.
With heaviness of heart, but a fervent eagerness to record the music that Josh co-wrote, Elephant Seal is heading back into the studio for 2023 to complete their sophomore LP. Through layered sounds and intimate lyrical contemplation, the album will provide a distant response to the character lore introduced in their debut. Tales of a family experiencing loss and searching out truths are further developed against a backdrop of melancholy lyrics and sounds swirling with dark and minor undertones.
Press Photos
