An Interview With The Boston-Based Rock Group, LOS ELK!

Meet the Boston-based rockers Los Elk!

Earlier this year on February 15th, they released an EP called Delirium. The first single off the collection was called “Say.”  It accumulated over 20k streams in it’s first week out!

Learn more about Los Elk in the following All Access interview:

Thanks for your time! What is on tap for the rest of your day?

You’ve actually happened to catch us on a much needed day off! Tomorrow we head for NYC to sit down with some fellow artists and producers in Brooklyn. Sit down, get the juices flowing, see what happens 😉

Now that we are into the 5th month of the year, how would you say that 2019 is treating the band so far? What are some goals that you have for this year? How are those New Years Resolutions going?

What a year it’s been so far. In these short few months we’ve put out a new EP called “Delirium,” played our biggest show to date at a sold out Brooklyn Steel (NYC), and gotten some lovely Spotify playlisting of our new music.

Each year the goal is relatively consistent: make the best music we can, and share it with as many people as possible. We’re off to a good start, and are currently planning some things to drive those resolutions home even more.

Can you recall the moment when you thought you could be in this group together? Was it hard to think of a name that you could agree on? Has anything surprised you about this musical journey so far?

Honestly, every day is has its surprises. The funny thing about being in a band is that it’s a lot like being in a marriage. But you’re married to multiple people at the same time. And also make art with them. And travel everywhere together.

It takes immeasurable patience, love, growth, and understanding to make it work. That alone makes sure you never have a dull day.

While the group started in college, it wasn’t until the project moved to Boston in 2015 that we really felt like things could get real with enough work.

Thankfully, we decided on the name while at Skidmore College, and it’s been rock steady ever since.

How do you think your hometowns have influenced the sound and how you all carry yourselves in this group? If not, what do you think does influence this group?

We are constantly being influenced by all things around us. That sounds very macro, but it’s true. While what we’re currently listening to may be the most obvious influence, how your day is going or what happened with that secret thing you were super invested in also seeps into the writing. If you walk into the studio feeling down about the world, you’re going to pump out some heart wrenching stuff. If you waltz in feeling super jazzed on life, things are going to pop off.

How did your band name first come together? Was it hard to all agree on one name? What other names were you considering?

Before we truly settled on a name, we played a massive gig under the name Helix. We ditched it the next day after learning it was the name of a Canadian metal group. What can ya do.

The original members (Amir [vox/gtr] and Bondi [drums]) met at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY in 2011. We all naturally gravitated towards each other and performed all throughout college. It was during our relocation to Boston in 2015 that the lineup began its long journey into what it is today.

Amir and Gabe [bass] had been playing together for years by the time we landed in Boston, having grown up together in Cambridge. Gabe had also been a lovely supporter of the project from the start, so it was incredibly natural to have him come into the fold when the lineup changed post-college.

Let’s talk about your new EP, “Delirium”. What was it like putting this collection together? Did anything surprise you about the overall process?

Putting this EP together was a wonderful process. While only being three songs, “Delirium” was written with the intention of being a rounded, full product. Each tune has its own vibe and corner of emotion– from upbeat pop verses to melancholy movements. As a band, we feel it’s important to never corner yourself into one style or genre.

What was the inspiration for your single “Say”? Did the huge quick positive reaction to it surprise you guys at all?

We’re still surprised that anyone is ever listening at all.

The inspiration for “Say” was very diverse, as we discussed earlier. However, at its core, “Say” is about the toxic communications that happen all around us. We’re sure that every single person can almost immediately reflect on their own experience with toxic communication. Lies, games, agendas– oftentimes it’s a challenge to even uncover the true core of what someone is really trying to say.

Generally, how do you all go about writing your music? Do you write together or separately?

Our writing happens in many different forms.

One member may come in with a riff and melody already written, or an idea may spontaneously arise from an organic warm up jam. The most important thing to us is that we never put limits on ideas, and that we try EVERYTHING.

Where do you think you are all happiest- in the studio recording new music, on stage performing or elsewhere?

Each various form of artistic expression comes with its own high. There’s nothing like the rush of walking on stage for a show you’re particularly excited for. It’s like a drug. Yet, being in the studio and immortalizing your brain children is a holy experience as well. We’re unbelievably lucky to have the opportunity to do any of it.

Where can fans see you perform next? What do you think makes for an ideal show for this group?

Quite literally, you can catch us on a three day run 4/18 – 4/20. We’ll be going from Northampton MA, to Portsmouth NH, to Boston MA.

An ideal show is wholly based on the crowd. We feed off of their energy, and the more they bring, the more we can deliver. It’s a communal experience. Never one-sided.

Do you find that all of social media and keeping up with your fans has gotten so overwhelming? Or do you rely heavily on others to take care of that for the band? Which platform would you say that you enjoy engaging with the most?

We personally oversee every arm of our project, including social media. It’s a loaded question however, because social media platforms have so much inherent good and evil within them. We love the idea of being able to share what we’re up to or where we are– but where it gets evil is feeling like you have to or risking irrelevance.

That’s why we like to keep things loose and light with our social media. Take a look at our instagram, for example. If you take yourself too seriously, it’ll eat you up. Stay organic and stay true to form, and hopefully the real fans will connect with that.

We are currently living through a very trying and politically charged time right now so I am curious to know how you all think being musicians and in this band still gives you the most joy in life today? Do you find that your music is an escape to all the current events?

Music will forever transcend the mess of the world, but also exist within it. Music fulfills such a spiritual need for us. It’s our obligation, in a way, to replenish that pool from which we so often drink.

What musicians would you love to work with in the future? What artists have really been inspiring this group and your music since day 1?

Our influences are constantly changing, growing, and adapting. It’s a natural part of being an avid music consumer and producer. However, there will always be the groups that are galvanized as top shelf influences. For us, one such group is the Red Hot Chili Peppers. They are just one of those bands that separately found every member and spoke to them in a special way.

What do you hope is the message of your music? What do you hope people continue to take away from your songs?

Whatever they want! That’s what important to us. Our hope is that you connect with our music in a way that is as wonderfully unique and one-of-a-kind as the listener. We can inject an intended energy into the song (upbeat, sad, funky, etc.), but beyond that, the listener will always take it to a new place. Any connection at all is a holy thing.

Is there anything else that you would like to share with our readers about this group?

We love you all. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to do what we do, and we work so hard to share a piece of ourselves with you all, and honor the opportunity to do so. Please find us on the socials so we can connect and be in touch.