ELLIOT OK: Elliott Ok is a songwriter/multi-instrumentalist who blends heartfelt lyricism with surreal musicality, spinning tales of technicolor trailer parks, Korean corner markets, eggplant farms, and the beautiful people who occupy them.
After releasing his debut album “Eely” (a nickname amongst bandmates), Elliott moved from his hometown of Santa Cruz, CA, to Portland Oregon, where he and his band continue to write, record, and perform his imaginative songs. Due in October 2024, his second album, “Going Away Party”, celebrates the sorrow of leaving, the joy of arriving, and whatever happens in between. An ode to wanderlust for the homebody, and hibernation for the vagabond.
JOE KAPLOW: Posh, Poodle, Krystal and Toe is the third full length album from Santa Cruz based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Joe Kaplow. Appropriately named after his bandmates’ nicknames, this record is a more cohesive ‘band’ statement than his previous self-recorded work. Most tracks were cut over a five day span, performed live at the OK Theater in Enterprise, OR with engineer Bart Budwig. They were learned and workshopped on the spot, thus capturing very honest, energetic, and ‘fly by the seat of your pants’ moments. The record was mixed underground at Vin Christopher’s studio, Heavy Meadow in Portland, Oregon.
Posh, Poodle, Krystal and Toe takes Kaplow’s singularly unique, honest and raw songwriting style and propels it forward with spontaneous collaboration, undeniable rhythm, and sound imagery. The record will be released on 5.17.24 on Fluff and Gravy Records.
“This is a special record to me. Unlike the past few, this one sounds like a more cohesive ‘band’ statement. Most of it was cut together live, in a room over five days. Rob, Elliott, and I had been playing for a long time with Mikey and then Hawes on drums, and while the music always felt great, the ‘band’ feeling hadn’t made its way into the recording studio. ‘Time Spent In Between’ and ‘Sending Money and Stems’ were very pieced together albums; me playing most of the instruments, collaborating with many different drummers but working one song at a time, etc. However, when Jeff moved back from Nashville and joined the band, it felt more cohesive. Maybe we gelled because Jeff came from the same musical world. In our little family Jeff championed nicknames, Elliott invented musical travel games, and Rob and I rolled our eyes at their enthusiasm for Arby’s. We travelled around sharing our art and feeling free. When we went to Enterprise, OR to record the first session, most of the songs were learned on the spot. We strove for the zenith moments when we knew the song well enough to not make errors but still had to fly by the seats of our pants to keep it from coming unglued. Everything has an arc like this. After all, when you know something well enough you can take the present for granted. After those sessions we toured our new songs for a year (it usually goes the other way around) and decided some of the songs were misunderstood the first time so we recorded them again, live and together. I am thankful and proud of that process and proud of them. The music captured on this record occurred in very special moments between four people who had a special bond, musically and beyond. We hope you enjoy it.”