Elliott BROOD have been in the earballs and heartvalves of TheNeverPress since around 2008 when one of us gifted the other a mix-tape. Upon that mix tape was a song called 'Miss You Now'. You ever have a piece of art come from nowhere and just change how you are? No drip feed of info about the upcoming thing, no word of mouth - just bam! Here it is in your life and that is that. That's how it was with TheNeverPress and Elliott BROOD. It's mega fawny we know, but we just love this band and have followed them ever since that mix-tape, catching as many shows as we can when they have hit these shores. And wouldn't you know it, we have landed an interview with them? Despite being in the middle of a tour, Elliott BROOD took the time to talk to us. What a troupe of very cool dudes. So, that's enough from TheNeverPress - ladies and gentlemen, a conversation with Elliott BROOD.
‘Doing it the hard way for 20 years’ appears on your website. We love it, and it appeals to TheNeverPress’ spirit. Can you tell us more about 'the hard way' – what it means to you, how it represents Elliott BROOD?
Well there are many different levels of touring. From the size of the crew to how you're travelling, there are obviously a lot of different levels to doing this thing. The 'hard way' in our minds is the DIY aspect of literally everything we do and have done for 20 years. We've never had a driver, we've never had a bus and at most we've ever had 2 extra people in the van at any time other than ourselves. We're obviously not a band with mainstream success so we've been on the backroads hitting the small markets for most of our career and we really wouldn't have it any other way. The hard way is having to wake up at 7AM and drive for 8 hours to the next show. The hard way is counting on only each other for everything. The hard way is continuing to follow that long white line as Sturgill says.
Over these 20 years in the industry, you have survived through some of the biggest changes in ever in the business – how have you managed to keep going with the ground constantly shifting beneath your feet?
I'm not sure we've really kept up to be honest. It seems like the most important thing in music these days is a strong social media game, and we're old men. We try to be out there but it's mostly embarrassing to have to do it at all. We came up at the advent of music downloading and our first record was online basically for free forever because you could just save the songs right off our site! We didn't even know it was happening but a lot of people got our music that way so maybe it was a blessing in disguise. I think we've just kept our heads down.
We've had many ups and downs over the 20 years and we just keep on trying to write and perform music that is important to us.
Over the last few years in the UK there have been rising concerns over ‘grass roots’ venues starting to disappear. Have you felt the effects of this at all when you’ve come over here to play?
Unfortunately we've seen that both in Europe/UK and here at home. It's kind of an epidemic to be honest. Running a music venue is just about as difficult as being the small band that plays those stages. COVID obviously changed people's habits around going out to see shows and money is tight for most everyone these days.
How is the live music/touring scene back home in Canada?
Ha! We just got off a long call with our management about this very subject. It's been getting a lot harder. Like in society in general, we are losing the middle class. It's really hard for anyone in the middle. It seems like you either have to be playing stadiums or house concerts to survive. The geography here and distance between stops is obviously a lot greater here so that's always been a challenge. It seems like the pay has stayed the same but everything else is more expensive.
You play live and tour so much – is that now a necessity to reach your audiences and keep it all going, or is it powered by the love of playing live?
Oh absolutely. Our entire career depends on playing live. We're not selling thousands of records in stores so we need to be out there trucking down the road to make a living which is fine for us. We do love it. It's all we really want to do anyways. I think we are best digested live anyways.
Effortlessly doing it the hard way. Image Copyright: Christine McAvoy
How did you even find the time to write and record around all the touring?
We're always working in the background and to be honest the COVID time gave us lots of time to stockpile music. But really there are always ideas being jotted down or recorded and the we find some time to get together and make the records. I think we're also getting better and faster at the whole process.
Mark and Casey, you’ve been playing together since forever and grew up together (Stephen joined the band during the tour of Tin Type in 2004) How has your musical partnership and shared history grown and developed over the years?
I think we're very lucky in the fact that we share a similar aesthetic and taste in the music we like and make. We generally write separately in the beginning and then come together to further develop the songs. We never clash too much over musical decisions and we always feel like the song comes first. No Elliott BROOD song exists without the three of us getting our hands on some aspect whether it be arrangement, production ideas etc.
Are there any artists or bands in particular that made you want to get out there and make music? Did you see anyone live, or hear someone on record that made you feel that music was the path you had to follow?
For Mark and myself the band basically started by us introducing each other to two artists. Mark introduced me to Grant Lee Buffalo and I gave him Richard Buckner. Both incredible storytellers and songwriters. I would say we based our idea of Elliott BROOD on artists like those two.
Where is the muse, and how does she come to you?
Sort of impossible to answer properly I think. Lately I've been obsessed with just telling stories about the realities of traveling and touring for a living. I think you always have to be working. Maybe writing down some line you heard in a bar from someone even.
I think the job is trying to observe and absorb the world around you and then reflect it in some way. That's a songwriter or storyteller's job.
How do you keep the energy up for each show after being in each other’s company for weeks at a time?
Barely is how! It doesn't get easier as we get older but we're not sick of each other yet. Eating better and drinking less has helped. I think shitty food and too much booze is the main reason bands die.
11 albums of music to choose to play each night – how do you create your setlist? Do you have any songs that play better in certain venues or territories? Or is it pre-planned?
There are songs that we will generally play every night and then we fill it out with the songs we haven't played in a while or even better new material. We do everything from house concerts to rock clubs to big venues so luckily our catalogue includes songs that suit a whole bunch of different environments
Some choice selects for earballs
Speaking of your setlist, you have covered a variety of songs live, as well as on record - from Levon Helm/The Band, Jenny Lewis to Ray Parker Jr more recently - what draws you to certain songs when it comes to covering them?
I would say we consider all of the songs that we cover to be great songs. They definitely mean something to us. Some we say faithful to and others we try to put our stamp on. I love doing songs that really people wouldn't expect like Ghostbusters or the "Cheers" theme song. Working on covers can inject a lot of energy and fun into songwriting as well. We're gonna do a couple Monkees songs soon.
Image copyright: Christine McAvoy
When it comes to writing, do you have a process that’s locked and works – for instance, lyrics by one member, music by the others? Or do you create equally and organically?
I think it's more on the equally and organically side. My process has changed a little over the years as I've learned how to use the technology a little more. Lyrics are always the most important thing whether they come to you first or not. I don't think we have any set way of creating
What is on your mind in the run-up to stepping on the stage?
It's always a mix of excitement and fear I think. These days I'm just trying to remember to enjoy doing it after 20 years. Every night seems to feel like the first time somehow.
How does the workload of organising and booking a tour, plus the travelling and set-up get divvied up between you all?
We have an agent who handles all of that stuff but other than that we're on our own. I do most of the driving (head of transportation) and Mark handles merch and hotel logistics. The rest gets filled in by one of the three of us as needed.
Looking back would you have done things differently, or has it all worked out the way it has by design?
That's hard to say. I'm sure we've made a lot of bad decisions but I don't have any regrets. We've been very lucky to be able to do this for 20 years even if it has been the hard way.
Image copyright: Christine McAvoy
What advice would you give to people just starting out on their professional musical journey?
Well unless you're a super talented musician who will be hired to play all the time I would say write your own music and own that music. I would say be ready to fall and get back up a lot. Go easy on the booze and try not to eat shitty things. And remember nobody owes you anything
What’s next for Elliott BROOD?
WRITE RECORD TOUR REPEAT. Hopefully a bunch more years of getting to travel and play music anywhere people will have us.
And there we have it, wise words from your men out there, over the ways. Thanks to Casey, Mark and Stephen for taking the time to answer our questions, and share some cracking insight from the road.
On a personal note from TheNeverPress, when we messaged the band with an interview request, we put our odds in a range that would make Han Solo think twice - we figured that they're a cool band and super busy out there on the road and we're a little publication from South East London. But you know what? They obviously did respond. They took the time, dug into it all and gave back. Legends.
So the moral of the story is this: "Cool people are cool, so back yourself, give it a shot and ask... because you are cool too."