When Elder Island went into the studio to record the follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2021 album, Swimming Static, they were determined to turn everything on its head. The trio are celebrated for their brooding indie-electronica that draws on their Bristol roots, creating vastly detailed and immersive soundscapes. But Hello Baby Okay marks a new era for the band, fuelled by a longing for transcendence and euphoria. An effervescent counterpoint to the current times, their new music is threaded through with a liberated energy, lilting funk-pop guitars, danceable beats and a renewed sense of play. We wanted the joy to shine through, they say.
Elder Islands Katy Sargent (vocals, cello), Luke Thornton (bass, beat-making) and David Havard (guitar, synths, programming) have spent the past decade building a dedicated fanbase on both sides of the Atlantic, with over 400 mi lion streams worldwide. Theyre firm festival favourites whove played at prestigious venues from Londons Roundhouse to New Yorks Bowery Ballroom and who hold the unique ability to straddle both the live and club worlds: in 2022, they pricked the ears of superstar DJs like Solomun, who personally invited them to spin at his Printworks takeover.
While Swimming Static was densely constructed, with instrumentation meticulously layered in the editing suite, its follow-up was a totally different process where we did the complete opposite, says Katy. When they went into the studio in 2023, they went back to their roots with free-flowing jam sessions, rekindling their sense of spontaneity while channeling the warm embrace of the dancefloor. Our sound got pigeonholed into a chillout coffee-shop playlist space, says Luke, but in fact, David continues, DJ culture has been heavily influential on our approach to music.