Tuesday, November 23, 2010

A huge thank you, and plans for the future!

Well friends, what a fun tour!

We really enjoyed every show, and we have a big list of thank-you's to send out... Marc Audet & The Woodrunners, Jeremy, Erin & Amber from Nightwood, Johnny & the boys from First In Space, Stevie Parkinson & The Stoney boys, Nat at The Elmdale Tavern, Kevin at The Boathouse, Jason & Chris at The MoHo, David Bash & Pop Overthrow, everyone associated with The Junction Arts Festival, Sara Collaton, and of course all the fans who have come out to support our music!

We love you all!

A very special mention goes out to Pete, Keith, Mike, Jordan and Ian.  The Diableros have been one of our favorite bands for a long time, and made great tour buddies.  Thank you so much guys!

We also have a new show to announce in support of a great band, Imaginary Cities from Winnipeg.

"Imaginary Cities is the musical duo of Marti Sarbit and Rusty Matyas. Marti had moved to Winnipeg from Brandon, MB, and was playing in a Motown cover band called, The Solutions.  Rusty was no stranger to the Canadian music scene himself. His former band The Waking Eyes was signed to Warner Records, and he's currently the multi-instrumentalist in The Weakerthans.  The band began playing live in May 2010, but made its big debut at Toronto’s NXNE music festival opening for Young Galaxy in June. Touring with a full band of musicians who lift the songs to new heights, it's still Sarbit’s voice that's known to shake the room. The band now has a full Canadian tour set up for fall 2010 opening for a number of reknown acts, such Rural Alberta Advantage and Ra Ra Riot. They head to Europe in January 2011."

 We'll be playing a free show in Oshawa at The Thirsty Monk on December 4th, then the studio beckons as we begin the prep for our debut into the world of vinyl with a limited edition 7" single.  We'll be following this up with a new album toward the end of next year, also on vinyl, CD and download.

We're very excited for the next few months, and we hope you are too.

To start off the new year with a bang, we'll be hooking up with two of our favorite bands, The Woodrunners and The Ethers for a three show mini-tour of The Dakota Tavern in T.O., The Montreal House in Peterborough and The Elmdale Tavern in Ottawa on the 27th, 28th and 29th of January.

See you out there!

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Big in Europe! Another review from over the pond...

Another great review has popped up for The Decline from our European friends!  This time, the Belgian website www.rootstime.be has cast their ear over the album...  Here's the best translation we could do from what Google Translate assures me is the original Dutch; 

"Elvyn is a group that was founded in 1998 by the Ontario, Canada born Beerman brothers. (What's in a name?). They formed together with Jason O 'Reilly and Jeremy Knibbs rounding out the band. They were inspired by the 60's and 70's pop sound coming from sunny California. This is their third album  along with an EP and an album "Ten Car Stereo" with which they already amassed some airplay on college radio stations in the U.S. and Canada.
Their biggest influences are Byrds, Beach Boys, Beatles and Big Star. From a later period: Replacements and Teenage Fanclub. The element in their sound that characterizes them is the strong vocal harmonies. Do not expect Midlake, 
but rather The Magic Numbers. Most of the songs were written by Ryan Beerman. Great songs that he can tinker together so that, from the first listen they nestle in your head from the first track. It's hard to choose favorites from this collection of 11 songs. Especially the first part of the disc is perfect pop.
With every listen it'll change, but the favorites right now are these: "I'll Come Back" with sparkling guitar and of course the beautiful harmonies of the brothers. But immediately afterwards there is the uptempo "Do not Leave, Do not Go" that drew inspiration from the best work of Tom Petty. The
more  rootsy work is apparent when you get to "The Big Bay" on an acoustic guitar where the voices and other instruments blitz. Sounds like the Flying Burrito Brothers at their best. The solid "Do not Fall In Love" will undoubtedly from an approving nod from the late Alex Chilton.
They succeed wonderfully in a love song like "Be Mine Today" (with nice harmonica playing), not to sound too silly. A bit like the Travelling Willburys at their best: near the border of kitsch, but with the taste to avoid stepping over it.


Let us say that one half of the plate plays in the Premier League, and a half in the second division. More than enough for these men to cherish and hopefully they will be picked up by the radio. It would only be fair."


Wow, thanks guys!  You can check out this great website (if you're fluent in Dutch!) right here.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Back on the road, and some more Portland love...

As we get back on the road this week, The Decline has made the 2010 honors list over at Dagger 'Zine from Portland, Oregon alongside great records from The Posies, Weezer, Owen Pallett and Nada Surf!

"THE DECLINE-(SELF RELEASED)- This is one of the more enigmatic records I’ve listened to in years. In a good way, that is. Because the band relies on simple song structures and even-simpler lyrics about simple topics (found love, lost love, desired love), I really want to hate it. Yet the record, a straight-ahead power-pop issue reminiscent of the Posies, is likable at its core and endearing at its very best. The secret lies in the halting hooks delivered by Ryan Beerman (who also plays lead guitar, a neat trick employed by few bands this side of the Apples in Stereo). Beerman’s outstanding voice, a low-tenor/high baritone, never wavers, holding its own alongside the band’s at-times attacking guitars and dead-on harmonies. The Decline does, indeed, decline a bit after the first half — making it like an LP dominated by Side One — but the first four songs are nonetheless especially strong. Special honors goes to “Lotta Lies,” with a beautiful guitar riff from REM’s Reckoning-era playbook, and “Don’t Leave, Don’t Go,” which, if there’s any pop justice, would be widely covered by some major-label artist who could make this band a mint - Andy Geigerich"

Wow, thanks guys! 

The Decline Tour continues this week in Ottawa, Montreal, Kingston and Peterborough.  We can't say enough great things about the bands that we have the privilege of playing with over the next few weeks...  The Diableros, of course, with new material being showcased and sounding better than ever.  The mighty Woodrunners from Ottawa, perfect roots rock grit and tunefulness. First In Space, from Ohio are getting some great buzz for their new disc, Geronimo... Alert The Medic, Nightwood, The Fine Print... So amazing.

See ya out there!

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Elvyn @ The Junction Arts Festival



We had a great time in Toronto at The Junction Arts Festival! Great vibe, great people and all-around fun!

Sara Collaton took some beautiful photos of our set, which you can check out at her website along with amazing shots of bands like Blue Rodeo, Gaslight Anthem, Zeus and loads more. Make sure you head over and see her work!

We want to say a huge thanks to all the folks who came out and saw us, to the wonderful organizers like Paul Reynolds, Aggie Luczkiewitcz (and Allan!), Ruth and the sound and stage crew and of course Sara Collaton for her awesome pictures!

Hope to see you again soon Junction!

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Tour time!

Well friends, the time has come! Elvyn are hitting the road throughout Southern Ontario, with stops in Quebec and Ohio in support of our new album!

We'll be playing shows in London, Kitchener, Ottawa, and more along with two great festivals in Toronto. We're also really happy to be meeting up with some great bands along the way, as well playing a good portion of the tour with the fantastic Diableros from Toronto.

So check the tour listings to the right of our page, visit the Facebook fan page for more details and we'll see you all real soon!

Super-cool update!

The special guest at The Junction Arts Festival will be Six Shooter Records artist Justin Rutledge! Make sure you don't miss this great evening of music!

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Tour Updates!

Hi everyone,

Hope you're all enjoying your summer! Elvyn are busy behind the scenes getting ready for a busy Fall of music and excitement! The tour van is getting overhauled, guitars set up and press and posters worked on...

Booking for our Ontario tour is underway. We'll be making a quick visit to Ohio to play a couple of shows with a great band, First In Space, who will also be joining us for a handful of Ontario shows. We'll be on the road with a fantastic Toronto band, The Diableros, as well as meeting up with The Woodrunners in Ottawa and more! Look out for tour dates to be posted in early September.

We're also looking forward very much to working with a great organization, Swim, Drink, Fish, Music. They are involved with great bands and artists such as The Great Lake Swimmers, Broken Social Scene, Gord Downie, The Sadies, Bill Frisell and Pete Seeger!


Here's some information from their website;

"The Swim Drink Fish Music Club is an online music and audio experience developed by Lake Ontario Waterkeeper in collaboration with other Waterkeeper organizations across Canada.

The Swim Drink Fish Music Club brings together artists, activists, and citizens just like you who care about clean water. By celebrating the Club's exclusive and rare music, you are contributing to the fight for swimmable, drinkable, fishable water in your community."

Elvyn will be releasing an exclusive track through the Swim, Drink, Fish, Music Club, so stay tuned for developments! You can visit their website by clicking the banner above.



Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Hazy days...

Hey there music fans,

Wow, it's been a great summer so far for Elvyn and we've had tons of fun! NxNE was a lot of fun, and the record is getting such a warm reception from all over, and we wanted to take a moment to send out a message;

First of all, we want to say thank you to our local supporters. Allan Booke, Aggie Lu, Matt Holtby, Jason Schneider & Exclaim! Magazine, Dan Burke, Dave Spencer, Bobby B., Jer & Kara Dresar, Joao Carvahlo, Chris Lear, Noah Mintz & Laquer Channel, Loren & Indie Pool, Ryan Kemp & The Red Dog. You guys have helped us so much, and continue to do so. But Elvyn have become a bit of an international concern lately, and some folks have to be mentioned from overseas; Angel & Powerpop Action, Pedro Fernandez and our Madrid supporters, Altcountry.nl and our Netherlands friends, Simon & Beat Surrender in the U.K., the Powerpopaholic crew, Bruce & Not Lame Recording Co., Ray & Kool Kat Musik and Absolute Powerpop in the United States and Vesa from Finland.

Thank you all for your support, and thanks a million to the fans who have bought a record and come out to the shows. We have a lot planned for you all in the coming months, with new music to be released really soon! We're readying a 7" single for release in the winter/spring, and we already have 5 tracks demo'ed and ready to take into the studio for Elvyn's next full length record!

As far as live shows go, we're going to be supporting our friends The Diableros at their special hometown show in Oshawa on July 17th at The Thirsty Monk. You can find details here. Then we're really looking forward to September, with The Junction Arts Festival coming up fast.

So stay tuned everyone, and we'll keep you updated as new stuff happens!

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

A high-profile review!

Esteemed Canadian author and music critic Jason Schneider has written a review of The Decline for the country-wide monthly Exclaim! Magazine...

"It's been quite some time — five years, to be precise, since their EP, The Big Bay, and eight since full-length debut Ten Car Stereo — since anyone's heard from Peterborough, ON quartet Elvyn. But on The Decline, they come back with a vengeance, offering 11 tracks that deftly blend Crazy Horse ragged glory with pure power pop craftsmanship..."

Wow! You can read the whole review here, and don't forget, you can pick up the new record at CDBaby, Amazon.com, iTunes and Kool Kat Musik!

Monday, June 14, 2010

NxNE Festival!

Hi everyone,

First of all, a big thanks to all involved in a great show in Peterborough at The Red Dog on Saturday! Tim, Tian, Brett and Nat, Melissa, Ryan Kemp, Werner, Paul Rellinger and Karl Lawson, we had a blast and thanks for your support.

But now NxNE is right around the corner, and we're gonna be making the most of a great festival.


On the 17th we'll be heading down to The Hyatt for an interview with AUX t.v. before we mosey on over to Yonge & Dundas Square to take part in NxNE's Indie Music Market from 2pm - 4pm. We'll have all our merch there, along with a listening station where you can check out the new record.


Then at 8pm, Elvyn take part in what is probably one of the hidden gems of NxNE showcases with VIVIV, The Champion Heartache, Another Blue Door, The Diableros and The Stables for the 94.9 The Rock/NeXT at NxNE showcase at The Comfort Zone (480 Spadina). Elvyn take the stage at 9pm, when AUX t.v.'s roving camera crew are going to be shooting our set!

Then on Saturday, we'll be heading down to hang out at Joao Carvalho's 5th annual NxNE BBQ, and hear sets by Zeus, C'mon, Buck 65, By Divine Right, Hannah Georgas, Danny Michel and loads more!

So if you see us around T.O., come over and say hi and we'll hook you up with download of The Decline!

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Another review!

There's more Elvyn slathering teh interwebs today courtesy of the fantastic British website Beat Surrender.

They've posted up a short review of The Decline and some MP3's, including an exclusive pre-release version of I'll Come Back. So head over and check it out HERE.

Peace!

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Direct from Holland...

Here's a brilliant Google-translated version of Dutch music site Altcountry.nl's review of The Decline in all it's glory. You can visit the site, and practice your Dutch by clicking here.

No idea what "Bear Men" are though...


"A wonderful album this is from an unknown Canadian band that has been there since 1998. Elvyn was founded by brothers Joel and Ryan Beerman The Decline and this (Little Wagon Music) after a demo, EP and CD Car Stereo With the second album of pure powerpop with fine edges americana. Besides the two brothers, drummer and guitarist respectively, consists of Jeremy Knibbs (guitars) and Jason O'Reilly (bass). The Bear Men sing beautifully together, which she in a long line of classic rock bands join. And then of course the kind that knows that a good pop song does not have to take much longer than about three minutes. The Big Bay is reminiscent of Teenage Fanclub. It is not surprising that The Byrds here can be called very clearly that a song like "I'll Come Back. Because the songs of (mostly) Ryan Beerman so well here are no real epigonism. That a comparison could be made with the Dwight Twilley Band is no disgrace, as many do not. The fans of these timeless rock, which recently were already so spoiled by Elliot Randall, know enough. Available at CD Baby."

They awarded us 4 out of 5 stars, which stunningly is one more than the new Sadies album, Darker Circles! Hartelijk dank, guys!

Gettin' some newspaper love...

Hometown party Saturday night... Come on out to The Red Dog, and we'll play you some songs!

Friday, June 4, 2010

New review!

One of Virgin.com's top music blogs, Powerpopaholic has a great review of our new record The Decline up over at their site!


Here's some of what they had to say;

"Starting with the stellar "Those Were The Days" it's got a jangle similar to Teenage Fanclub and those rootsy folk harmonies like The Jayhawks... The consistent quality of the musicianship and songwriting is what puts this band over the top. It's not to be missed."

You can click the Powerpopaholic banner above to visit the site, check out their ratings and read the whole review, as well as loads of others.

Thanks Powerpopaholic!

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

CDBaby Podcast & more!

Hey guys,

CDBaby.com is featuring a song from our new record The Decline on their popular Music Discovery Podcast, along with four other songs hand-picked from their best artists. You check it out by clicking the image below;


They've also chosen The Decline as #4 in their Top Country-Rock Albums list! We're really happy with the reception the record has been receiving. Thanks a lot CDBaby folks!

Onwards and upwards!

Awesome Update: Onwards and upwards indeed. The Decline is now #2 on CDBaby's Top Country-Rock and California-Pop Album lists!!!

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Thursday, May 13, 2010

New show announced!

So, on a rainy day a few months ago we saw Tim Chaisson & Morning Fold from P.E.I. perform a CMW showcase in Toronto.


We were impressed, and made some introductions. These thoroughly nice guys make some fantastic music with that distinct "Maritime" feel, and have been really busy with their tour, appearances on Explore music with Alan Cross, making a music video and all sort of other fun stuff. Their record "Broken Hearted Beats" was produced by Big Sugar's Gordie Johnson, and has co-writes from Johnson and Joel Plaskett!

The result of all this is a great evening of music at The Historic Red Dog in Peterborough, where we'll be opening for Tim and the boys along with Melissa Payne, a local country/folk songwriter.

So free up Saturday, June 12th and head out to The Red Dog! We'll see ya there...

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Full line-up for NxNE announced!

Oh boy, this is going to be great! Here's the full line-up for the 94.9 The Rock/NeXT @ NxNE Showcase... Click the band names for links to hear some songs.

Doors - 8pm
ELVYN - 9pm
The Champion Heartache - 10pm
Another Blue Door - 11pm
The Diableros - 12pm
The Stables - 1am

Wow... That's pretty much the perfect night of music! We're so happy to be part of the showcase, and to play with our good friends in The Champion Heartache, A.B.D. and The Diableros.

It'll be like old times!

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Update...

Things have been motoring along here at Little Wagon H.Q. with emails and phone calls buzzing through the air. We've been enjoying the great press from the music blogging community, and we've been surprised and pleased to see CD's and MP3's winging their way to Spain, the U.K., Holland, Finland and all over the States and Canada.

In fact it seems our new Finnish friend Vesa has got his copy of The Decline in the mail and has posted his review over at One Chord To Another, so head over and take a look.

On the home front, we've been really pleased and flattered to be invited to play three great festivals this year in Toronto. We'll be at The Comfort Zone for NxNE in June, The Junction Arts Festival in September where we're playing the main stage and then The International Pop Overthrow in November at The Rivoli on Queen Street.

It's been a great year so far for Elvyn, and it'll only get better from here! Look out for the full tour schedule for The Decline Fall '10 Tour coming soon, and we'll keep you updated as time goes by.

Monday, April 19, 2010

The first reviews roll in...

Hi everyone,

Well, the first reviews of the new album are in and we're liking the tone! First up we have a great blog out of Florida, U.S.A. called Absolute Powerpop. Here's what they had to say;

"Lotta Lies" takes their sound into indie pop territory, as the double-tracked harmonies recall The Pernice Brothers; "Don't Leave, Don't Go" is a bright, upbeat pop number with a touch of melancholy, and "The Big Bay" has a Posies-like sweep. "Nature of Your Game" is straight-up Americana, in the manner of Joe Pernice's solo masterpiece "Bum Leg", and "I Was There" brings us full circle to Teenage Fanclub's more pensive moments. Wonderfully melodic, there's nothing in "decline" about Elvyn's sound and they've got a definite top 10 of '10 contender on their hands." - Read the rest of the review.

And to follow that here's what the One Chord To Another music blog all the way from Finland(!!!!) thought;

"It’s 3 am here in Finland and I’ve been trying to go to bed for an hour now. But I’m finding it hard to stop listening to Elvyn. It’s a Canadian pop group that I found tonight. They have a new album out and you can listen to it on their website... I was just so excited about them that I had to get this out of my chest and make a quick entry. This is simply fantastic music and I’m already in love with Elvyn." - Read the rest of the review.

High praise indeed! Thanks a lot to our new American and Finnish friends, and we'll keep you updated as news comes in!

Friday, April 16, 2010

Elvyn @ NxNE!

Hey guys,
Big news! We're going to be playing NxNE this year as part of a showcase at The Comfort Zone organized by a couple of great friends of ours, Dan Burke and Matt Holtby (of Champion Heartache fame).

Stay tuned for details on the lineup as we get them...

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

New show dates in May

Hey there kids! We've got a couple of show dates for you in May. We're going to play an afternoon all-ages show with Hamilton folk-rock group The Ophelia Syndrome on May 1st at The Spill Coffee bar in Peterborough at 2:30pm.

Then we're heading out to a band favorite, The Jimmy Jazz in Guelph on May 15th. Doors at 9:30m, and we'll keep you posted with the rest of the lineup.


Things are moving along fast here at Little Wagon Music, with the disc winging it's way to magazines, websites and labels as far afield as California, Madrid, Holland, the U.K., New York and France! We're super happy with the response we've had so far from everyone from fans to publications and beyond, and we'll keep all of you up to date with reviews and features as they happen.

Dates for The Decline Tour in the fall will also be forthcoming, so keep an ear to the ground (and by "ground" we of course mean "teh interwebs!").

Thanks for all the support, and we'll see ya soon!

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Elvyn on the Radio!

You'll be able to get your Elvyn fix over the FM airwaves in the Toronto and Bolton areas, and worldwide by the interwebs by tuning in to a couple of great shows. You can tune in or follow the links below to listen live;

Matt Diamond, between 2pm and 7pm weekdays on 94.9 The Rock

Songs from the Wood with Rick Jones on B105.5 Radio Caledon

Thanks to these great guys, and if you like hearing your boys on the big-time radio send an email and let them know at; rickjones@radiocaledon.com, matt@therock.fm, vanessa@therock.fm

Monday, March 29, 2010

Photos from the release party!

Hey everyone! We had a total blast at The Silver Dollar on Friday night. We can't thank all of you enough for your support, and we hope you enjoy the new record! Don't forget to stay in touch with us through our Myspace, Twitter, and Facebook fan page (this is where most of the action takes place...). In fact, you can head over to the fan page to check out some great photos from the night by Jer Dresar by clicking the pic below;


A massive thank you also goes out to Dan Burke, Justin, Fab & Josh (our own biker gang who worked the door), Dave Spencer, Miranda, Sarah, Dave & Michelle (our best sales girl!), Chantel, Dean, Jer & Kara Dresar, The Champion Heartache, Michael Milosh, Bangladesh and every one of you awesome people who help make this all possible...

We love you all!

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Elvyn featured on the Dyscultured podcast!

Hi all,

The folks at Dyscultured, the great culture website & podcast will be featuring Elvyn on episode #76 of their awesome podcast! You can listen by clicking the banner below;
Head on over for a great talk show, and make sure you check out the rest of their site!

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Hot off the press!

The reliably excellent music blog "It's not the band I hate, it's their fans" has posted a fine review of our new disc The Decline which you can read here.

In addition, they're running a little contest to win a pair of spots on the guest list and a copy of the new record. So get your entries in!

Friday, March 19, 2010

Alex Chilton - 1951-2010

Taking his final bow yesterday...
I'm getting sick of doing these "bummer" posts... I wish my favourite musicians would stop packin' it in!

Monday, March 15, 2010

The Decline release party line up!

Oh boy! The line up is confirmed for our launch party for The Decline... click the names to see more.
Doors - 9:45pm

Home Movies (acoustic set) - 10:15pm

The Champion Heartache - 11pm

ELVYN - 12am

Bangladesh - 'til close.

We can't wait to see you guys at the show!

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Inside the production of our new record!

The release date for our new record is approaching fast! We'll be receiving the finished albums very soon, and hopefully some reviews and press will follow. For the time being, here's some of an interview that was conducted a while ago that we thought we'd share with you guys;


How long have these songs been around?

Ryan:
Some a few months, others a few years. Two songs; "I was there" and "Nature of your game", were written only a few months after the release of the album "Ten Car Stereo"

Joel: As Ryan said, some of these songs go back as far as our first album, bits and pieces anyway. We've got a large chunk of music on tape and on paper that we've been pulling from for years, as well as a lot new stuff that we work on as we feel inspired.

Do you think there is a distinct "sound" or "feel" this time around, as opposed to previous Elvyn records?

Ryan:
There's definitely a more consistent sound to this album. A modern take on the way songs use to be written thats very heartfelt, and the melodies are very important with hooks that should grab you on first listen. Intense at times but laid back enough that even your grandparents should enjoy them!

Joel: Absolutely! We've been working on this particular album for, I hate to say it, but literally years. This album really should have been "The Big Bay" in album form, at least that was the goal when we started "The Big Bay". But as the saying goes "better late than never". The sound is as we heard it in our heads, at least for myself as a fan of classic Power Pop and rock,was very distinct. There was a conscious effort to make every part whether it be a vocal or guitar riff...be as catchy as possible while still keeping the 3 minute (maybe a little longer) song structure in mind. The aim being that when the song starts you get the tune in your head, and when it's over it's bouncing around your head all day... hopefully! This idea has always been the same for every thing we've released, I just think we nailed it a little better on this album.

Jeremy: Growing up in the U.K., it was always American music that held the greatest fascination for me. I was into the Smiths and all the obvious stuff, but the music community can be very capricious back home. I remember getting a music magazine with a CD attached that had a Guthries song on it when I was probably in my early twenties, and I was blown away by the respect for tradition that musicians in Canada combine with a really adventurous streak. This record is interesting to me because it doesn't sound like it is of a certain period; it could be from fifteen years ago or yesterday, and I really think that's a cool thing.


What was the recording process like, and how did it compare to Ten Car Stereo and The Big Bay E.P.?

Ryan:
The recording of this album was a very long process, but also quite an interupted one. The album was actually scheduled for a release about 3 years ago, with the 4 songs from the Big Bay E.P to appear on the final full length album in a remixed form. However life and family and having kids came into the picture, and although this slowed things down I believe the slower pace of recording contributed to solidifying the consistency of the album. It became quite the challenge to mash 5 years of recording together into an album that has a sonic consistency, but I think we managed to do it.

Joel: It felt like the longest process ever! We did everything ourselves for this album, which was a big load to bear. We wrote, produced and recorded the entire album ourselves with no outside input whatsoever. But all in all it was fun creating and restructuring the songs as we went along. Ryan spent more time mixing and re-mixing these 11 songs, more than myself, just because he could. Recording music has changed a lot over time and with current recording technology you can leave a mix for a few days, a week, a month and come back to it with fresh ears and almost always want to change something. The trick is to say when enough is enough. I think we made the tracks sound the best that we could with the equipment we had at our disposal.

How do the songs evolve from the initial ideas to the final arrangements?

Ryan:
Most of the songs start out with a solid hook, either vocally or through a guitar riff or Bass line. If the song becomes a "problem song", where your stuck and feel uninspired then there's always something in the old "Elvyn Recording Vault" that can make things work. They usually get combined with something that may have been an idea from years ago, or taken from other problem songs. We try to make it a habit to always have some type of recording device at every practice. Once the song gets its basic format it gets developed from the basic 3 or 4 chord song into an orchestra of riffs, harmonies and other instrumental layerings until it reaches it's full potential.

Joel: It's a strange process, but it almost always starts with an idea that we've worked on at a practice session or something that we stumbled upon; a riff, a drum beat or a bass line. Other times Ryan will bring in full structured songs that just need some fine tuning or arranging.

What are the challenges of being an indie band, and what do you feel sets you apart from all the other bands out there?

Ryan:
Being an indie band you can find yourself getting discouraged quite quickly. It's tough to be in charge of everything from booking shows, practicing, writing songs, promoting your music and shows and recording and it can wear you down. We've been playing for 13 years as "Elvyn" and sometimes we still barely clear our bar tab! Most indie bands would have ended years ago, but being close friends, and having the same love for the music keeps us going. We have no other agenda other than to sound our best when we play, and to have the most fun we can possibly have while we do it.

Joel: We take being in a band seriously, but not too seriously. The point is to have fun, if it's not fun anymore what's the point? Believe me there are times where you question why you're still in a band, for me anyway, but the good always outweighs the bad. As for what sets us apart, lot of bands style hop and we have never really done that. We've played with different sounds and directions but we've always maintained an identifiable sound. Bands nowadays sound of the moment; here today gone tomorrow. It can end up as a flash in the pan. I'd rather make songs that are accessible to a wide range of people, just that classic quality that makes a song enjoyable. Being in an indie band is a full time job and a lot of work. You get burned out really quickly, that's why we've always had periods of more intense activity. Touring, then taking breaks in between. It's not that we're lazy, just overwhelmed at times. A break does you good!

Do you have any plans for promoting The Decline, or for future projects?

Ryan:
We're going to try to push this album a lot harder than previous albums, in respects of touring and promoting through press and radio. However, our goal of having fun while doing it is going to be the same as always. Also we're already picking away at a few new tunes that will surely lead to a quick follow up release to "The Decline"!

Joel: The goal for this record (which I believe is our strongest yet), is to promote it harder through the media and radio. If we can get a little radio buzz whether it be college or commercial it would help us immensely. Future projects? Mostly playing shows and working on new stuff for a new record. Hopefully one that won't take 5 years to put out! We'll try to put out a single or E.P. in the coming year.

Jeremy: As the guys have said, we'll be working the phones hard on this one. The songs are strong and we're making use of the wonders of Facebook and the like. This has been a great surprise to us, and we've seen the impact at the shows. We've always been kind of a "people's band", and the social network stuff allows us to make our friends and fans more of a part of the band than ever.

How about supporters and fans, any messages for them?

Ryan:
Keep coming out to see us, and tell your friends and thanks for the support. You keep things fun!

Joel: We realize attention spans are short, especially with pop music but we think this album was worth the wait. Hopefully music fans do too!

Jeremy: I think people underestimate how much of an impact they can have on a band. Especially an indie band. Our supporters and fans are as much a part of Elvyn as we are. Without them we would have no fun at all. This one is for them!

Saturday, February 27, 2010

"The Decline" release party!

Hey folks,

Man, have we missed you guys!

Feels like ages since our last show, but fear not! Friday March 26th is the date. The Silver Dollar in Toronto is the place. When you walk through those doors a magic hand stamp will transport you via the Elvyn Way-Back Machine to a time when rock n' roll was great.

Our good friends The Champion Heartache will be helping us make this show the best Friday night possible with their "...roots-inflective rock, sweet harmonies, and a soaring, inspired, flight that straddles catchy pop sheen, alt-roots dynamicism of Wilco and Ryan Adams and the dreamy neo-psych sounds of Mercury Rev."

We'll be turning The 'Dollar into Elvyn-land for one night only with super low prices for the new album, some funky vibes, and most importantly you guys! It's our friends and fans that help make Elvyn what it is, and this show and this record are dedicated to all of you. We're looking forward to spending the evening with y'all!

Peace and love,

Elvyn


Thursday, February 11, 2010

Mastering at The Lacquer Channel




Ryan and Joel headed to T.O. for the mastering of "The Decline" yesterday and had a great day. Barring a couple of issues, she's done!
Next week we'll be heading to Little Wagon's secret Muskoka retreat for some rehearsals and other shenanigans (there will be a card game...) to get in top condition for our album release tour.
So a big thanks to Noah Mintz and The Lacquer Channel. Now it's time to make some CD's!


Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Album update!

Hi everyone. Exciting news as "The Decline" goes to The Lacquer Channel for mastering on the 10th. The wheels are also in motion on a release tour with our Toronto album launch party at The Silver Dollar on Friday, March 26th!

The album art is also almost finished, and we have a few little suprises up our sleeves for you.

See you really soon!

Thursday, January 14, 2010

It's goodnight from Jay Reatard...


Sad news, but definitely a strong candidate for "Catch ya on the flipside" super-group along with George, Roy, Link etc. Guitars and Arrangements, I reckon.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Silver Dollar - Friday, Jan 8th

Hi guys & gals!

We'd sure love it if you could come out to The Silver Dollar on Friday night. The line-up is great, and the vibes will be too! This will be our last show for a while, as we gear up for the release of "The Decline" and get our ducks in a row for a lil' tour.

So, if you'd like to come by and hang out for a while we'd love to see ya. We'll grab a beer and enjoy some great music! We hit the stage at 10:30, followed by The Hey Now at 11:40 and Nature Moves Faster sometime after that...

See ya later, alligators!

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Elvyn @ The Phog Lounge - Video!



Thanks to Phoggy Tom for the sterling work behind the iPhone! We can't wait to come back...