The members of Elkland were just toddlers during the peak of synth-pop. But when middle school came around and the electronic choruses of the ’80s faded into the past, the upstate New York natives weren’t ready to put away their Joy Electric albums. As their peers listened to grunge rock, they began to experiment with drum machines and synthesizers.
Initially called Goat Explosion, the group opted for a new name, deciding on Elkland after a small neighboring farm town. “Elkland has a very dark meaning behind it. Too dark to go into. Let’s just say there are some things that shouldn’t be spoken of. Think The Village,” singer Jon Pierce warned.
With a new name and a mounting résumé of extensive touring, the band started to attract the attention of major and indie record labels.
“I always had dreams, but I never thought that most of them would come true. When we started getting attention, we were nothing short of surprised,” said Pierce. When they were offered a contract with Columbia Records, Elkland knew that it was an opportunity not to be missed.
With their stunning good looks and magnetic personalities, Elkland is everything that a major label looks for in a band. Each member has his own style: Adam Kessler is all business on the guitar while Joel Tarpin nonchalantly plugs away on the synthesizer and drummer Jesse Pierce—Jon’s brother—uses every ounce of his energy to keep the beat at its furious pace. And, of course, there’s Jon with his angelic vocals and dance skills that would make even Billy Idol proud.
Still, the band is a far cry from any commercially prefabricated boy band polluting the Clear Channel-dominated airwaves. “No one is born cool, so all you can do is try, and people who try suck. We play music that we love, and we dress how we like to dress. It’s all to please ourselves, really,” Pierce said.
Amid the influx of ’80s revivalist bands, it has become increasingly difficult to distinguish between the genuine artists and the imposters in it for the record sales.
“Elkland has not changed since our incarnation. We've always loved synth-pop and always will. whether we are signed to a major or an indie or nothing at all,” claimed Pierce. “I am really thankful to have grown up in a small town like Horseheads, N.Y. It kept me from falling into that horrible thing called ‘Hip.’ The Bravery is ‘Hip,’ and the press is destroying them.”
Elkland’s five-track EP, Apart, was released at the beginning of February. Featuring a club-ready cover of The Cranberries’ “Salvation” and the infectiously catchy title track, the record gives listeners an idea of what’s in store for the band’s first full-length album Golden.
Originally set to be released at the end of this past winter, the album will now come out Tuesday. Although the post-punk fad is already in full swing, Elkland and their fans have waited patiently during record label mergers.
“There are always politics. You've got to take the good with the bad and try not to complain,” explained Pierce. “Columbia has been great to us so far.”
After the first few tracks of Golden, the influence of The Smiths and New Order becomes glaringly obvious. The hooks and complementing synthesizer riffs will be stuck in your head for days. “Our number one priority is songwriting. We are all about big hook-y choruses. If I write a song that is not memorable, then it is quickly scrapped,” Pierce said.
New songs are always in the works as well as a possible side project between Pierce and Tarpin. The band is opening for ’80s pop legend Erasure on their sold-out tour, the music video for “Apart” is in rotation on Fuse and the song will be featured on EA Sports’ upcoming FIFA Soccer game. Indeed, these small-town boys are well on their way to success.
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