photo by saraspectrum
If I translated my musical tastes in terms of iconic old school artists some who know me might guess that I am fond of surreal artists like Max Ernst or Salvador Dalí and, true, I do tend to lean outside of the norm. In my youth seeing bands like Sparks and Devo, listening to David Bowie and Be Bop Deluxe fueled me like no other genre. That being said I love all art and am blown away by naturalist artists like John Constable or Marie Bashkirtseff and ever since I was little was mesmerized by the Americana small town stories inherent in Norman Rockwell paintings. I guess I love the middle ground too like Van Gogh, maybe I have to say that as I was born in the Netherlands. But anyway, I am babbling on because while at the same time as I was listening to vinyl albums of Bowie, Sparks, Queen, T-Rex there was also Jackson Browne, The Beach Boys and John Denver on my turn-table and, of course, of course, The Beatles. In the end, all these artists have something in common. A deep purity of sound, of their own specific sound.
I felt this purity instantly when I listened to the unique earnest quality of "Coming Home" by the Victoria, B.C. duo Ocie Elliott, the musical moniker of Jon Middleton and Sierra Lundy. From the very onset, the second it begins, there is a churchlike quality, the organ progression like a gospel song while very tactile acoustic guitar is felt as much as it is heard. Jon and Sierra's voices become one and the fact that they sonically are on vast edges of the spectrum make the coming together even more interesting. Jon possesses a low fatherly presence and Sierra's higher lilt like a beautiful angelic sister. Both voices feel like they need each other and are made better by the other. While the song does tell a story there is something meditative here too. The precise measured cadence with instruments in tow creates a sort of roundabout feel as the song starts with the chorus, a brilliant devise as this beautiful intimate and sad sounding chorus starts to, after awhile, sound like a mantra. Jon and Sierra shape shift the harmonies while sparse piano and other instrumentation change the weight of the song. The result is a beautiful sense of meloncholia, distilled purity of sound and emotion with voices intertwined feeling utterly unique.
-Robb Donker Curtius
THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM - PRESS NOTES:
https://www.facebook.com/ocieelliottmusic/
https://www.instagram.com/ocieelliott/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5jbk18C7YXRcEZxUWPJCyT
Victoria, B.C. duo Ocie Elliott – Jon Middleton and Sierra Lundy – dream up dusty folk painted in broad strokes of acoustic instrumentation and lyrical eloquence meant for nights under the stars, long drives with no destination, and quiet moments of reprieve. After racking up over 15 million combined streams and receiving acclaim from American Songwriter, Atwood Magazine, PopSugar, and more, the pair cement this balance on their new EP, Slow Tide [Nettwerk], out March 12, 2021.
Ocie Elliott came to life in 2017 on EP. In between sharing stages with everyone from Mason Jennings and Sons Of The East to Kim Churchill and Joshua Hyslop, they launched a series of covers on YouTube shot in the backseat of their Honda CRV, performing intimate renditions of Elliott Smith, Gillian Welch, John Prine, and Simon & Garfunkel, to name a few. On the heels of 2019’s We Fall In, the single “Run To You” appeared in a slew of television shows, including Grey’s Anatomy, Batwoman, Legacies and more.
2020 proved to be their most prolific year yet kickstarted by the In That Room EP, and following it up with the critically acclaimed Tracks EP. At the top of the summer and in the midst of the Global Pandemic, Sierra and Jon retreated to an oceanside bungalow in Ladysmith on Vancouver Island for three days. The peace around them melted into their songwriting.
By achieving balance together on Slow Tide, Ocie Elliott might just help listeners do the same.
Keep this place your home for independent musicTHE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM - PRESS NOTES:
https://www.facebook.com/ocieelliottmusic/
https://www.instagram.com/ocieelliott/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5jbk18C7YXRcEZxUWPJCyT
Victoria, B.C. duo Ocie Elliott – Jon Middleton and Sierra Lundy – dream up dusty folk painted in broad strokes of acoustic instrumentation and lyrical eloquence meant for nights under the stars, long drives with no destination, and quiet moments of reprieve. After racking up over 15 million combined streams and receiving acclaim from American Songwriter, Atwood Magazine, PopSugar, and more, the pair cement this balance on their new EP, Slow Tide [Nettwerk], out March 12, 2021.
Ocie Elliott came to life in 2017 on EP. In between sharing stages with everyone from Mason Jennings and Sons Of The East to Kim Churchill and Joshua Hyslop, they launched a series of covers on YouTube shot in the backseat of their Honda CRV, performing intimate renditions of Elliott Smith, Gillian Welch, John Prine, and Simon & Garfunkel, to name a few. On the heels of 2019’s We Fall In, the single “Run To You” appeared in a slew of television shows, including Grey’s Anatomy, Batwoman, Legacies and more.
2020 proved to be their most prolific year yet kickstarted by the In That Room EP, and following it up with the critically acclaimed Tracks EP. At the top of the summer and in the midst of the Global Pandemic, Sierra and Jon retreated to an oceanside bungalow in Ladysmith on Vancouver Island for three days. The peace around them melted into their songwriting.
By achieving balance together on Slow Tide, Ocie Elliott might just help listeners do the same.
Ocie Elliott, folk, indie folk, Jon Middleton, Sierra Lundy, singer songwriters, rustic, churchlike, earnest, pure sounds, "Coming Home", elegant harmonies, British Columbia, Victoria,
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