Ever since I can remember, I’ve always had a sound of the season. A certain genre or style that fit my long-term moods in which I could express myself simply by listening. Music has always been there for me, even when I’ve felt as though no one else was – and in my understanding of those melodies, I found they understood me. I think that’s why I fell in love with the concept of music from the very beginning – the pure subjective experience that allows someone to have such an emotional connection to a song while the next person finds it unbearably mundane. And while I can’t begin to explain the chemical reactions that produce such feelings of hot and cold, I do know that certain songs and sounds are tied to your subjective experiences with them and that a pluck of the guitar string can produce intense vibrations on the strings of your heart. And so it is that I found myself drifting through the lilting reverb of “Toledo” – a track that I had never heard before but nevertheless drew me in through a complex combination of sonic nostalgia and personal experience.

Hailing from Brooklyn, indie-rock troupe Glass Elephant has been hard at work recording their upcoming self-titled EP, spearheaded by the mellow, guitar-driven single “Toledo”. Encompassing a sound they’ve been perfecting with their live shows, “Toledo” is both tender and raw, containing an air of contemporary flair that draws you in with it’s gently weeping, yet vaguely nostalgic guitars and reverberating drums. And while the track feels a bit like throwback 2009 indie-rock came knocking at your door, the subtle synth progressions help bring in a modern feel that is both familiar and refreshing. It’s a sound that the band has worked hard to define and one that doesn’t come without it’s difficulties as the group discusses the recording process for their new album:

“Just like Atlantic, the new EP is completely self recorded, produced and mixed. The basic tracking for the was done over the course of a week out on Long Island… We tried to get as much tracked live as possible. We recorded drums, bass, both guitars and scratch vocals all at once, with near-complete isolation of each instrument. The layout of the house, with lots of closets and sliding glass doors, allowed us the luxury of doing so.”

“We wanted a product that was the very best of what we had to offer at the time and had a focused character to it; I’d like to think we achieve that.”

We like to think they did as well. Check out our exclusive premiere of “Toledo” below.
 

 

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