Cellar Sessions: Elliot Root July 31st, 2017 City Winery New York Full Session

Elliot Root sit down for a One On One Session at City Winery New York on July 31st, 2017. For more info visit: http://www.elliotroot.com Audio & Video by: Ehud Lazin Audio Mixing by: Tony High

Setlist:

10,000

Stay

Lost Man Running

As Elliot Root began recording their first full-length album, Conjure (out Aug. 25 on E.R. Recordings/Thirty Tigers), the Nashville foursome had the rare opportunity to figure out exactly what kind of band they wanted to be. Their answer: an honest one. “Instead of trying to create something that we thought was middle-of-the-road, or commercial, or whatever, I think we first and foremost wanted to be 100 percent honest with ourselves,” says singer and guitarist Scott Krueger. Elliot Root also features Melissa Mattey (keyboards, drum programming), Sean Truskowski (drums) and Todd Bond (guitars).

Conjure follows a pair of EPs released in 2015, which helped the band find its feet. Working on their first LP in 2016 was a deeper, more involved experience that found the musicians pushing

boundaries in a new way. “We were really allowing ourselves the freedom to pretty much just try anything that felt good or natural and not really direct it toward one certain vibe or one certain

theme,” Krueger says. The result is songs like “10,000,” an introspective, atmospheric song that contrasts bright piano

with soaring guitars; or “Take Your Money,” which pits gruff guitar against Krueger’s assured vocals as he delivers a message of contempt. “Wicked Lies” has an enveloping R&B flavor,

while “Dissipate” is full of synthesizers as Krueger contrasts a vision of decay with underlying optimism.

“We were able push ourselves in a way that felt so natural,” Krueger says. “When you first do something that feels foreign, you eventually realize that if it’s an honest expression, then it’s not

really foreign at all. You’ve just uncovered another layer of something that’s been waiting for you to express outwardly.”