One year ago, singer-songwriter Elke Robitaille and bass player JP Downer, kicked off day one of their eighteen week long tour with a full crowd at Local Loco’s.
Over 18,000 miles and 4 months later, the gypsy folk duo had graced venue stages in more than 60 cities across the US and Canada.
Traveling through mountain ranges, vast prairies, dry deserts, and along twisting coastlines, Robitaille was greatly inspired by her experiences and surroundings.
“There is so much to see on the road” Robitaille explains. “Every day you’re in a new place. Your surroundings are completely different, but certain things are exactly the same.
“Traveling has always been an amazing inspiration for my songwriting process. You meet a lot of new people, and there are experiences you share. There is so much to see and you draw from it all. You learn a lot about yourself and you grow as a person and an artist. I’ve always enjoyed writing songs under these circumstances.”
After completing the tour, Elke and JP decided to take a break and settle down for a while in Portland, Oregon.
With a plethora of inspiration from life on the road, Elke began writing many new songs, as well as finalising some un-finished works with a helpful new perspective. Elke and JP teamed up with engineer Adam Pike and began recording Flowers in the City in November, 2008, at Toadhouse in Portland.
Together the duo had the foundation of acoustic guitar, bass and vocals, but they wanted a fuller sounding album.
“We were very lucky to be able to collaborate with some amazingly talented musicians in Portland,” says Robitaille. “The album [Flowers in the City] includes drums, piano, cello, and banjo, among other instruments.”
In March, 2009, the album went into mixing and mastering, followed by duplication. “We are so pleased with the way this new CD has turned out and I’m very excited for it to be released.”
Elke’s discography spans from 2002 to 2009, with 3 full-length studio albums released through her own indie label, Rag Veda Records.
Flowers in the City is the brand new 2009 release. The CD includes 10 songs and features a strong mix of folk, pop, rock, and even bluegrass. This album showcases some of Elke’s best songwriting to date and is sure to be a favorite for folk fans everywhere.
Elke and JP will have a CD Release Party at McKinney’s Pub in Powell River on Saturday, May 23rd. Flowers in the City will be available for $15 along with other merchandise and fun giveaways!
www.elkemusic.com
www.myspace.com/elkemusic
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