EL VY, a new collaboration between Matt Berninger (lyricist and vocalist of The National) and Brent Knopf (frontman/producer of Ramona Falls), release their debut album Return To The Moon on October 30th. The duo has just launched a video for new track ‘Paul Is Alive’.
“A substantial and intriguing bite… a terrific start for EL VY.” – NPR
As with previous single ‘I’m The Man To Be’, the visuals for ‘Paul Is Alive’ were created and directed by Tom Berninger (Matt’s brother and director of the acclaimed Mistaken For Strangers film). His treatment is a candid portrait of Matt and Brent, capturing the pair behind-the-scenes, often illumined by the ever-present moon. ‘Paul Is Alive’ is the third new song to be released, following ‘I’m The Man To Be’ and ‘Return To The Moon (Political Song For Didi Bloome To Sing, With Crescendo)’
“I think ‘Paul Is Alive’ is about finally finding the water that you can breathe in, finding a place or a person that makes you feel like you,” Matt explains. “It’s very much my story of what Cincinnati was like, growing up and falling in love with music, discovering these little places where like-minded people could find each other.”
EL VY recently made their US TV debut last week with a live performance on Conan. Matt and Brent were joined by drummer Andy Stack (Wye Oak), bassist Matt Sheehy (Lost Lander) and backing vocalists Moorea Masa, Allison Hall and Margaret Wehr for an electrifying live rendition of title track ‘Return To The Moon (Political Song For Didi Bloome To Sing, With Crescendo)’. Watch the footage here – http://teamcoco.com/video/el-vy-09-30-15
Watch the previous EL VY lyric videos here:
‘I’M THE MAN TO BE’
‘RETURN TO THE MOON (POLITICAL SONG FOR DIDI BLOOME TO SING, WITH CRESCENDO)’
EL VY (rhymes with ‘hell pie’) and Return To The Moon is a project Berninger and Knopf have been thinking about for years. Their friendship spans nearly a decade, starting back when the National and Brent’s previous band Menomena played small half-empty clubs along America’s west coast. Feeling an immediate musical kinship, the pair kept in touch, Brent sending Matt occasional rough sketches of music and Matt responding with melodies and lyrics. Finally, in the winter and spring of 2014-15, they actually got together to make an album.
Return To The Moon will be released on CD, LP and digitally from October 30th on 4AD via Rhythmethod in New Zealand.
Pre-order on iTunes, or from your favourite record store.
Listeners who pre-order Return To The Moon on iTunes will receive the title track instantly, and every song on Side 1 (tracks 1-5) of the album before its October 30 release date.
