Elvis Depressedly are an American

experimental pop Experimental pop is pop music that cannot be categorized within traditional musical boundaries or which attempts to push elements of existing popular forms into new areas. It may incorporate experimental techniques such as musique concrète, al ...

project from

Asheville, North Carolina Asheville ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Buncombe County, North Carolina. Located at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, it is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the state's 11th-most populous cit ...

. The band consists of former

Coma Cinema Coma Cinema was an American indie pop band that was formed by Mat Cothran in 2005. Cothran began writing songs for the band during his high school days in Spartanburg, South Carolina, Spartanburg, but the band was later based in Asheville, North ...

frontman Mathew Lee Cothran and various collaborators. They have released eight records and several EPs. Their music has been described as "evoking ..childhood nights fraught with existential dread" and has been likened to the earlier music of

Ariel Pink Ariel Marcus Rosenberg ( ; born June 24, 1978), professionally known as Ariel Pink, is an American musician, singer, and songwriter whose work draws heavily from the popular music of the 1960s–1980s. His lo-fi music, lo-fi aesthetic and home ...

and

Elliott Smith Steven Paul Smith (August 6, 1969 – October 21, 2003), known professionally as Elliott Smith, was an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and lived much of hi ...

History

Formation, Early EPs, and Run for Cover

Elvis Depressedly was formed in 2011 in

Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the capital of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 census, it is the second-largest city in South Carolina. The city serves as the county seat of Richland County, and a portion of the city ...

, originally as a way for Cothran to explore his Bowie-esque alter ego of "Mickey", referenced in the early EPs as a way for him to confront and examine his fears and anxieties. The band debuted with the self-release of the five-track EP ''Save the Planet Kill Yourself.'' It was followed by the EP ''Goner'', and the single "Disgraceland" in the same year. In 2012 Cothran played his first show under the name Elvis Depressedly, playing the entirety of the album ''Mickey's Dead'', which was released later that year on

Orchid Tapes Orchid Tapes is a Canadian–American independent record label based in New York City. It was founded in 2010 in Toronto, Ontario by Warren Hildebrand. Operated by Hildebrand, the label has released a number of indie compilations and original r ...

. The album was named one of the best free albums of 2012 by ''The Social''. ''Hotter Sadness'' was released in October 2012. The EP ''Holo Pleasures'', released via Birdtapes in 2013, was a breakthrough of sorts, giving the band more exposure than any previous release, despite getting no press coverage. In November 2014, the band signed to

Run For Cover Records Run for Cover Records is an American independent record label based in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 2004 by Jeff Casazza at the age of 17 with a $1,000 loan, the label functioned as a small one-person bedroom operation in Brighton, until Casa ...

. After the recording was completed, Cothran moved to Asheville.

''New Alhambra'' and ''Holo Pleasures/California Dreamin

In 2015, the band released a new album titled ''New Alhambra'', which was proclaimed by

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...

to be "a utopian sort of indie-pop record", giving it a 7.3. They went on a short tour following the release of the album. The album charted: it peaked at #7, at #6 as a Heatseeker Album, #23 as an Alternative Album, and #33 as a Rock Album. ''Rolling Stone'' put "N.M.S.S.", the second track on the album, at #23 on a list of the best songs of 2015. In 2016, Run for Cover announced ''Holo Pleasures/California Dreamin''', a compilation of the earlier ''Holo Pleasures'' EP with the unreleased ''California Dreamin EP. The album appeared on June 3, 2016 with a video for their song "Up In the Air" as support. The band also announced a joined U.S. tour with

Teen Suicide Youth suicide is when a young person, generally categorized as someone below the legal age of majority, deliberately ends their own life. Rates of youth suicide and attempted youth suicide in Western societies and other countries are high. Yout ...

and

Nicole Dollanganger Nicole Ann Bell (born September 8, 1991), known professionally as Nicole Dollanganger, is a Canadian singer-songwriter and artist. Dollanganger's music is characterized by a feminine, high-pitched vocal style, minimal instrumentation, and lyrica ...

, and embarked on their first UK tour.

Influences

Cothran has cited

Emperor X Chad R. Matheny, known professionally as Emperor X, is an American singer and songwriter. Early life and career Born in Louisville, Kentucky in 1979, Matheny got his start in music when he was given a Casio SK-1 by his grandparents at age nine, ...

Prefab Sprout Prefab Sprout are an English pop band from Witton Gilbert, County Durham who rose to fame during the 1980s. Formed in 1978 by brothers Paddy and Martin McAloon and joined by vocalist, guitarist and keyboard player Wendy Smith in 1982, they r ...

The Waterboys The Waterboys are a folk rock band formed in Edinburgh in 1983 by Scottish musician Mike Scott. The band's membership, past and present, has been composed mainly of musicians from Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England. Mike Scott has remained ...

The Jesus and Mary Chain The Jesus and Mary Chain are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in East Kilbride in 1983. The band revolves around the songwriting partnership of brothers Jim and William Reid. After signing to independent label Creation Records, they rele ...

Primal Scream Primal Scream are a Scottish rock band originally formed in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie (vocals) and Jim Beattie. The band's current lineup consists of Gillespie, Andrew Innes (guitar), Simone Butler (bass), and Darrin Mooney (drums) ...

, and

Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philo ...

as influences.

Members

* Mathew Lee Cothran - vocals, guitar (2011-present)

Discography

Albums

* ''Save the Planet Kill Yourself'' (2011) * ''Mickey's Dead'' (2012) * ''Hotter Sadness'' (2012) *''New Alhambra'' (2015) *''Depressedelica'' (2020) *''Who Owns the Graveyard?'' (2023)

EPs

*''Goner'' (2011) *''Disgraceland'' (2011) *''Holo Pleasures'' (2013) *''California Dreamin (2016)

References

External links

Elvis Depressedly, Run For Cover Records
{{Authority control Musical groups from Asheville, North Carolina Run for Cover Records artists Lo-fi music groups