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The sound of Ellison has been described as passionate, elegant, yearning and melodic bliss. With such compelling praise as this, the Ohio quartets forthcoming release, Say Goodnight, Sleep Alone, is sure to deliver a powerful emotional punch to the indie pop scene. Ellisons energetic blend of indie pop with straightforward rock is powered by Josh Hills strong singing and sensitive lyrics centered around personal experiences and relationships. This is evident in some of the song titles alone: Tired of Pretending, Your Goodbyes and Following You. Hill says, I tend to be a very quiet person, so songwriting is the one outlet I have to express myself.
What started as an acoustic recording project between Hill and drummer Mitch Wyatt quickly manifested into a full band operation once they realized the potential of their new sound. They recruited bassist J.D. Carlson in late 2004 and became known as Ellison. With the addition of Carlson, the music morphed from slower tempo, acoustically based songs to catchy, straightforward pop-rock tunes. The newly formed threesome recorded their first EP, Indecisive and Halfhearted in spring 2005. And because these songs screamed for subtle guitar leads, guitarist Ian Bolender joined the band later that same spring. Indecisive and Halfhearted was solely DIY (mixed and recorded by drummer Mitch Wyatt). The slick, studio-quality EP and constant regional live shows caught the attention of J.T. Woodruff, lead singer of the gold record-selling band Hawthorne Heights. Woodruff launched his own record label, Carbon Copy Media, and in early 2006 signed Ellison as the first band to his fledgling label.
Ellison once again went the do-it-yourself route with Say Goodnight, Sleep Alone, due to hit stores in summer 2006. One of Woodruffs many reasons for signing the guys was that they could do everything themselves, and extremely professionally at that. Woodruff adds, I signed Ellison because of their songs. Its plain and simple: they write good music and I feel that people need to hear it! Using Hills basement as their recording studio, the album came together in three short months. They chose four songs from the EP and developed seven new songs very organically in the studio. Each band member had equal creative input, allowing the songs to evolve throughout the recording process. Hill explains, Generally I write a song and bring it to Mitch, J.D. and Ian so they can write their own parts. But with a couple of the new songs, the structure became a collaborative effort and these turned out to be some of my favorite Ellison songs. Say Goodnight, Sleep Alone is an emotionally charged debut full of memorable melodies and lovelorn lyrics.
Armed with their new album, J.T. Woodruff in their corner and major label distribution courtesy of Victory Records and Sony Red, Ellison is ready to take off from their Midwestern town and follow their dreams to reach a wider audience. In addition to playing sporadic live shows with Hawthorne Heights, Ellison will tour the United States in summer 2006.
