Don’t worry if it all sounds a bit quiet and ominous around here. It’s just that we’ve moved!

Yup, there’s an all new and improved Elk wesbite (and party) going on over at www.thebandelk.com

Come on over, there’s plenty of room for everyone.

Love,
Elk

We have been so pleased that people have already been spreading this around facebook and appreciate the support so much. We hope that you’ll share this with all of your friends too.

Thanks, and most importantly… enjoy!

Elk

You see, this Elk is very pleased to be able to tell you that it’s brand-spanking new EP will be released on The Audacious Art Experiment for your listening pleasure.

The EP is called ‘First Love’ and will be available in two formats…

First Love EP (Download Version)

For those of you who like to have something to hold on to through the night, you’ll be excited to hear we’re currently in the process of pressing a limited amount of very sexy and very waxy seven inches. If you would like to pre-order one, please email us at thebandelk@gmail.com.

However, as well as the seven inch (which will be ready at the start of May), this coming Friday (22nd) you’ll be able to download the EP for free…

And if that wasn’t spectacular enough, the free download will feature some extra songs, including a remix of the title track by Karl Sveinsson (A Middle Sex, ex-Stand) who we recorded the EP with.

Right now, to get your ears warmed up you can visit our bandcamp page and have a listen to the tracks. But you won’t be able to download them until they’re officially released on Friday.

So, have a listen below or head over to the page now: First Love EP.

Don’t forget, if you like what you hear please leave a comment, like it on Facebook and share it with your friends.

Cheers,

Elk

P.S. If you’d like us to email you the moment you can download the whole EP for free on Friday, just pop your email address in the field on the top right-hand of this page and we’ll be in touch.

Long time, no speak. Apologies, but sometimes an Elk needs its own space, a little time to reflect on what its done.

Luckily, unlike the pre-cursor to some depressing break-up, the space this particular Elk needed was mainly to record some fine new music.

Yes! Since we last spoke, the beautiful Elk has been hidden away in Manchester recording three new tracks with an Elk’s best friend, celebrity producer and all-round sound wizard, Karl Sveisineinsinenon (sic).

Cover of Ritch's first solo record: Electric Nicotine

We’ve recorded Good Crime, Integral Lines and the song I think we’re calling Vehicle, or maybe Connecting Dots. Although the latter sounds a bit too Emo Diaries. Maybe we’ll call it Cotton and Dots. Or Dot Cot… anyway, enough!

The rough mix of the songs sounds grand, but we’re still tweaking some stuff, rerecording bits and adding all sorts of stuff. Those who like a range of instruments will be glad to hear we’ve got a bit of violin and some futuristic synth on this record. Oh yes.

When or how it will be released is anyone’s guess. We’ve still got some unrelesed tracks from our previous session in the cupboard too, so who knows. But EP2 (as it’s provisionally called) will excite your ear drums – that’s a promise.

In the meantime though, if you haven’t already, you can download our first EP, entitled Reading Habits, for free, right here: Download the Reading Habits EP.

Gig-wise, the Elk is away in March and the very start of April, but it will be appearing at the GYPO All-Dayer in Grimsby on April 9th. So, if you’re a local lad or lass, do come along, get drunk, dance and generally revel in the shadow of Pleasure Island.

Sweet Disappointment: Tom underwhelmed by his portion of Baklava

Other than the Grimsby gig, the Elk will be pestering various people to get some more shows. Liverpool is on the cards and London too. And we’re also aiming to get up to the most northern reaches of England before too long as well.

So, all good stuff.

If you’d like to put us on in a town near you, just email us at thebandelk@gmail.com and we’ll see what we can do.

And hey, if you want to be all social media about it, why not head over to our page on facebook and ‘like’ this lonely old Elk. Everyone needs friends, and it’s even better if those friends are represented by some clever CSS coding. You could even share this post if you’re so inclined – just click on the facebook button below. What a magical world we live in, huh?

Oh, finally… ten Elk points to anyone who correctly guesses which film this post’s tag line is from. Pop your answer in the comments box below.

Keep it Elky,

Elk

P.S. Don’t forget, you can download our Reading Habits EP for free right here: download now. And if you do enjoy it, spread it around like a wonderful packet of biscuits that you just want everyone to love.

A big thank you must first go to everyone who came along to the show in Sheffield this past weekend and helped make it such a great one. We had a great time with good friends, great bands and very fine boozing.

Below you’ll find a few of the pictures either Anjali or Eve took, but before we get to those, some very good news for you…

Right now you can download our Reading Habits EP for the shocking price of nothing. Yup, if you head over to our bandcamp page you can download Reading Habits, Nothing to be Happy About and Strictly Die all for free. All this Elk does ask is that, if you can find it in your heart – and of course, if you enjoy the music – you share this little link with your own friends so that they can hear the tunes too. Thanks in advance if you do.

To download our Reading Habits EP for free, go here.

Now, with that lovely bit of news out the way, here’s some more…

On Sunday 13th February we’ll be playing in Manchester at a pub called The Castle. If you live in that fine city or are close by, it would be great to see you there, so do come along. There’ll be a lot more gigs coming before too long. Sadly, we couldn’t play the London show we were planning in February, but we’ll be there soon hopefully – I know I keep promising!

Right, I think that’s about it for now. Make sure you head over to our bandcamp page to download our Reading Habits EP and do spread it around if you enjoy.

And of course, if you like you could listen to it whilst looking at these to give you a sense of it happening live in your face…!

Elk, Sheffield, January 2011

Elk, Sheffield, January 2011

OK. Be in touch again soon. But until then…

Keep it Elky,

Elk

Hot off the heels of our recent show with Birthmark in Nottingham, this dandy little elk is making its way to Sheffield next weekend (Saturday 22nd January) to play with the excellent Coal Train.

Thomas shares a rude text from Peter Mandleson causing Ritchie to blur.

As well as Coal Train, Eagulls and Serious Sam Barrett are playing, so it should be a bloody fine evening. If you’re a Sheffield lad or lass or live within driving distance, do come along as it would be a pleasure to see you.

There’s more gigs in the pipeline and I’ll confirm details soon, but in the meantime you’ll be pleased to know our friend Anjali has one of these magical digital camera things that does videos too and she filmed a couple of songs when we played in Notts.

You’ve got Strictly Die here.

And Fabric here.

Naturally, the sound isn’t the best quality in the world. But they’re fun all the same.

Strictly Die is actually one of the songs from our three-song Reading Habits EP, which is available to download here.

OK. That’s all for now. There’ll be another update as soon as the next few gigs are confirmed. But for now, set your sat nav for The Redhouse in Sheffield and we’ll see you there.

Elk

After a quiet end to 2010, this particular Elk is kicking off 2011 as it means to go on…

There’s a lovely gig this Sunday (9th) in Nottingham along with Birthmark (One of the Kinsella Clan), Liberation Pact and Crushing Blows. And it’s at a place called Spanky Van Dykes, which, let’s face it, sounds more fun that a night round Leigh Bowery’s house! So, do come a long if you’re in the vacinity.

After that, this finely-antlered Elk is lined up to play in Manchester on February 13th, but there could be something before then somewhere else.

It all depends.

That said, if you’d like to see Elk in a town or forest near you, email the beast itself at thebandelk@gmail.com

Also, if you haven’t yet, you can still download the snazzy three-song Reading Habits EP right here. It features the songs Reading Habits, Nothing to be Happy About and Strictly Die. And all for a quid!

If you like music and you like writing about music, feel free to write your own review and we’ll feature the most pretentious ones on the site. The best entry will win a signed* picture of Peter Sellers.

OK. I think that’s about all for now, this particular Elk is going to sit down with some Goethe and a Horlicks and see if it can’t strike a deal with the devil.

See you soon.

Elk

* The picture will be ‘signed’ by Ritchie Hopkins, rather than Peter Sellers himself.