For most artists, evolutions don’t happen in elegant arcs. They happen in messy fits and spurts, and tiny revolutions. Released in March, Elijah Johnston’s studio debut Wonderful carried a winsome, autumnal quality. The songs were invariably charming, steeped in lo-fi haze and dusted in sweet melancholy. Although his new single was written over the same period, it never nestled comfortably into the confines of the EP. So the Athens singer-songwriter made the decision to set it aside.
“Don’t Come Around Looking For Me” was written right before hitting the studio to record the Wonderful EP in January, and I decided to leave it off because it felt like its own entity,” Johnston explains via email. “It’s a little more of a bummer, and a little bit too sarcastic to fit in with the Wonderful songs.”
Rather than abandon the track, however, Johnston and his band continued to reshape the song through live performances and countless jam sessions. The end result, which we’re excited to premiere for you this morning, sees him taking a more commanding role, confidently steering the music forward rather than allowing it to float idly downstream. The overall mood—gentle, misty, and, yeah, a bit of a bummer—recalls a fair amount of sleepy folk-pop bands. But there’s something about the song’s undulating rhythms and Johnston’s warm croon that feels rejuvenating even as stormy clouds gather overhead. It’s a subtle but crucial step forward for the emerging artist—one for which he’s quick to share the credit with his bandmates.
“Thankfully, through live shows and plenty of jamming, the guys in my band elevated the tune to what you hear now—Hampton Peay’s shuffle and his impeccable synth riffs, Tommy Trautwein’s slick bass lines and call-and-response vocal part, and Zac Crook’s signature acoustic guitar swing made me feel like I could love this song. It was the first one we worked on for the upcoming record and set a tone of collaboration and openness for the whole project.”
Listen below.
Elijah Johnston will perform on Sat., Oct. 26 at Aisle 5 alongside Well Kept and Zac Crooks. Doors open at 9 p.m. Admission is $10. All ages.
More Info
Basecamp: elijahjohnston.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @elijahmjohnston
Instagram: @elijahmjohnston