Robert Ellis

Who is Robert Ellis? At first glance, he’s simply a smiling, longhaired, twenty-two-year old in a hand-stitched western shirt and Dwight Yoakam-tight blue jeans. But there’s more to this youthful Houston, Texas native than meets the eye. The New York Times recently proclaimed that Ellis sounds “equally inspired by Jackson Browne and George Jones.” Not a bad reference point for an artist his age. Ellis cut his teeth performing the songs of similar luminaries around town, most notably at the neighborhood beacon, Fitzgerald’s. His “Whiskey Wednesdays” at that club are regularly packed with punkish newcomers and graying locals sharing a mutual interest in artists ranging from Ray Price to Buck Owens to George Jones. Ellis has songwriting ability equal to his encyclopedic knowledge of these greats and it shines on his upcoming New West Records debut, Photographs, due this July. The young songwriter’s second release is an impressive and diverse concept album split between five breathtaking folk songs and five soon-to-be country standards. Listening to Photographs, one finds it difficult to pigeonhole Robert Ellis. It’s even harder to remember that he’s barely just begun. So, rather than have us try to crack the code of this talented young troubadour, we figured we’d let Ellis tell you about himself.

On Growing Up with Country Music

I’ve listened to country music since I was a little kid. I grew up south of Houston and it’s a pretty common thing here. I was raised going to bluegrass festivals and I think that had a lot to do with it. It was just country and bluegrass music. It’s always been what my role models listened to.

On His “Whiskey Wednesdays”

Well we just started playing this Wednesday thing, doing all 70s and earlier classic country. Just having a good time every week and a lot of people started coming out and dancing. It was kind of just this drunken, fun time that snowballed into this big event.

It’s a weird cross section of people. It’s not like a country crowd by any means. It’s everybody. It’s older country listeners and young, punk kids- every race and denomination of people. It’s really great.

On His Band

We kind of just magnetized towards each other. I first met Will, the pedal steel player. He was the first one I started playing with and I happened to go to one of his shows at this little candy store where he was playing banjo with this other guy, Lucas. I was like, ‘Man, you guys should come over to the house after and we’ll play a little bluegrass.’ He’s like, ‘Yea, I love bluegrass.’ That night we hung out and pretty much have hung out every day since then. And then the other guys…it kind of just all magically happened at one time. Geoffrey [bass], Ryan Chavez [drums], and Kelly Doyle, the guitar player. Everyone in the band is such a good musician. I don’t know how it happened the way it did.

On Photographs

I came up with the concept before I came up with any of the songs, actually. I’d written a couple of the songs, but I hadn’t written any of the ‘B Side’ stuff. I’d only written a couple of the ‘A Side’ songs. That was right around the same time that we started doing our Wednesday country music thing. I had that other record out and I was kind of thinking about what to do with this record. The band had just formed, but with the last record I was really, really happy with the way I made it. Which was just me, mad scientist, with an engineer, doing everything myself. I tracked the guitar and voice parts live and then added really minimal instrumentation. Most of the music that I listen to outside of the classic country genre is really minimal stuff—minimal and to the point without many bells and whistles.

So I wanted to still do that, but I also wanted to make a record with this band. So rather than make two records, I figured this might be the best of both worlds. The ‘A side’ stuff is definitely country, but in a different way. The ‘B side’ stuff is totally throwback country stuff, but the focus is still the songs. And that’s the common thread between both sides. They’re all songs. They’re all uniquely ours. They just have a little bit of a different treatment on them, you know?

On meeting George Fontaine, Sr., President of New West Records

He bought my record at Cactus Records—my first record. And then, he was going to see the Wild Moccasins at one of their shows and walked inside and I was playing a little acoustic set as part of a New Year’s festival. He stopped and watched me. I don’t think I met him that night, but maybe a week later I was shopping for records at Cactus and he approached me and introduced himself. We started talking and developed a little bit of a relationship. It was totally random chance. Around the same time that I met him, I had been furiously e-mailing labels. All of them, New West included. I told him I hadn’t heard back from New West, and he replied, “Well, now you have!”

On How He Views His Music Relative to the World of Pop Country

A long time ago I stopped really caring what was on that side of the music world. What people consider country music now is so far removed from what we’re doing. I don’t really pay attention to it. What we’re doing is trying to write good songs--make them sound pretty. Obviously we listen to classic, "real" country music and that comes through in our sound. Today’s popular country sounds to me like whitewashed, regurgitated, mediocre 70's rock and roll with a southern tinge to the vocals.

New West Records Introduces Robert Ellis' Debut Album Photographs, Announces North American Tour Dates, Including A Run With Old 97's

Houston native Robert Ellis announces the release of his debut LP Photographs, from New West Records out on July 5. The New York Times (Texas edition) recently described Robert's music as "equally inspired by Jackson Browne and George Jones" while Daytrotter calls his sound "tantalizing and moody folk rock." Robert, who was raised on bluegrass and country music, played the songs of his heroes every Wednesday night at the legendary Fitzgerald's club in Houston. The Houston Press caught the final incarnation of the event this past week, saying "Ellis & the Boys entertained from '9 'til overdose' with a high-powered barrage of outlaws, rebels and rogues like Buck Owens (a picture-perfect "Made In Japan"), Conway Twitty, Johnny Paycheck and a whole lotta George Jones."

The 22-year-old's second release is an impressive and diverse concept album, split in two sides with vinyl in mind. Robert explains "The A-side represents a more folksy, dark side of the music while the B-side is a full band country sound. While the songwriting is all very personal, the arrangement and distinct style difference is meant to reference and pay homage to all of the great artists who have influenced me."

Robert and his band (Geoffrey Muller (Bass), Will Van Horn (Pedal guitar), Ryan Chavez (Drums), and Kelly Doyle (guitar) who, according to the Houston Chronicle have "...built a concrete reputation for impeccable live performances" will tour extensively in support of Photographs beginning in May with a run up the West Coast including stops in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Robert will also take up a week long solo residency in Portland, followed by a full band July tour supporting the Old 97's with shows in Nashville, Brooklyn and Chicago. (Full list of dates below)

Robert Ellis Tour Dates

Fri, May 20 - El Paso, TX - Lowbrow
Sun, May 22 - Joshua Tree, CA - Pappy and Harriets
Mon, May 23 - Hermosa Beach, CA - Country Mondays at Saint Rocke
Tue, May 24 - Los Angeles, CA - The Echo
Wed, May 25 - Santa Cruz, CA - The Crepe Place
Sun, May 29 - San Francisco, CA - Hotel Utah
Tue, May 31 - Denver, CO - The Hi-Dive
Fri, June 3 - Ft. Worth, TX - Lola's Saloon Sixth

Sun, June 5 - Houston, TX - Free Press Summerfest 1pm
Sun, June 26 - Portland, OR - McMenamins Crystal Hotel
Mon, June 27 - Portland, OR - McMenamins Crystal Hotel
Tue, June 28 - Portland, OR - McMenamins Crystal Hotel
Wed, June 29 - Portland, OR - McMenamins Crystal Hotel
Thu, June 30 - Portland, OR - McMenamins Crystal Hotel
Fri, July 1 - Portland, OR - McMenamins Crystal Hotel
Sat, July 2 - Portland, OR - McMenamins Crystal Hotel
(Portland residency is Robert Ellis SOLO)

Tue, July 5 - Austin, TX - Cactus Café
Wed, July 6 - Houston, TX - Fitzgeralds
Fri, July 8 - Nashville, TN - Mercy Lounge *
Sat, July 9 - Nashville, TN - Mercy Lounge *
Mon, July 11 - Baltimore, MD - Ramshead Live*
Tue, July 12 - Asbury Park, NJ - Stone Pony *
Wed, July 13 - Brooklyn, NY - Bell House*
Thu, July 14 - Brooklyn, NY - Bell House*
Fri, July 15 - Wellfleet, MA - Beachcomber*
Mon, July 18 - Chicago, IL -Lincoln Hall*
Tue, July 19 - Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall *
Wed, July 20 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue*
Thu, July 21 - Kansas City, MO - Crossroads *
Fri, July 22 - Oklahoma City, OK - ACM @ UCO*
Sat, July 23 - Denton, TX - Dan's Silverleaf
* with Old 97's

For more information, please visit:
http://www.myspace.com/robertellismusic
http://www.facebook.com/robertellismusic