Robert Ellis Releases Haunting New Single 'On The Run'

Ahead of the release of his anticipated new album Yesterday's News, Texas-based singer/songwriter Robert Ellis released a new single today called "On The Run." An eerie, haunting track, "On The Run" searches for meaning and escape in an empty horizon as Ellis channels a wayward, destitute outlaw.

"There's this stretch of Interstate 10 somewhere near Bakersfield, Texas. There's a gas station there," he stated. "It's the only one for miles in any direction. You more or less have to stop if you want to make it to the next town. I'm getting gas as quickly as I can, nervously scanning the horizon. I have to keep going. Just keep going. I get back in the car and drive."

"'On Your Run' finds Ellis leaning into the dark and smoky side of his songwriting, recalling moonlit moments from Nick Drake's discography or from Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska era," hailed Under The Radar who featured the track. "Ellis' vocals are hushed and intimate, swirling above knotted guitar work and shading his lyricism in shadowy drama. Ellis places the song's protagonist on the road in the deserts of west Texas, trying to escape towards unknown horizons."

Ellis has teased several new songs from Yesterday's News (out May 19th on Niles City Records), including the "tender, diary-like track" (Variance Magazine) "Gene" as well as the "sweet, intimate" (The Boot) "Close Your Eyes" which provides a heartwarming peek into his family life.

The lead single and title track "Yesterday's News" is also out now, a wry tune that Brooklyn Vegan called a "spare, lilting track," along with a stunning video that shows footage spanning four continents documenting his many worldwide tours over the years.

An ever evolving, creatively restless renaissance man, Ellis is redefining himself yet again with Yesterday's News, this time on his own, in far more honest terms. Coming off his raucous 2019 album Texas Piano Man, Ellis is changing course and embracing a raw minimalist approach that prizes patience and restraint above all else.

Recorded live to tape in just two days, it's as stripped-down as it gets, with his delicate, reedy tenor accompanied only by nylon string guitar, upright bass, and the occasional piece of handheld percussion.

The arrangements are harmonically sophisticated, drawing on the open tunings and intricate fingerpicking of English songwriters like Nick Drake or Richard Thompson. Ellis's performances are similarly subtle and nuanced, tapping into the bittersweet longing of Chet Baker and the playful poignancy of Bill Evans and Jim Hall.

What emerges is a record that's not quite folk and not quite jazz, a series of intimate, unhurried meditations on growth and maturity, hope and regret, desire and contentment, all delivered by an artist learning to let go and get quiet, to slow down and appreciate the tiny little miracles that make life worth living. Rolling Stone recently raved "Yesterday's News [is] filled with gentle, intimate songs that require close listening."

Subverting expectations is nothing new for the celebrated songwriter and producer. Over the course of five solo albums, Ellis has flirted with everything from Paul Simon and John Prine to Elton John and Joni Mitchell, zigging whenever he was expected to zag in a series of sonic and visual transformations that ran the gamut from Redneck Steely Dan to Lone Star Liberace.

NPR has hailed his "musical daring and impeccable songcraft," while Rolling Stone praised his "sharp eye for storytelling," and The New York Times lauded his writing as an emotional "gut punch."

Tour Dates:

05/19 - Houston, TX @ Mucky Duck

05/27 - Austin, TX @ Hot Luck Festival

07/07 - Denver, CO @ Globe Hall*

07/10 - Oklahoma City, OK @ Beer City Music Hall*

07/11 - San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger*

07/13 - Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall*

07/14 - Dallas, TX @ The Echo Lounge & Music Hall*

07/15 - Austin, TX @ Scoot Inn*

10/05 - Groningen, NL @ Lutherse Kerk

10/06 - Hengelo, NL @ Metropool

10/08 - Antwerp, BE @ Trix

10/09 - Eindhover, NL @ Muziekgebouw

10/10 - Utrecht, NL @ TivoliVrendenburg

* supporting Ben Kweller

Credit: Erica Silverman

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