Elijah Wolf Releases Title Track To Forthcoming Album 'Brighter Lighting'

Today, the Brooklyn-based artist Elijah Wolf released the title track from his upcoming album Brighter Lighting due out February 26 via Trash Casual Records. The track features contributions from Wilco guitarist Nels Cline, Josh Jaeger (drummer for Angel Olsen & Fleet Foxes) and Sam Cohen (Kevin Morby, Sharon Van Etten), who also produced the album. Also today, Forbes interviewed Elijah about the new single release, stating "Rolling guitar melodies create forward motion, synths and lap steels mirror the motion of the natural world."

"This song came so naturally and I had felt like it summed up the record nicely as a whole," says Wolf. "I had spent quite some time reflecting on the experience writing my first record before this one, which was a deeply lonely and personal one. This song is about looking back on those days and how life has moved far past them. It's about taking those experiences and moving forward."

Speaking about the video, Elijah explains: "I grew up in Phoenicia, New York, nestled up in the Catskill Mountains. Throughout my life, the geography and botanical offerings have provided great comfort for me. It is here that I gained my great wonder and curiosity for the world, as well as the place I continuously return to when things get dark and uncertain. Brighter Lighting is about understanding the past, so that one may look forward with wide eyes. I asked one of my closest friends, Dylan Kaplowitz, a filmmaker (also from the Catskill Mountains), to document a full day with me, revisiting these sacred places; each one with great significance to my life. I shared stories with him at each spot and he filmed it all on a Super 8 camera."

"Brighter Lighting" is the fourth single Wolf has shared from the forthcoming album, following the release of "The Point of Trying," "At Times / At Night" and "Like This, Anymore," which Paste called, "the perfect summery tune to just sit back and take it all in." The song was also added to NPR Music's New Music Friday playlist, and Spotify's official Fresh Folk and Folk Arc playlists. Last month, Elijah spoke with Fleet Foxes' Robin Pecknold on the Talkhouse podcast, where they discussed their respective new records, their ideas of what defines album, and working amidst a pandemic.

Recorded with acclaimed producer Sam Cohen and an all-star band including Wilco guitarist Nels Cline, drummer Joshua Jaeger (Angel Olsen, Lionlimb), and multi-instrumentalist Photay, Brighter Lighting marks the start of an adventurous new chapter for Wolf, who moves beyond the spare and isolated bedroom folk of his earlier work here in favor of a more collaborative, immersive sound.

To celebrate the forthcoming album release, Elijah will perform for Rough Trade Transmissions on February 9 at 6:00 pm ET and a special album release show via NOONCHORUS on March 10 at 8:30 pm ET. Tickets are on sale now.

Listen to the title track here:

Photo Credit: Eric Michael Pearson