The Elwins had a US tour scheduled for April, but instead, frontman Matthew Sweeney is quarantined in his basement apartment in Kingston, Ontario. Even so, the band continues to bring musical joy to their fans with the releases of the first single, “Take Me All The Way," off their own label, Pink Eye Recording.
“Take Me All The Way” is an anthem about battling existentialism and living in the moment. “I feel like if you focus on the future too much you just don’t enjoy what’s happening now and you can stress yourself out and get worried and start panicking and everything,” Sweeney tells EARMILK. The release comes at a strange time with the current quarantine sanctions and where living in the moment seems like an impossible feat. Sweeney sings, “I don’t want to die, I want to live. Live a little now and see what sticks.”
“Take Me All The Way” channels the best of various rock and roll elements found through different decades. Its catchy guitar hook is reminiscent of The Beatles and The Kinks, two of the bands biggest influences on their latest work. The release is also accompanied by a throwback-style video directed by Wyatt Clough and filmed with retro lenses to give a film-noir classic rock feel.
The Elwins miss touring. Sweeney says their favorite tour memory was creating their own bizarre version of baseball (with a skinny plastic bat and a Wiffle ball) on tour with Jukebox the Ghost. Until touring can resume, the band is working to coordinate live streams (potentially even a guitar lesson on how to play “Take Me All The Way.” There aren’t concrete plans yet, but Sweeney says to keep an eye on the band’s socials in the coming weeks.
