The Elms (band)

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The Elms
Country	United States
Years active	2001 – Present
Genres	Rock Blues rock
Labels	Sparrow/EMI Records Universal South Records
Members	Owen Thomas Christopher D. Thomas Thomas Daugherty Nathan W. Bennett

The Elms are an American Rock and Roll band, formerly under Sparrow/EMI Records, currently recording under Universal Records South. They are known for their breed of midwestern, rootsy rock, with the essence of the music of the 60's and 70's. All members currently reside in southern Indiana.

The Elms released their major-label debut album, "The Chess Hotel", on May 6, 2006. The album spawned the midwest radio hits "Nothin' To Do With Love" and "Black Peach."

1 Band Members
2 Discography
3 Music
4 Live
5 External Links

[edit] Band Members

Owen Thomas (vocals, guitar)
Christopher D. Thomas (drums, vocals)
Thomas Daugherty (guitar, vocals)
Nathan W. Bennett (bass guitar, vocals)

[edit] Discography

The Big Surprise (May 22, 2001) - Sparrow/EMI Records
Truth, Soul, Rock and Roll (Oct 22, 2002) - Sparrow/EMI Records
The Chess Hotel (May 2, 2006) - Universal South Records
untitled as of yet (late 2007 - 2008) - Universal South Records

[edit] Music

Musically, the band has been compared by critics to The Black Crowes, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and Cream for their blues-tinged, instrumentally sparse arrangements. Lyrically, The Elms continue to gravitate towards writing songs revolving around observations of their small-town upbringing and the struggles facing many middle-Americans. In the early 2000's (during the band's period of operation under Gospel label Sparrow/EMI), the band's music also contained subject matter pertaining to God and spirituality, and it raised questions about conscience and providence.

Visually, the band favors imagery that reflects their midwestern residence. Their recent music videos and photo shoots have been conducted in their homestate of Indiana, as opposed to typical music industry fare of utilizing the services of Los Angeles, New York, or Nashville. The band has also stated in interviews and in personal writings that they intend to base as many of their artistic endeavors as possible in Indiana in order to draw attention to the creative contingent outside standard industry circles.

[edit] Live

The Elms have become known for their raucous live performances, and are considered by many to one of the top new live rock bands in America. The band's U.S. touring in 2006 and 2007 saw them perform with the likes of Goo Goo Dolls, Cracker, Shooter Jennings, The Trews, Will Hoge, Gin Blossoms, and rock legend Peter Frampton among others. In early 2007, The Elms set an attendance record at Indianapolis rock club Spin, selling 490 tickets (the most tickets sold in the club's existence) and solidifying the band's presence as one of the fastest-growing new bands in the midwest. New tour dates from March through September are expected to be announced in the near-future.