We are very pleased to premiere the new track ‘Run Away From Me’ from Melbourne folk rock outfit The Elsewheres. Coasting on layered instruments fringed by delicious horns and sparkling acoustic guitars, the barbed wire-coated vocals are soaked in whiskey and regret as they tell a tale of heady love trysts and passionate desire.
With a folkloric telling of outrageous tales and a harmonious female backing singing that adds a softness to the delivery, this is a rollicking ride that swaggers like an old sea shanty with bravado and a sense of bacchanalian excess.
Lead singer and songwriter Oliver Northam explains rich story:
‘Run Away With Me captures a fantasy I’ve always had of an unexpected meeting between two unlikely lovers who, although uncertain, long to abandon their mundane lives. For me, it is a story of freedom and the beauty of a recklessly romantic love. Although fictional, Run Away With Me does draw from real moments and memories. The inspiration for the ‘topless bar’ in which our characters meet in the opening verse comes from my first job out of high school as a pianist at a burlesque bar. It’s within that smoky, sordid world that I see these characters breathing.’
It’s a song that has long been in the band’s repertoire and a firm favourite for band and audience alike. Northam says of the song’s genesis:
As the oldest song in our set, this little sucker has been with us in every crowded bar and every empty room for years. It’s the first song we ever played together as a band and it’s one of our absolute favourites because it can’t be played without smiling. I wrote this tune way back in high school and after such a long journey in my pocket it’s a very proud moment to finally be setting it free.
A fruity and buoyant fare indeed, with an infectious lilt and a knowing, wry smile:
‘Run Away With Me’ is released into the wild on Friday (9 June 2023) and can be pre-ordered here.
The band will be launching the single on Thursday, 10 August 2023 at the Curtain Hotel in Melbourne.
Northam promises a lot more to come from the band this year:
‘Run Away With Me’ is our first release in three years but it’s not going to be our last this year. We’ve been working like dogs to get some new material ready for your ears so keep ya mincers peeled, there’s something bigger coming!
Gird your loins and fasten your seatbelts – there is going to be some wild times ahead based on this offering.
