Transforming elements from genres as diverse as electronica, house, pop and neo-soul, the result is a web of sound that threads poetic lyricism and unfamiliar instruments over a backdrop of electronic elements and synth-heavy dance beats. Elder Island are singer and cellist Katy, bassist and beat engineer Luke Thornton and guitarist and synth virtuoso David Havard. Though none of the three hail from Bristol, the trio met there during University and their respective studies in graphic design, fine-art and photography have doubtlessly provided the band with its diverse creative sustenance. Formed six years ago as an experiment-come-hobby, the city brought them together through house-shares and nights spent out dancing. Bristol’s genre-splicing music scene providing fertile ground for inspiration and opportunity. What began with casual jam sessions at home grew into something more serious when in 2014 an eponymously titled debut EP took off in an unexpected way. Where their debut EP had been an ambient soundscape of field recordings, loops and percussive elements, its follow-up, 2016’s Seeds In Sand was a more cohesive collection of five dance-influenced tracks. Upbeat tracks like Bamboo and Key One were huge hits with fans and marked the beginnings of the band’s now signature dance-inducing live shows. Elder Island’s magic originates in part from their intriguing and protracted songwriting process. Every song starts as a jam session in their converted basement studio, drifting and finding its own direction as ideas and instruments are thrown into the mix. These sessional meanderings can last for several hours and, post-jam, the band begins the long task of sifting, stitching and blending together to create something cohesive that can then be cut to size. The band admit that this process can be arduous as the trio can tend towards being over-fastidious when it comes to finalising their creations but in many ways, this method proliferates their experimentation and creativity. Released in February 2019, The Omnitone Collection is an extraordinary album that boasts ten tracks that are rich tapestries of tiny moments in time, but also sweeping soundtracks riven with ambition. They are songs to lose yourself in and be swept away by, but also to decipher and contemplate. The band created bespoke artwork to Accompany the album, describing the The Omnitone Collection as an “integrated concept”. This form of commitment is evidence of the hands-on, DIY approach the band undertakes in many aspects of their music. The collaborative nature of their work shines during live performances where Katy, Dave and Luke’s charismatic friendship radiates as much from their music as from their on-stage interaction. Their crowd-pleasing live shows have taken on a shape of their own, irrespective of the recorded music. Refusing to rely on electronic backing tracks or pre-recordings, they create unique and atmospheric live shows where multi-layered beats and melodic broodings, stir emotions and never fail to get crowds dancing. Initial headline tours of the UK in 2017 and 2018 were a sold-out success and March 2019 saw Elder Islands first headline tour of Europe followed by North America. Following a summer of festival shows, in early September 2019 the band commenced the second half to the ‘The Omnitone Tour’ with over 40 dates in North-America and Europe. These include sold-out shows in New York’s Bowery Ballroom, El Rey Theatre in LA and an electric, sold-out performance at London Roundhouse. Following the new year, the band is eager to get back to their self-built basement studio to start creating new music. In light of this year's accumulating achievements, having undoubtedly made a distinctive home for themselves in our musical landscape, 2020 promises great things for Elder Island.