Cheeky New Single, "Shiny Hazel Gumdrops," From Singer/Songwriter Elliott Blaufuss Out Now

ROOTS SINGER/SONGWRITER
ELLIOTT BLAUFUSS
RELEASES SOPHOMORE SINGLE FROM DEBUT LP
“SHINY HAZEL GUMDROPS”

FORTHCOMING ALBUM
THE SEA BETWEEN US
DUE OUT FRIDAY, MARCH 10

Above: “Shiny Hazel Gumdrops” Single Artwork

NASHVILLE, TN (February 8, 2023) — Nashville-based roots singer/songwriter Elliott Blaufuss showcases his creative songwriting and ear for a catchy tune with his cheeky new single, “Shiny Hazel Gumdrops” — out today. The next look into his upcoming full-length record, The Sea Between Us, the song is an ode to the lonely hearted and the feeling of longing for love. With tinges of Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon” and old Italian art songs, “Shiny Hazel Gumdrops” sounds like an old classic we all know and love. 

Elliott Blaufuss is emerging with the next installment of his solo career. Weaving together the essences of isolation, transformation, and rebirth through the pandemic in conjunction with his journey towards sobriety, Elliott’s 10-track debut album — The Sea Between Us — is due for release on Friday, March 10.

Above: ‘The Sea Between Us’ Album Artwork

On January 11, Elliott delivered the album’s lead single, “Dive Motel,” which was praised by Blue Ridge Outdoors as “A standout lead single… the breezy strummer is an anthem for road weary travelers — particularly hard-working musical lifers — who have plenty of experience checking into less-than-ideal accommodations after a long day on the highway.” The single also received spins on WMOT Roots Radio Show “Local Brew Hour.” Watch the “Dive Motel” music video here.

“Dive Motel” is the reminiscent, lighthearted, road song that embodies that home away from home he became accustomed to. “I learned to love a real dingy motel,” Elliott shares. “We used to stay at a place called the Motel 75 in Moorhead, MN, and that's where I fell in love with the flower bedspreads and the ashtrays.”

As he finds himself in this next chapter of life, Elliott reflects: “Being clear headed can’t be overstated for what it did to my life and my work, it took the haze out of things, I felt more in tune in every way.” Channeling this new clarity into his art, The Sea Between Us was born.

Having spent so much time in the music industry already, it’s a wonder Elliott has waited until now to finally release his first full project. “The space of 2020 allowed me to quiet everything in my life and truly search for what I sounded like and what I wanted to say,” says Elliott. “I tried not to steer the ship too much and just let it come through me and this was as honest as I could be for that time in my life, so why not now?” The last few years have taken so much from so many, but simultaneously provided opportunities for reset and growth that we otherwise wouldn’t have had and probably the biggest feat of all for Elliott, was gaining back his confidence in himself and his craft.

Elliott put his heart and soul into The Sea Between Us. As a multi-instrumentalist, he played 13 of the instruments on the album including, acoustic and electric guitars, mandolin, accordion, bass, keyboards, Rhodes, Hammond B3, tenor sax, flute, melodica, drums, percussion, glockenspiel in addition to vocals. To give the album its comprehensive sound, he also had support from Cody Angel (pedal steel, Oahu guitar), Matt Menafe (banjo, mandolin), Sara Douglas (Vox) and Giovanni Rodriguez (upright bass, congas).

Elliott is ready to give the world his debut album with the message that, “the distance and depth between us can be isolating or it can be the fabric which ties us all together, it's only perspective that makes the difference.” While there’s so much density and emotion within this record, Elliott is still the same guy as he was when he started his first band at 10 years old — just “aiming to be the best performer at the funfair,” he concludes. 

Above: Elliott Blaufuss; credit: Reed Siler

Tracklisting for The Sea Between Us:
“Ain’t Worth Nothin”
“Dive Motel”
“One Broken Heart”
“The Deep Within”
“The Ballad Of Brice Jenkins”
“Today Again”
“Shiny Hazel Gumdrops”
“M’aingeal”
“Dead End Street”
“How It All Works”
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