For Eliza & The Delusionals, making music has not only been a unifying force between them as a band of like-minded individuals, but it’s proven to be a mode of escape, into a soundscape marked by vibrancy and emotion. The group’s journey ‘til this point has seen them grow up on stages around Australia, their music arresting and speaking to music fans who yearn for that same sense of belonging and escapism. Now, Eliza & The Delusionals have arrived at their most significant career point to date, the release of their debut album, 'Now And Then'.
Hitting the ground running early this year, Eliza & The Delusionals made their triumphant return to touring, charging through a headline East Coast tour that included sold out shows in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney - the latter seeing the band scoop two sold out sets at the Oxford Art Factory. Today, they not only celebrate the release of their long awaited album, but the announcement of a national Australian tour, presented by Triple J in August and September.
The twelve-track collection is Eliza & The Delusionals in their purest form. An album that reflects on youth and the formative years that have influenced the mid-20 somethings they are today, 'Now And Then' is the perfect soundtrack to the band’s coming-of-age period.
Written by Eliza Klatt and Kurt Skuse, with added writing credits coming courtesy of acclaimed songwriters/producers in Sarah Aarons, John Hill, and Keith Harris, 'Now And Then' is a properly international effort. Sessions that took place between Australia’s East Coast and Los Angeles formed the sound of 'Now And Then', guitars and rhythms that feel fresh and contemporary while casting a nostalgic look back at the artists who brought similar ideas to prominence in the ‘90s and early ‘00s.
Recording took place between Airlock Studios, producer Konstantin Kersting’s studio and the home studio of Eliza and Kurt, with Eliza & The Delusionals being able to thrive as a unit throughout. It’s an organic strengthening of a dynamic you can hear right through the album: tracks like ‘Save Me’, ‘Bed Song’, ‘Halloween’ and ‘Give You Everything’ are immediate stand outs.
Speaking about the album, Kurt of the band explained, “This album really helped me get through a tough time in my life and I’m really glad I got to do it with Eliza. Between not being able to tour and also having to come back to Australia, this album and the whole process seemed like the only thing that mattered to us at the time."
He continued, "Even though it was an extremely hard place to live in, I’m happy to have gone through it and I hope people can hear even a little bit of what we tried to capture. It almost made a little world I could escape into and just write about things that have happened in either mine or Eliza’s life - almost like making a soundtrack to our past experiences. I suppose never having written an album before, it was a new experience and it honestly couldn't have come at a better time for us.”
Featuring singles 'Give You Everything', ‘Nothing Yet’, ‘Save Me’ and ‘YOU’, Now And Then continues to flesh out the vivid alt-pop and indie rock vibes powered by irresistible hooks and songwriting as it twists and turns. The songwriting partnership between Eliza and Kurt became galvanised as the album came together, sparking further drive to establish a studio of their own and, for Kurt, follow his production aspirations.
Frontwoman Eliza added, “I think this album was the best thing to come out of the pandemic for us. We had just dealt with a huge loss of all of our touring in America, and when we got back to Australia we both were feeling quite lost and sad. We took the opportunity to build a studio at home and bunker down and turn all of the feelings that we had been experiencing for the past two years into songs."
"It was a really nice way to cope with what we were going through, and also to deal with emotions and experiences that had happened in the past few years of our lives. I always feel lucky that I’m able to be in a band, and to be able to write music with my partner as well.”
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