It’s called chemistry, an elusive quality that can be part history, part mystery and all intangible until the moment you feel it. It’s a meant-to-be melding of the emotional and creative that can happen between songwriters, performers, best friends or life partners. For Josh and Nicole Johnson – the duo Elenowen – that connection is all of the above and more. And on their self-titled EP, the chemistry they share is as rare – and real – as it gets.
Though emerging from the same Nashville-based Americana-folk scene as The Civil Wars, Elenowen deliver a sonic glow all their own. Amidst haunting harmonies and elegiac lyrics, their songs flow with an undercurrent of yearning, surrender and unexpectedly sharp edges.
“We strive to maintain vulnerability in our music,” Josh says. f”We write about our own lives as well as relationships we relate to. We think it creates an intimacy that’s connected to the music.”
The sound is roots-driven, with accents of cello and pedal steel cutting a deeply evocative facet. Even the name Elenowen is an authentic nod to heritage, with Ellen being Josh’s mom’s middle name and Owen being the middle name of Nicole’s dad. “They’re the sides of the family we each got our music from,” explains Josh. “What’s in our hearts will always come out in what we do.”
The first track on duo’s EP, “Flying for the First Time,” soars with uninhibited vocal harmony and lyrical beauty. “Blood and Bones” is a towering paean to the physical and emotional bonds of desire. “Head to My Heart” reconciles intuition with passion via Nicole’s potent vocals. “We Were Better Off” is a shimmering reflection of lost innocence and mislaid dreams. And “Bittersweet” is a hushed and moody twist on traditional love songs. “I believe in true love,” explains Nicole. “I also believe true love is never easy.”
But what about that thing called chemistry? For Elenowen, it’s a one-of-a-kind formula that’s about to become bigger than the both of them. “Our chemistry is what keeps us going,” says Nicole. “We fight for it in our marriage, in our friendship and our music. These songs are so much a part of us, and the emotion is so real, every time we sing them, it’s almost as if we’re feeling them for the first time. What Josh and I want is for people to get inspired and connected by what we do.”
Source: Dualtone