New York, NY – July 30th, 2021 – Elke – the moniker of Nashville musician and model Kayla Graninger – has announced her debut album No Pain For Us Here, due out on September 24th via artist collective Congrats Records. No Pain for Us Here marks a colorful art-pop rebirth for the singer-songwriter who let go of her creative crutches after working in the studio with producer/multi-instrumentalist Zac Farro (Paramore, HALFNOISE). Farro’s most recent production credits include Becca Mancari‘s critically acclaimed 2020 LP The Greatest Part.
Along with the news of No Pain for Us Here, Elke has shared the intoxicating bedroom pop single “I Can Help” – you can watch the Farro-directed music video HERE.
I wrote “I Can Help” as an ode to the somewhat dystopian life we all seem to have accepted as comfortable, myself included. And then how the responsibility always gets dumped on the people who didn’t even create the fundamental issues. Steel drums felt to be an appropriate foundation, and from there Zac and Co. worked their magic to lift up this song in an irresistible way. I’m very proud of this song, it is one of my favorites on the record. – Elke
On previous releases – 2018 debut EP Bad Metaphors (produced by Shawn Everett: The War on Drugs, Local Natives, The Killers) and last year’s follow-up EP Visitors – Graninger aimed to break down barriers of gender roles, utilizing the low end of her vocal register, inspired by songwriters like Nick Cave and Leonard Cohen. “Very male-dominated, very male-inspired,” Graninger explains further “I thought, ‘Why do females have to be [stereotypically] female?'”
Farro is instrumental in the expanded sound of No Pain For Us Here, playing drums (along with occasional bass, guitar, and synth) and frequently encouraging stylistic shifts. “[Zac] told me to sing a little higher and explore my range, and I got a little mad at him,” Graninger recalls with a laugh. “We got into arguments. It started out easygoing, and hearing myself [change stylistically] made it harder for me to sing in the studio. I’d have to leave and go sit in the car. I’d get overwhelmed. We butted heads because I really thought that was my thing.”
After breaking free of her comfort zone, No Pain For Us Here found its shape on songs like the disco-inflected “Mothers,” the dreamy indie-pop swirl of “Traveler,” the jazzy, string-bathed “Endless Love” and the album’s heartbeat “Vacuum” – which dropped last month.
Elke’s No Pain For Us Here is out on September 24th via Congrats Records. New Single “I Can Help” is available to stream now via Spotify, Apple Music, TIDAL and more. For all up-to-date information on Elke stay tuned to www.congratsrecords.com.
