As for when the new Elastica album is going to be released, don't hold your breath... The band have completed eight tracks but the official line is that 'it will be finished when it's finished'.
Donna is one of a number of the current music crowd who are involved in the forthcoming movie Velvet Goldmine which is a fictional look at the 70's glam rock scene. In the film Donna plays the part of a Suzi Quatro-type singer called Polly Small. The film stars Ewan McGregor (Trainspotting) as a wayward rock star.
The film and its accompanying soundtrack are due for release this autumn.
The site is unlikely to change much in the near future but will probably gradually evolve over time, much as it's done for the past two years...
There's still nothing definite on the horizon just yet, but you may like to read Sheila's note about life in the studio over the past few months which is accompanied by some pictures taken by her own fair hand...
The band will probably only play at one of the three venues but it's too early to say which one yet.
You can find an audio clip of the song on the subUrbia Soundtrack Page.
The next album is described as being a bit darker and mellower than the the first, although according to Dave there are still got some "bonkers songs" on it...
A Love Like Ours
is the first of
Elastica's new songs to be officially released and can be
found on
Volume 17, the
latest edition in the
Volume
series of CDs.
The version of
A Love Like Ours
is the one the band recorded for
Radio 1
and which was orginally broadcast back in August.
There is also an interview with the band in which amongst other things they discuss their relief at missing out on all the 1996 music hype, how they don't want to spend time doing the "kid's programme circuit", and how Dave's computer blew up at the Garage gig in protest at the excessive humidity!
Volume 17's catalogue number is 17VCD17
In a short article in this week's NME Justine describes how Donna has helped her get over a period this year where she had become disillusioned with life in the public eye, mainly due to the tabloids interest in her relationship with Damon.
The full article can be found in the on-line NME.
Geffen have just released a Christmas compilation album called Just Say Noël which contains festive tracks from various artists signed to the label.
Elastica's contribution to the album is Gloria. The version used is the same as that on the Waking Up and Connection singles (only the European release of Connection) which originally comes from a Christmas 1994 Peel Session.
Other bands on the album include Beck, Sonic Youth, The Posies and XTC. Part of the proceeds will be donated to the human rights organisation Witness.
Just Say Noël's catalogue number is GED 25107
The last piece of news about the band starting recording proper this month was a bit premature. They have actually got a recording studio booked from the beginning of November until the end of the year.
The reasons for the delay (other than the bass and keyboard personnel problems) was that the band have had to wait for their producers to become available and have also tried to get as much preparatory work done as possible before they start recording the new material.
The album will hopefully see the light of day in the spring.
Information from the NME, 19th October 1996.
Justine has been approached by Susan Stenger (Band of Susans) to play in her avant garde supergroup The Brood at the American Independents Festival at London's South Bank on November 6th. Other members include Gallon Drunk's Terry Edwards and Wire's Bruce Gilbert & Robert Gray. The group will play music by American composers such as John Cage, Christian Wolff and Phil Niblock.
Information from the NME, 12th October 1996.
The latest news is that the band will be entering the studio in October to record the songs for the next album.
Elastica have recorded a new session for Radio 1 which will be broadcast in the week starting 5th August on the Evening Session. The tracks recorded are:
Justin joined forces earlier this year with Alex James and Stephen Duffy [2] to record some background tracks for Damien Hirst's film art installation at the Spellbound Exhibition, which took place at London's Hayward Gallery in March.
The trio recruited Charlie Bloor, a friend of Alex, and recorded three tracks under the name Me, Me, Me which are now to be released as a single on the Indolent label. The single will be called Hangin' Around and is backed by the other two songs recorded in the session, Hollywood Wives and Tabitha's Island'. The current release date is July 29th...
The current situation with the new album is that the band are waiting for Flood & Alan Moulder to become available before they can start recording. Flood is currently working with U2, so nothing is likely to happen until their album is completed.
A new single is still hopefully down for release in August...
As for the new bass player, the band are almost certain who she will be but are keeping the information close to their chests.
Last weekend Justin once again joined the Pulp team for music industry six-a-side tournament at London's Mile End stadium. The full side was:
Meanwhile, Justine was at the Cannes Film Festival with Damon, where they were attending a screening of Trainspotting. They also turned up at the post-film party which was attended by a number of other British musical luminaries such as Noel Gallagher and Mick Jagger...
In the absence of any real news you might like to have a look at this month's edition of Q (the one with The Sex Pistols on the front). Inside there is a section called "I Knew Them When They Were Nobody" (or something similar).
One of the groups featured is Suede, and there is a picture of the band taken at one of their first gigs in 1990. They look really dodgy and if you didn't know the one on the left was Justine you'd probably never guess it was her, especially with the long hair she was sporting at the time. In fact you'd never know it was Suede unless someone told you. It's one of those "Did I really look like that ?" sort of pictures!
Elastica will be headlining the second stage at Pulp's two summer concerts. They took up the invitation after Justin played drums with Pulp on the David Letterman Show last week. Pulp's drummer Nick Banks was at home in Sheffield getting married. For more details on the concert dates, have a look at the tour page. The band have no plans for any other summer concerts.
Contrary to recent statements Elastica still have no permanent bassist. The previous statement from Geffen saying that Abby Travis had filled the post is now dismissed as speculation. The band are still auditioning bass players and have evidently narrowed the field down to three (two women and a man).
The band have written almost all the material for the next album and will start recording once the line up is complete.
Information taken from the NME, Melody Maker and ATN
Elastica are among a number of British bands who have donated CD's to Bosnian youth radio station 'Radio X' based in East Mostar. Other bands who have donated CD's include Sleeper, Radiohead, Lush and Shed Seven. The station has also received help and equipment from the likes of MTV and Sony.
Information taken from the NME, 7th April 1996
Geffen have announced (according to ATN) that Abby Travis has finally been confirmed as Elastica's new bass player. The problem of Abby living in the States seems to have been overcome, so it looks like she'll be relocating to the UK.
More news as it happens...
According to BBC Radio 1 Elastica (well Justine at least) have been in the south of France writing material for the next album. Either that or spending all the money Budweiser paid them for Connection!
This is a couple of weeks old but here goes anyway... From the Melody Maker's Studio Eye section:
Elastica are recording their second LP at Townhouse and Alaska studios.
They're going for a more "pub rock" sound on this album and have enlisted producers Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds to help them achieve it.
So we can we look forward to an album that gets more incoherent as it progresses, or is Justine going to sing in traditional "pub singer" style. Maybe she's been taking lessons off Vic Reeves...
Fashionably Loud, MTV's fashion show/rock concert is possibly
the only place you can see the band performing at the moment. The
show is being repeated on MTV throughout this week in America, have a
look at
MTV's schedule
to find out the exact broadcast times. The show is preceded by a
"Making Of..." programme, in which the band are interviewed backstage.
The actual event itself took place in late 1995.
Whether or not MTV Europe will show it (and when) is anyone's guess...
Elastica play four songs: Connection, Car Song, Hold Me Now and Vaseline.
You can find some stills taken from the show on Ron Owen's Fashionably Loud page.
Donna and Justine are considering renting a house somewhere out of the media spotlight (possibly outside Britain) so they can get on with writing new material without too many interruptions.
Elastica are now back home after finally finishing their mammoth touring stint which has taken them around most of the world in the past twelve months.
The band will soon start demoing tracks for the new album, and are looking to release a UK single in the spring.
Justine will presenting BBC 1's Top of the Pops show this Thursday (Feb 15th).
Budweiser are using Connection for a commercial which will be shown during the Atlanta Olympics. Elastica are just one of a number of Britpop(TM) acts who have been asked to participate in the commercial sponsorship of the 1996 Olympics.
In an interview this week with Australia's Undercover magazine, Donna mentioned that the band hope to have a new single out in the UK within the next two months. They will also be starting work on their second album as soon as they finish the Big Day Out tour.
The full interview will be published in issue 3 of Undercover
Elastica have been nominated in the Best Newcomer section for 1996 Brit Awards. The other nominees in the section are:
The band hope to have the next album commited to tape by Easter '96.
Abby will stay on as bass player until at least the end of the Big Day Out tour. No decision has yet been made about appointing a permanent bass guitarist.
Along with the Big Day Out dates, Elastica will be doing some extra dates in Australia. These will be with PJ Harvey.
I Want You is a contender for the next UK single release. It was originally recorded earlier this year but the band may have another go as it has changed radically during the autumn tour of the USA.
Car Song is still supposed to be released as a single in the USA, when however is anyone's guess...
The band won't be touring the UK again until they have sorted out a new set. They don't see the point of playing the same old stuff again. The same probably goes for Europe and the USA.
Elastica have recorded two new tracks with producer Alan Moulder and Flood. The UK release for these tracks will probably be some time in December. Also in December the band will finish the massive tour that they've been on for most of the last year. Plans are then for some holiday and then beginning recording a new album in March 96.
Information from Addicted to Noise 15th October 1995
Why I Left Elastica, by Annie Holland
Annie Holland left Elastica because she was fed up with touring and because she suffers with RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury).
"The touring just got too much, I missed my friends and family in Brighton. We'd been on the road for months and I'd been looking forward to a break after T in the Park and the Feile Festival. But then we were offered the Lollapalooza tour and I couldn't face it"
"I loved being in the band and I loved the people, but I just reached the end of my endurance... though maybe I should have stuck it out a bit longer as the rest of the band have just had a month off."
"At Glastonbury I could hardly hold my bass let alone play it. That's why I looked so miserable. It was only when the streaker came on that I perked up!"
Annie has told Elastica she is prepared to help if needed when they record new material.
"That's what I enjoyed the most, the creative process in the studio. When you're on the road all the time it's very hard to write new material, and I miss that."
Extracts taken from the Melody Maker, 21st October 1995
The Glastonbury Streaker Reappears...
According to this week's NME (21st October), Elastica are currently employing the infamous Glastonbury streaker as a temporary keyboard player on their current US tour.
Bono in "I Like Elastica" Shock...
A quote from this week's NME interview with Bono...
"I like the girlfriend of the guy in Blur, Elastica, she's got a great band. They're good."
High praise indeed ! (Depending I suppose on whether you like U2 or not)
As far as the UK is concerned, the band have recorded a number of new tracks but have yet to decide which to release as a single. Whichever one is chosen will be recorded in December for release in January.
On 24th September Justin joined the Pulp side in the Shelter celebrity six-a-side challenge at London's Mile End Stadium. Unfortunately he didn't help much and the side got hammered by Blur early on. Evidently Damon attempted an Eric Cantona special on Justin which nearly sliced his leg off at the knee!
The tournament raised 3000 pounds for Shelter and was won by the team from Apollo 440.
The band are also filming the video for Car Song which is to be released as a single.
In response to continuing rumours, a statement from Justine which amounts to:
Yes, Annie HAS left the band permanently. Basically it was the constant touring that was the problem and "There's no point doing something if you don't enjoy it...". The statement did say that they hoped Annie would still be part of future Elastica projects. So I assume that means in the studio.
Elastica are therefore now looking for a Bass player & Keyboard player. Despite this they still intend returning to the USA before the end of the year.
Evidently Annie has left the band ONLY for the rest of Lollapawotsit. The problem is basically one of "Tour Fatigue" coupled with tendonitis. Her doctor advised her not to play T In The Park, but she did and then decided that she couldn't carry on with the rest of the US dates. Elastica have been touring non-stop for almost a year now.
Abby Travis, Beck's bass player, has replaced Annie for the rest of the Lollapalooza tour.
Annie will rejoin the band in the studio next month, with a new single planned for the autumn...