New Song
"Take It All"

Who better to re-introduce a band than their new drummer? Especially when no one else wants to write the bio. That feels about right for a drummer. I’m JR. I’m
still learning which songs end cold versus which ones trail off. So, if this reads less like a polished press release and more like someone doing their homework, that’s because it is.

What I can say is that I’m glad to be here.

Before I joined, I did what anyone would do. I listened. A lot. The band has been puƫng out records steadily over the past several years. I wasn’t around for any of those, so I experienced them the way most listeners would: on headphones, trying to piece together who these people are through the songs. 

What struck me first is how the music feels unforced. It’s guitar-driven rock, yes, but not in a chest-thumping way. Songs unfold patiently. There are hooks, but they don’t beg for attention. Tracks like “On The Table” and “Flaw In The System,” have that quality where they grab you on the first listen, then later you realize there’s more going on underneath.

The band has built a modest but steady following. Their Spotify numbers now sit comfortably over five figures in monthly listeners; a growing group of people who come back and press play again. There’s no big theatrical mythology. No friendship bracelets. Just songs, released consistently.

I learned that E&S has opened for everyone from The Spoons to Richard Lloyd to Lowest of the Low and were even personally invited to play dates with punk icon Laura Jane Grace, the latter of whom was taken enough with the band to share “On The Table” with their Patreon subscribers.

I’ve read the comparisons too - the usual reference points people reach for when they hear thoughƞul, melody-forward alternative rock. I won’t list them because I’m still figuring out what I hear versus others hear. But I understand the thread people are tugging on: melody matters here. Words matter. The songs aren’t ironic. The lyrics are honest and carefully crafted. They mean what they say.

I should admit something: I didn’t play on the new record, Philistine Vulgarity. I’ve learned most of it by now but I wish I’d been there to lay down the tracks. It was produced by Ron Hawkins of Lowest of the Low, one of my favourite songwriters. There is a certain clarity and confidence in the sound that comes from that collaboration. The record itself leans into what the band already does well: layered guitars, reflective lyrics, choruses that feel more discovered than engineered. There’s an undercurrent of tension running through it, a kind of searching restlessness.

It’s strange joining a band right as a new album is about to come out; you feel proud of something you didn’t help build. But if you’re looking for a grand statement about what Elephants and Stars represent in the modern musical landscape, I’m not going to deliver it: I’m just the drummer.

I asked Manfred if he had any quotes he wanted to add, but he said, “Nah, they can listen to the record and figure it out.” From where I’m siƫng, that’s the best advice.

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