EL VY release single “Paul Is Alive”

EL VY have just released their new single "Paul Is Alive"

EL VY, the collaboration between Matt Berninger (lyricist and vocalist of The National) and Brent Knopf (frontman/producer of Ramona Falls), release their debut album Return To The Moon on October 30th. The duo has just launched a video for new track “Paul Is Alive”.

EL VY’S previous single “I’m The Man To Be”, the visuals for “Paul Is Alive” were created and directed by Tom Berninger (Matt’s brother and director of the acclaimed Mistaken For Strangers film). His treatment is a candid portrait of Matt and Brent, capturing the pair behind-the-scenes, often illumined by the ever-present moon. ‘Paul Is Alive’ is the third new song to be released, following ‘I’m The Man To Be’ and ‘Return To The Moon (Political Song For Didi Bloome To Sing, With Crescendo)’

“I think ‘Paul Is Alive’ is about finally finding the water that you can breathe in, finding a place or a person that makes you feel like you,” Matt explains. “It’s very much my story of what Cincinnati was like, growing up and falling in love with music, discovering these little places where like-minded people could find each other.”

EL VY recently made their US TV debut last week with a live performance on Conan. Matt and Brent were joined by drummer Andy Stack (Wye Oak), bassist Matt Sheehy (Lost Lander) and backing vocalists Moorea Masa, Allison Hall and Margaret Wehr for a live rendition of title track ‘Return To The Moon (Political Song For Didi Bloome To Sing, With Crescendo)’.

EL VY (rhymes with ‘hell pie’) and Return To The Moon is a project Berninger and Knopf have been thinking about for years. Their friendship spans nearly a decade, starting back when the National and Brent’s previous band Menomena played small half-empty clubs along America’s west coast. Feeling an immediate musical kinship, the pair kept in touch, Brent sending Matt occasional rough sketches of music and Matt responding with melodies and lyrics. Finally, in the winter and spring of 2014-15, they actually got together to make an album.

Catch EL VY live as they head out for full-band performances with Stack and Sheehy on their first tour, next month:

November
02 – PORTLAND, OR, Doug Fir Lounge ^ £ SOLD OUT
03 – PORTLAND, OR, Doug Fir Lounge ^ # SOLD OUT
04 – SEATTLE, WA, Neumos # SOLD OUT
06 – SAN FRANCISCO, CA, The Independent # SOLD OUT
07 – LOS ANGELES, CA, Troubadour % SOLD OUT
08 – LOS ANGELES, CA, Troubadour # SOLD OUT
10 – PHILADELPHIA, PA, Union Transfer ~
11 – WASHINGTON, DC, 9:30 Club +
13 – NEW YORK, NY, Bowery Ballroom ~ SOLD OUT
14 – BROOKLYN, NY, Music Hall of Williamsburg ~ ¥ SOLD OUT
15 – CAMBRIDGE, MA, The Sinclair ~ SOLD OUT
16 – MONTREAL, QC, Theatre Fairmount *
17 – TORONTO, ON, Opera House *
19 – CHICAGO, IL, Metro * SOLD OUT
20 – MILWAUKEE, WI, The Turner *
21 – MINNEAPOLIS, MN, First Avenue *
December
01 – COPENHAGEN, Pumpehuset SOLD OUT
02 – HAMBURG, Grunspan
03 – AMSTERDAM, Melkweg SOLD OUT
04 – COLOGNE, Kantine
06 – BERLIN, Astra Kulturhaus
07 – BRUSSELS, AB SOLD OUT
08 – PARIS, Le Trabendo
09 – LONDON, Electric Ballroom
10 – LONDON, Electric Ballroom SOLD OUT
12 – MANCHESTER, Gorilla SOLD OUT
13 – DUBLIN, Vicar Street SOLD OUT

# w/ Hibou
~ w/ Wye Oak
^ w/ Moorea Masa
£ w/ Lost Lander
% w/ Ethan Lipton & His Orchestra
+ w/ Flock of Dimes
¥ w/ Mina Tindle
* w/ Søren Juul

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