Acclaimed folk duo Ordinary Elephant (husband/wife singer/songwriters Crystal Hariu-Damore and Pete Damore) returns with their enthralling self-titled album on May 3rd. After years of non-stop touring, Ordinary Elephant finds the artists at home in rural Louisiana, sharing stories and embracing stillness. The result is a powerful, stripped-down, intimate collection of emotive and character-driven songs. Today Ordinary Elephant releases the up-tempo, hopeful “Relic of the Rain” which offers a snapshot of their personal love story. Watch the video HERE and listen via DSPs HERE. Pre-order Ordinary Elephant HERE.
For Ordinary Elephant, the duo enlisted producer/multi-instrumentalist Dirk Powell (Joan Baez, Levon Helm), recording the album in Powell’s studio in Beaux Bridge, Louisiana, on the banks of Bayou Teche. And while Crystal and Pete were wide open to all facets of the recording process, all three agreed that the raw, live takes perfectly encapsulated the essence of Ordinary Elephant. Crystal shares, “It was kind of a scary thought at first, to put ourselves out there in such a raw way. But honestly, this album is the purest distillation of our sound we’ve ever captured.”
The contemplative “Once Upon a Time” kicks off the album, followed by “The Prophet,” offering delicate guitar and banjo permeated by harmony. “Midlife” aptly offers a reflection on middle age, while “Here It Is” wrestles with the political and systemic issues of our times. The raw vulnerability of “They’ll Figure It Out” seamlessly leads into the confidence of commitment echoed in “Walk With You.” The uplifting “I See You” closes the album, as Crystal bares her soul in an open letter to her future self.
Ordinary Elephant began in 2014, when Crystal and Pete left established careers to pursue their passion for music, jumping into an RV and hitting the road. After years of touring constantly and building a fanbase, the duo earned the International Folk Music Award for Artist of the Year on the strength of their breakout album Before I Go. They followed up with 2019’s Honest, which the Associated Press hailed as “one of the best Americana albums of the year” and PopMatters called “one of the best folk duo records in recent memory.”
After a run at Folk Alliance International, the duo head out on tour on April 5th in Springville, NY. Dates are below and on their website HERE. Their shows, just like themselves, are anything but ordinary; transcendent and intimate, they focus on the magic and beauty hiding in plain sight.
Ordinary Elephant U.S. Tour Dates
February 21-25 – Kansas City, MO – Folk Alliance
April 5 – Springville, NY – Art’s Café with Peter Mulvey
April 6 – Rochester, NY – Café Veritas
April 7 – Albany, NY – The Linda
April 10 – Northampton, MA – The Parlor Room
April 11 – New London, NH – The Flying Goose
April 12 – Putney, VT – Next Stage Arts Project
April 13 – Portsmouth, NH – The Music Hall Lounge
April 14 – Haverhill, NH – Court Street Arts
April 16 – Cambridge, MA – Club Passim
April 20 – Middletown, CT – The Buttonwood Tree
April 21 – Frenchtown, NJ – Frenchtown Bookshop
April 24 – Hillsborough, NC – Eno House Artist’s Den
April 27 – Wilmington, NC – Live at Ted’s
April 28 – Bakersville, NC – House Concert
May 2 – Lewes, DE – The Listening Booth
May 3 – Washington, DC – Lucky Penny House Concert
May 4 – Chester, MD – Macum Creek Concerts
May 5 – Fruitland, MD – Delmarvelous Americana House Concert
May 8 – Roanoke, VA – 3rd Street Coffeehouse
May 11 – Hot Springs, NC – Rare Bird Farm with Tim Easton
May 15 – Columbus, OH – Natalie’s Grandview
May 16 – Marshall, MI – Northfield Mandolins Showroom
May 17 – Lake Orion, MI – 20 Front Street
May 18 – Grand Haven, MI – House of Lyrics
May 30 – Houston, TX – Mucky Duck
May 31 – Austin, TX – 04 Center
