Getting in on the act with DIY pop darlings, from left, Rob & Ellen; photographed by Elyse Schrock, cover art courtesy of the artists / Take a Turn Records.

In times of war, trouble, peace, and everything in between the in-between — there always remains a refuge and collective comfort within our international creative communities. Places to run to, the people that propel us forward, the benevolent and beautiful ones in spirit and deed that expand our consciousness, and open up our hearts in a spirit of unrelenting gratitude. The folks that herald from both near and far that share in the traditions of painting landscapes, portraits, paeans, musical suits, and other such song cycles that send us to sublime places and shift our perspectives. From providing that solace as found on an achy breaky AM radio frequency whilst out in the wide, zero cell signal wilderness, the dollar bin beatitude, to the gate-kept cult classic found on the record shop wall (purchased for an exorbitant amount from one of the last business savvy merchants still in the game). When the whole world feels wrong, or just whatever — the primitive painters and flâneurs of fancy tune us into those curious, strange terrains, and astounding new sensations.

Presenting the latest from the Blues Lawyer legends themselves, Rob & Ellen share their collaborative EP colossus In On It, out now on R. E. Seraphin’s illustrious imprint Take a Turn Records. Legacy lords of the contemporary Bay Area movement of interconnective scenes, movements, moments, and other such lore: Rob I. Miller and Ellen Matthews sharpen their synergistic sensibilities together to stir up something that feels soul quenching, vaguely nostalgic, gingerly flying in the breeze like windswept wishers blowing about in lush fields of wildflowers.

"So Many Californias" jet streams into the jingle jangle velvet mornings with a warm hearted romanticism. Rob & Ellen set sail upon the sun-kissed stories centered around fascinations with the western reaches of the pacific, mystified and mesmerized by the foggy mythos that permeates the mystique of the golden state. "Californias" is a place you have known, or maybe not known at all, a state that maybe exists but in the mind, a land of new and old beginnings, the spaces where histories hold meanings for the present (that hold prisms to the past and what possibilities lie ahead).

"Penny Fountain" arrives with psychotropic string loops, rocking with a wellspring of sweet and sentimental thoughts. It is here where present lives meet their past selves, finding a corresponding connection to the spirit that is their enamored opposite. “Penny” dazzles and delights like a water well of wonder that bursts with light and life from its very core, to the faculties of feeling, and exuberant expression that exists outside of the realms of simple definition. The mode down shifts on "Second Hand" that blends the signature Bay Area DIY style with a kind of intimacy reserved for practice spaces and the local humble dive venues that dwindle in numbers with each passing year.

In On It among the spring leaves; press photo courtesy of the artists.

And like these upheavals of both the latest Bay music sector resurgences, along with the aforementioned closures; "Scene Report" feels like a speed run through the various gigs happening on any given night through the perspective a die hard fan making their way through venue after venue in a night with no end, all condensed in a song that runs under a minute and half. Creating stirring to somewhat spooky and mysterious atmospheres in a mix that sounds timeless, aided by engineer Greg Francis: songs like "Cupcake Store" soar through the tenebrous of thought streams that lead to the most vulnerable places of guarded empathetic connections.

Spring season strums spill out all over everywhere on "Edge of Spring", a song that spares a pause for communion with the wisdom found in the inner sectors of intuition. The penultimate pastoral wades in the waters of deep thoughts that reckon, rollick, and roll in the riverways that flow toward to the next solstice. And all too soon, In On It arrives at its conclusion, knocking on the door of the rambunctious 90s with “Cosmic Error” that cranks up the distortion, the understated sense of ambition, and unbridled attitude set free in a thunderous flight turbine blaring power chords. Rob & Ellen make a move for the titular cosmos, going all in, inviting you all to join them on an unforgettable musical endeavor that seeks to embark upon new chapters of enamored enchantment.

*In On It* on display; press photo courtesy of the artists.

Rob I. MIller & Ellen Matthews provided some individual notes on the making of the In On It EP:

Rob

Most of these songs were written on the brink of significant change in my life, and they carry a lot of that anxious energy. Recording them quickly and simply felt like the right way to reach the kind of catharsis I was craving at the time. Working with Ellen consistently pushed the songs further than I’d imagined, even within those recording limitations. We were really in sync at the time, trading bands and albums back and forth, and I’m grateful to have made this together.

Ellen

When we recorded these songs, we mostly didn’t know what they were for. Our idea was to make some demos, but make them sound so good that they could be the actual songs — kind of a 90s Guided by Voices style lo-fi aesthetic. I think they ended up better than if they had been professionally done; plus, we had lots of fun making them. “So Many Californias” features my favorite guitar solo I’ve ever done, and I think “Cosmic Error” is the best song I’ve ever been a part of. Rob is an excellent singer and songwriter, and it was an honor to collaborate on these great songs.

Rob & Ellen’s In On It EP is available via Take a Turn Records on cassette & digital.

PREMIERE Rob & Ellen, 'In On it' EP

Rob

Ellen