New York, NY (Top40 Charts) On
September 9th, vulnerability and carnal desire go head-to-head on Elise Davis� debut album The Token which will be released via Make The Kill Records / Thirty Tigers.
Today, The Nashville Scene premiered the single "Make The Kill" and called The Token "a smoldering rocker of an album." "When I wrote that song, I was going through a breakup and the process of relocating," said Davis about the song. "I left it open ended on purpose. I think it speaks to a universal feeling when something is over, and you are not ready to accept it."
Stream the track via Soundcloud:
The Token is now available for pre-order and includes immediate downloads of "
Finally" and "I Just Want Your Love."
This morning, American Songwriter premiered "I Just Want Your Love." �This song speaks to the issue I have with the opposite sex," said Davis about the song. "I know what I like, but in the end, I�m unsure of a commitment."
PopMatters premiered "Finally," "the only lighthearted happy song on The Token,� says Davis. �It�s a rock song about feeling good, disconnecting from everything electronic, and present in the moment.�
BULLETT Media premiered the video for the album's title track, the first song to be released from the album.
"'The Token' is the title track from my record and the mission statement. It's details a metaphorical fork in the road. On one side, you have a more traditional path that is still very prominent in the south. On the other side, you have the modern perception of sexuality and womanhood," said Davis about the song. "The message is no matter which path you choose, there will be both good and bad. No one is perfect and everyone fucks up. And that's ok."
The Token was produced by Sam Kassirer � keyboardist in Josh Ritter's band and an accomplished producer known for work with the likes of Ritter, Lake Street Dive, Erin McKeown, Langhorne Slim, and others. During the winter of 2015, Davis and Kassier decamped to his Great Northern Sound Society studio in rural
Maine to record the album.
The instrumental support was delivered by guitarist Josh Kaufman (Day of the Dead collaborator with
Aaron and Brice Dessner of The National,
Craig Finn, Bob Weir), bassist Bradley Cool (Shannon Van Etten, Indigo Girls), drummer Matt McCaughan (Bon Iver, Hiss Golden Messenger).
The Token puts a microscope on the southern dynamic between the sexes, and the
Little Rock, AR native�s inner turmoil, founded on her life�s trajectory against a more traditional path. Elation and ache play a tug-of-war.
�I really can�t express my vulnerable feelings � especially towards men I've had feelings for over the years,� Elise confesses, �But, I have no trouble writing down painfully honest lyrics about it.�
The Token is a rare piece of art born of risk and actually sounding like a risk that paid off. Elise Davis is putting her human condition in the forefront for all to hear; The Token delivers an unrelenting living contradiction, one born of her past while wrestling with the present.
Elise Davis will be on the road this summer including select dates with Jonathan Tyler and
Brandy Clark. Watch Davis perform "
Finally" live at
Music City
Roots on August 3, 2016.
The Token is available for pre-order and will be available digitally and on CD and Double-disc 180 gram transparent vinyl. The vinyl edition will include two exclusive bonus tracks from The Token sessions.
Tour Dates:
8/12: Nashville, TN - Tomato Arts Festival
8/13: Atlanta, GA - Terminal West %
8/18: Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater $
8/19: Wichita, KS - Barleycorn's $
8/20: Oklahoma City, OK - Wormy Dog Saloon
9/1: Cincinnati, OH - The Woodward *
9/11: Nashville, TN - 3rd & Lindlsey - WRLT Event with
Jasmin Kaset
10/2: Austin, TX - Austin City Limits
% - with
Brandy Clark
$ - with Jonathan Tyler &
William Clark Green
* - with the Sheepdogs
