theelms.net

Even rock bands go home for Christmas. The Elms, based in Indiana, have been on the road for weeks, touring the Midwest and South.

"We keep it close to home before the holidays," says lead vocalist and songwriter Owen Thomas.

The Elms are busy promoting its fourth album, The Great American Midrange, which was released in September. Thomas explains that the title is a metaphor he uses to describe "the great American working class...every song exists against that backdrop of fortitude or ambition and the thread of realism."

The brand of rock The Elms produces follows the tradition of Midwest rock with a country-blues tinge.

"Our music is all about people who are in situations that are very familiar to us: living, working, knowing people who are just trying to put one foot in front of the other," Thomas explains.

He dismisses the party-hard lifestyle of celebrities like Paris Hilton, saying that he doesn't know and doesn't care about that way of life. What The Elms do know is friendship.

"Our friendships and our brotherhood started long before we even decided to do music together," says Thomas, whose brother Christopher is the band's drummer."We've known each other since we were kids; at some point, it just becameapparent from our upbringing and fondness for music [that we should] get our buddies together and see what happens."

The four-member band consists of the two brothers, bassist Nathan W. Bennett and Thomas Daugherty on guitar. Everyone provides vocals.

"It's a pretty pure way for a rock band to start," Thomas comments, reflecting on how the band got its start in 2001. "We have such deep relationships and vested belief in each other [that] any little triumph we all share together...the word ‘friendship' is not even adequate."

The record was released by Trust Incorporated Records in conjunction with two distribution companies. It was mixed by Adam Kasper, who has worked with Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters, and mastered by Bob Ludwig, who has experience with the legends of U2, Radiohead and the Rolling Stones.

Trust Inc. is a label started by The Elms in response to past experiences with other labels.

"Sadly, our experiences with labels have only really disrupted out lives. Something always happens that we have no control over but it really has a dramatic effect on our lives and our ability to get our record heard," says Thomas.

The Great American Midrange is the first album released on Trust Inc. Records and debuted at number 18 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart. It also had the best first-week sales of all four albums.

"We have a model we're proud of," says Thomas, referring to the label launch.

The tour schedule is another point of pride. The band toured Europe in 2008 and has now performed more than 800 shows. Thomas explained that though they "rehearse a great deal to make sure the band is tight and the songs are well rehearsed and coming through to make sure it sounds great, we're equally committed to the super loose spirit of rock and roll." Feedback from the audience creates "uncontrollable variables; magical moments present themselves [and] my favorite part is really not knowing what's going to happen every single night."

The tour ends a few weeks before the year does, and Thomas makes a point of explaining his views on the passage of time.

"A lot of people in entertainment just dread the idea of getting older...I have no reservations about growing up and getting older; I actually really love that idea," he says. "Every time I walk out on stage I'm a little bit better than I was the night before."

The members of The Elms are 28 to 30 years old.

"We've played so much music together that at this point, all we can do is get better and stronger...our connections are deeper than the music."