By Peggy Ratusz
From the Crystal Coast of North Carolina, I spoke to multi-faceted, multi-instrumentalist; multi-talented Eleanor Underhill, where she was visiting her family (social distancing guidelines in place) on Emerald Isle in late May. They all quarantined for weeks before heading to the beach for their annual reunion.
Born and raised in Williamsburg, VA, she moved to WNC to attend Warren Wilson College. A fearless musical explorer, she thrives on going places she’s never been before. Luckily she shares with us her discoveries and treasures via sound, lyric, rhythm and melody.
My first encounter with Eleanor was maybe 12 years ago, where I experienced first-hand her undeniable warmth, talent and easy going demeanor while co-billing with her at a local female artist showcase.
Since then she’s completed countless tours, nationally and internationally, with critically acclaimed Americana band, Underhill Rose; a band she co-created with guitarist, singer songwriting partner, Molly Rose Reed. Eleanor Underhill & Friends is a non-touring project she formed in 2014 with Zack Page on bass and Chris Pyle on drums. While simultaneously and successfully juggling these two endeavors, a solo project has now emerged for this visionary.
‘Navigate the Madness,’ was her first solo release in 2018, garnering praise for its rich tapestry and electronic sounds. Her latest release, ‘Land of the Living’ takes notes from ‘Navigate’ but resumes the journey down a tangent path of more sonic surprises and stylistic souvenirs.
From writing, playing multiple instruments, singing, producing, engineering and editing, ‘Land of the Living’ is in every sense of the word, a solo undertaking. “It was all recorded at home except for the drums, which were tracked locally at Echo Mountain Studio. I really wanted to push this one to a higher fidelity, and getting the drums dialed in professionally was a big part of accomplishing that. I recognize that not a lot of women are on the production side, and this solo project allows me to learn and explore; not only to follow my muse down unknown alleys, but also to push myself in more technical ways.”
“What makes this solo work so different is because I have that technology layer available to me. The real fun part for me is making decisions from a gut-impulse which comes from the multitude of influences that I’ve heard throughout my life. From Doo-Whop to rap to New Age and everything in between, I trust myself as I duck down into that rabbit-hole of sound.” The hardest part of the process she says comes during the editing phase.
While she consulted with knowledgeable friends concerning the mix, and she didn’t fail to mention that she relied on the expertise of Julian Dryer to engineer the drums at the studio, it’s important to note that she drove the bus.
The 13 tracks on ‘Land’ are a compilation and combination of “orphan songs” written over a decade ago, and ones written just this past fall. The production-based and exploratory nature on many of the pieces is fascinatingly evident while others possess a more singer-songwriter vibe.
There are unique and unexpected intros on several tracks. This is true for the first single being released as a video called ‘Strange Chemistry.’ “The intro is me singing acapella. I didn’t notice until the instruments kicked in that I was in the wrong key. But it was a beautiful accident I never planned for but decided to keep. It seemed natural to not squash it, given the sad overtones the song invokes.” Jesse Gentry from The Get Right Band plays a loose, free-flowing bass solo that is a stand-out.
“Run with the Wolves” has “a bit of female rebellion and defiance in it. It reflects how forward-pushing this project was for me. When I listen to it in my car, it makes me drive fast!” With layers of luscious harmonies in the chorus and a solo by Michel Buble’s baritone sax player, Jacob Rodriguez, the song reaches new heights for Underhill, vocally.
“Didn’t We Have Fun” is a statement and a question, sarcastic with “mixed emotions.” Another track, “Gambling” she says is one of the older tunes that got a big “facelift in terms of approach. It’s a metaphor that being a musician and artist is like being a gambler. I was experiencing an unsteady time when I wrote it, and working on it for this record, pushed me to put a modern feel to it.”
“On the Way to Engelhard” is my personal favorite melody and theme, though the rest of the tunes are certainly neck and neck for 2nd place. For me, it conjured a place I used to visit as a child, that like Engelhard, is different to me now that I’m older, not only because the ravages of time have stripped it of its charm, but because I’m different now too.
The title track is sparse with a reggae vibe. Eleanor referred to it as a “revelation” song. “I have absorbed the beliefs of my foremothers and fathers. I have to cast off what is not serving me. By casting off those ghosts I am fully embracing my life with freshness; rather than living in any hand-me-down shadow or burden.” It’s a song she finds particularly relevant now. “We are all experiencing a reckoning. We are all waking-up to a new awareness.”
There is an online album release premiere happening Friday August 7th at 7pm from Eleanor’s facebook timeline page: https://www.facebook.com/eleanor.underhill I invite you to tune in so that we can all watch together in real time!
Connect and stay up to date with all things Eleanor Underhill, by visiting her website: eleanorunderhillmusic.com
Peggy Ratusz is a vocal coach, song interpreter, and songwriter.
For vocal coaching email her at [email protected]