Perth-born, Melbourne-based songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Alex Elbery takes an exuberant leap via his brand new single Ripcord. Releasing today with an accompanying whimsical music video, Ripcord is a warm and dynamic ode to falling in love, coated with billowing pop hues, driving alt rock undertones and an endearing Aussie tinge alongside heartfelt lyricism.
Starting production before the COVID pandemic, the journey to finally releasing Ripcord was lined with hurdles for Elbery, both internal and external. But against the odds and also sonically inspired by a myriad of iconic artists at the time, including Bruce Springsteen, The Clash, and Cyndi Lauper, Elbery’s buoyant capturing of impetuous love was also fortified by teaming up with prolific producer Jon Grace (Dear Seattle, Bakers Eddy, Kingswood, Dune Rats). “Ripcord was really a collaboration between Jon and I,” explains Elbery. “I wrote it, brought it to Jon and then we spent a fairly long time working to get it to be the best version it could be. Everything except the drums was played my either myself or Jon. Jon, who has since retired from music, is an absolute genius and I loved working with him.”
“Ripcord is a song about falling in love,” Elbery continues. “I wrote it as I was/after I had fallen in love with my partner. I wanted to write a love song that was honest and leaned into the messier, less fairytale aspects of falling in love. I liked the analogy of falling in love being like falling out of the sky. Your destination is inevitable but the velocity with which you’re travelling towards it determines whether you’ll land safely or crash and burn – hence – ‘pull on the ripcord.’ I’ve always been someone who rushes into things with reckless abandon, so this song was almost like a mantra I was writing to myself.”
Mastered by Tony “Jack The Bear” Mantz (Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Augie March, Silverchair), Ripcord is a lively and polished outing from Elbery, whose creative charms have previously been described as “Bruce Springsteen meets The Muppets” and “Outback Prince”. And while Ripcord is the first release of 2024 for Elbery, it also marks the debut single from a planned upcoming EP Unbelievably Good News; and the accompanying music video perfectly ties into the EP’s overarching themes, with the video production courtesy of Helen Turton, Jordan Laut and Jack Rintoul of Wendyhouse Films. “A big theme of Ripcord and the EP it belongs to is falling/flying,” Elbery shares, “so I wanted to create something that played with these ideas. There’s a scene in Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey where they’re falling to hell and they’re just falling for ages in this black void – I showed this scene to the folks at Wendyhouse and they took it and ran with it. They also came up with the idea of ‘ninja stage hands.’ It’s an idea that comes from Japanese theatre, it’s about acknowledging artifice, and I really loved that concept.”
Hailing from Perth, Alex Elbery has been immersed in creativity since he was five years old when he started playing the violin. Elbery went on to start his first band at the age of 13, putting on gigs at lunchtime while at school, and played in bands Mulder and Stereoflower before moving to Melbourne. A passionate supporter for social justice, particularly LGBTQIA+ issues and issues surrounding gender inequality, addiction, and mental health, Elbery also has a fondness for birds, particularly his two beloved pet cockatiels, and is a dedicated fan of wrestling (“I hate violence, but I sure do love some soap opera in spandex”, Elbery reveals). Currently also involved with other Melbourne bands Damaged Goods Club and Overthinker, the latest chapter for Elbery’s solo creative pursuits is sparked today by the release of Ripcord, heralding a new EP Unbelievably Good Things in the not-too-distant future, with a chance for fans to also catch the new tune live in action on Saturday 14 December at Melbourne’s Last Chance Rock & Roll Bar.
“Fans can expect a huge amount of energy, a huge amount of love, some silly outfits and a lot of bad dance moves,” shares Elbery of his upcoming live show. “I feel a mix of excitement and relief about the release of Ripcord. It’s been a long and weird road. We started production back before COVID and there’s been many roadblocks along the way; first lock downs, then my own personal struggles with addiction and mental health issues. I’m in a really good place now and just can’t wait to share this music with the world as it’s come to mean so much to me over the past few years that I’ve been working towards its release.”
Ripcord is out today, Wednesday November 6.
ALEX ELBERY – UPCOMING SHOWS:
SAT 14 DEC | LAST CHANCE ROCK & ROLL BAR, MELBOURNE VIC | 18+
TICVKETS HERE: https://tickets.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/bd2588ed-e8ab-4e54-a169-e74ea8f53c36