Elijah Johnston Releases “Stupid Soul” & Tour
Elijah Johnston will release Stupid Soul tomorrow via Strolling Bones Records. The 12-track set was produced by Tommy Trautwein at The Zoo in Athens, GA and is the follow up to Johnston’s 2023 Strolling Bones debut Hometown Vampire. Sometimes sharply witty and sometimes achingly plainspoken, Stupid Soul conveys big, complicated ideas with grace and generosity.
Whether the Atlanta-based songwriter is singing about young people struggling with their own bodies or baby bands trying to find their sound or anybody weathering football season in a college town, Johnston writes songs about figuring things out. Met with critical acclaim, Under the Radar said “…Johnston has steadily developed a steadfast songwriting voice and an adroit talent for pop melodicism” while Glide Magazine said, “Stupid Soul does a great job mining both the personal and the universal, combining heavy topics with some of life’s breezier moments for a deeply enjoyable experience.”
Supported by arrangements that ingeniously blend Beach Boys pomp, girl group harmonies, Rundgren melodicism, and Athens, GA jangle, his lyrics pose questions rather than present answers. It’s an approach that leaves space for listeners to find a little bit of themselves in there. Daring and vulnerable, Stupid Soul is not concerned with overcoming demons or breaking bad habits. It’s more about living with those dark thoughts and finding sparks of joy in other people – a lover, a friend, or even his bandmates.
Today, Magnet Magazine premiered the album in its entirety, saying, “He’s a craftsman and a tinkerer all the way—a guy equally swayed by alt-rock’s arena-sized choruses and the refined singer/songwriter emoting of the 1990s and 2000s. The two aesthetics are hardly mutually exclusive, as Stupid Soul demonstrates time and again with its clear-eyed sentiments, easy hooks, efficient performances and polished production.” Hear it in full, a day ahead of its official release, HERE.
On Stupid Soul, Johnston is joined by Gideon Johnston, Drew Beskin, Tommy Trautwein, as well as Aidan Hill of Hotel Fiction on a rendition of Bruce Springsteen’s “Valentine’s Day,” and Jordan Reynolds of Rose Hotel on the song “Everything We Hold Dear.” Johnston wanted to spotlight everyone’s unique contributions and emphasize their particular dynamic as a band. In other words, he wanted it to sound like a record only these people could make, and their chemistry comes through in every song. Johnston says, “Even though it’s just one person’s name, it’s super collaborative. People have asked me, Why don’t you just come up with a band name? And the only real answer I have is that it’s too late. We’re too far down the track.”
They recorded songs at Trautwein’s home studio in the Normaltown neighborhood of Athens, a relaxed space where they could take their time tinkering with the songs. It was summer in a college town, so it was hot and humid but “nobody was around. Athens in the summertime feels like you’re living on Mars. Everybody’s gone. So there were no distractions.”
Elijah Johnston has announced his initial live performances in support of Stupid Soul. To celebrate the release, he will appear tomorrow night at the legendary 40 Watt Club in Athens, GA during the town’s annual ATHFEST. Please see live dates, with more to be added, below.
Elijah Johnston’s Stupid Soul will be available across digital platforms, compact disc, and green color vinyl. It is available NOW via STROLLING BONES RECORDS.
Stupid Soul Track Listing:
- Leonard
- Ideas
- Keep it to Yourself
- Baby Bands
- Oxygen
- I Know What You Did Last Summer
- Days Like These
- Instant Replay
- Everything We Hold Dear (ft. Jordan Reynolds of Rose Hotel)
- Valentine’s Day
- Double Fault
- Football Season
Elijah Johnston Live:
June 20 – Athens, GA – 40 Watt
July 24 — Atlanta, GA — Eddie’s Attic (w/ Rhett Miller) *
August 3 – Chapel Hill, NC – Local 506
August 4 – Washington, DC – Pie Shop
August 5 – Brooklyn, NY – Purgatory
August 6 – Lowell, MA – Thirsty First
August 8 — Charlotte, NC — Snug Harbor
August 9 – Charleston, SC – Royal American
August 20 – Chattanooga, TN – JJ’s Bohemia
August 21 – Louisville, KY – Whirling Tiger
August 22 – Chicago, IL – The Burlington
August 23 – Davenport, IA – Raccoon Motel
August 25 – Nashville, TN – Drkmttr
September 4 — Greenville, SC — Swanson’s Warehouse
September 5 — Savannah, GA — El Rocko Lounge
September 6 — Jacksonville, FL — The Walrus
*Solo Performance
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