Album Notes

The Eli Wise Band is a Folk / Rock group that formed out of the Oakland Experimental music scene. The story driven music has a strong beat, savvy vocal harmonies, and contrapuntally layered instruments featuring driving acoustic guitars, punchy melodic bass, and brooding piano melodies.

The Ashen Grove was inspired by the loss of my good friend in the Iraq War. I read myths and science fiction to better understand myself and our society. Joseph Campbell writes that when we are close to death, we are also close to life. Many soldiers have said the same, that when they fight, when they are in danger, they are also most alive.

There are so many perspectives one can take on war, and the Iraq War in particular. In this work, I primarily look at it in terms of disconnection. Even with, and sometimes because of, modern media, the solider and civilian's world are an unreality for each other. Somehow we expect young soldiers to hold onto this dualism without any violent after-effects. Somehow we expect young civilians, inundated with a constant stream of media, to maintain contact with the presence of loss.

The Eli Wise Band is comprised of:
Eli Wise – composer, voice, guitar, piano
Damon Waitkus – banjo, piano, guitar, voice, percussion, bass
Luke Selden – Bass
Jim Kassis – Drums

We are joined by guest artists
Caroline Pendwarden – accordian, pump organ
Emily Packard - viola
Joe Lewis – upright bass
Tucker Jessum - trumpet

I will soon post a link for full album credits
Thank you so much for visiting,

Eli Wise