Elliott Brood

Canadian alt-folk/country outfit Elliott Brood came together in 2002, centered on the songwriting partnership of Windsor, Ontario natives Mark Sasso and Casey Laforet. Bonded by a shared passion for Neil Young, the Band, and the Flying Burrito Brothers, the pair launched their collaboration as a duo while living in Toronto. At one of their first performances they met sound engineer Stephen Pitkin, who soon shifted from producing their material to joining full-time on percussion. Embracing a rural-inspired visual style, the group issued its debut EP Tin Type inside a paper sack that also held a handcrafted photo book styled after Old West imagery. The release gained traction on college radio, prompting a 2005 follow-up in the shape of their first full-length album, Ambassador, titled after the bridge linking Windsor to Detroit. As versatile vocalists and players of multiple instruments, the members developed a reputation for trading roles during live sets while blending shadowy acoustic roots textures with electric guitar-driven rock tracks.

Their sophomore effort, Mountain Meadows, earned a spot on the shortlist for the 2009 Polaris Prize. In 2010 the band supplied the original score for the independent feature Grown Up Movie Star. The next year they established their own imprint, Paper Bag Records, and delivered their third album, Days into Years. Maintaining a demanding road schedule, Elliott Brood appeared alongside the Sadies, Wilco, the Black Crowes, and numerous other acts. In 2013 they returned to the acoustic focus of their initial recording with the EP Tin Type II. For the first time relying on an external producer, they brought in Ian Blurton to capture their fourth album, 2014’s Work and Love. On the subsequent project the group turned inward, unearthing several unfinished song sketches from an old hard drive and reshaping them into 2017’s Ghost Gardens LP.