Katie Ellen

Following Chumped’s indefinite hiatus in late 2015, founding members Anika Pyle and Dan Frelly launched the two-piece Katie Ellen. The project took its name from Pyle’s grandmother, a prominent Denver, Colorado radio host who faced a lawsuit from her station after airing the name without permission. The duo promptly began touring and issued their opening demo EP, Wild Heart. Drawing on Teenage Fanclub’s power pop alongside the crunchy punk of their prior outfit, the recording reached Jeff Rosenstock, who promoted it through his donation-based online label Quote Unquote. Subsequent shows alongside Rosenstock, Cayetana, Thin Lips, and others led Katie Ellen back into the studio for their first single. TV Dreams surfaced in October 2016 via the Southern California indie label Lauren Records. After Adult Dude’s Eric Sheppard and Anthony Tinnirella joined the lineup, the group sustained its touring schedule through the remainder of the year and into 2017. Their debut album, Cowgirl Blues, recorded the year before, arrived that July on Lauren.