Biography
Seattle musician Eric Elbogen channels his solo indie rock project Say Hi through an expansive catalog of self-produced recordings that range from vampire-themed concept albums to introspective explorations of isolation. He initiated the project in New York during 2002 under the full title Say Hi to Your Mom, immediately adopting a hands-on D.I.Y. approach paired with a consistent minimalist visual identity that defined his output for years. Working alone as singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist, Elbogen maintained complete creative control from the outset. After delivering the 2006 release Impeccable Blahs, he shifted his base to Seattle and aligned with Barsuk Records, the imprint that later issued Oohs & Aahs in 2009 and Um, Uh Oh in 2011.
A native of California, Elbogen relocated to New York in 2000 and established both Say Hi to Your Mom and his independent Euphobia Records label two years later, using the latter to issue his debut Discosadness. He captured that album and its 2003 follow-up Numbers & Mumbles entirely on a self-built PC, showcasing an evolving acoustic style shaped by his direct involvement. For 2005’s Ferocious Mopes, he expanded the lineup by recruiting drummer Chris Egan III and former Sea Ray keyboardist Jeff Sheinkopf, who joined after the band had toured behind Numbers & Mumbles. North American dates alongside Nada Surf came next, while additional performances with Dirty on Purpose accompanied the arrival of Impeccable Blahs in 2006.
In 2008 the ensemble shortened its name to Say Hi and unveiled The Wishes and the Glitch that February, simultaneously securing a deal with Barsuk Records and settling in Seattle. Elbogen recorded the group’s sixth album Oohs & Aahs single-handedly in his home studio the previous year, and it appeared in early 2009. The seventh album, Um, Uh Oh, followed in January 2011 and included the track “Devils,” which featured on the Scream 4 soundtrack. His eighth studio effort, Endless Wonder, arrived in June 2014 and examined the “presence and absence of love.” Continuing his unconventional streak, Elbogen issued Bleeders Digest in 2015, a vampire concept album positioned as a sequel to the earlier Impeccable Blahs. He returned in 2018 with Caterpillar Centipede, an album whose title alluded to the infectious “earworm” quality of its pop constructions.
A native of California, Elbogen relocated to New York in 2000 and established both Say Hi to Your Mom and his independent Euphobia Records label two years later, using the latter to issue his debut Discosadness. He captured that album and its 2003 follow-up Numbers & Mumbles entirely on a self-built PC, showcasing an evolving acoustic style shaped by his direct involvement. For 2005’s Ferocious Mopes, he expanded the lineup by recruiting drummer Chris Egan III and former Sea Ray keyboardist Jeff Sheinkopf, who joined after the band had toured behind Numbers & Mumbles. North American dates alongside Nada Surf came next, while additional performances with Dirty on Purpose accompanied the arrival of Impeccable Blahs in 2006.
In 2008 the ensemble shortened its name to Say Hi and unveiled The Wishes and the Glitch that February, simultaneously securing a deal with Barsuk Records and settling in Seattle. Elbogen recorded the group’s sixth album Oohs & Aahs single-handedly in his home studio the previous year, and it appeared in early 2009. The seventh album, Um, Uh Oh, followed in January 2011 and included the track “Devils,” which featured on the Scream 4 soundtrack. His eighth studio effort, Endless Wonder, arrived in June 2014 and examined the “presence and absence of love.” Continuing his unconventional streak, Elbogen issued Bleeders Digest in 2015, a vampire concept album positioned as a sequel to the earlier Impeccable Blahs. He returned in 2018 with Caterpillar Centipede, an album whose title alluded to the infectious “earworm” quality of its pop constructions.
Singles
