Devils Elbow

Devils Elbow are making some of the most combustible rock and roll this side of the Black Keys. A raw mix of rock, punk, blues, country and once the flames have subsided, a smoldering lightness of touch that will leave you spellbound, with sooty face and electric hair.

Like matches and petrol the two members of Devils Elbow have very different properties. Alec Withers, a part-time champion in Napier’s beer tasting scene and the main man behind Big Blue Blanket and Tempo 38, living on his Hawkes Bay country estate with his plastic trophies and ‘no-name’ guitar collection. And Andrew Gladstone, the drummer for those Flying Nun sensations, Garageland, living in his Auckland mansion built with the money earned from years of songs played on “Neighbours” and “Home and Away”. And like matches and petrol these two should never have got together. Devils Elbow is trouble and someone will surely get hurt! Nothing too serious though son.

The two met after Andrew had moved to Napier to recuperate after Garageland’s grueling 2007 reunion tour had led to extreme exhaustion (2 shows in 3 days will burn out the best of ‘em). They met at the annual ‘Bring Up The Bay’ pie eating contest, and after a classy win to Alec’s Royal Kashmir team the Devils Elbow concept was born in the Leopard Clubhouse bar.

What sort of album influences Devils Elbow?

How Bizarre - OMC
I bought it when it first came out and still listen to it today, simple, diverse and original. Pauly would use lines that most people would cringe at, those parts become the favourites.

Check out their song "KO"

Devils Elbow - KO by musichype

Devils Elbow on the interweb

Devils Elbow performing "KO" live

Devil's Elbow 'KO' from Petra Alsbach-Stevens on Vimeo.

The NZ indie label Hit Your Head Music

The Devils Elbow debut album ‘SAND ON CHROME’ (final stages currently in the making), is due for release early this year. Recorded at Hit Your Head Music, the bands own studio/record label established by Alec Withers in 1996. Mixed and mastered by Ian G. Morris (Th’ Dudes, Dave Dobbyn, Greg Johnson). Although the recordings include a ‘full band’ sound, including bass, lead guitar etc, Devils Elbow perform live as a 2-piece playing stripped down versions of their songs, “You only need two things to play rock ‘n roll, that’s drums and guitar, the energy and essence of our tunes is never lost live, that’s the way we wrote them, the two of us.

» Hit Your Head Music's Website