FINDING ELYSIUM Release Cover Song & Video Of Heart's Classic 'Alone'

You would never know listening to FINDING ELYSIUM's newest single, "Alone" (Heart's classic #1 smash hit) that the song was recorded, mixed, and mastered in separate stages with band members and engineers in different parts of the world during the pandemic.

The song and video premiered yesterday on SonicPerspectives.com, and is now available to stream and download via Ingrooves on digital outlets. It can also be seen now on the band's official YouTube page.

"Since starting FINDING ELYSIUM with Angie, the comparison we most often receive is to the band Heart," explains singer/guitarist Noel Waters. "Ann and Nancy Wilson have been huge influences on us since we were old enough to make sound out of our vocal cords or hold an instrument. I thought it would be fun to take one of their hits and try to put our own spin on it. I believe that a song contains hooks that aren't just found in the vocals. For example, when people hear Heart's version of 'Alone,' they often think of that piano motif in the intro. I basically kept that same melody throughout as a recurring ostinato theme, and completely started from scratch around it. I kept the harmonic progression the same while reharmonizing wherever I felt it was necessary. I really wanted to honor the rock ballad vibe of the original, while adding some programmed synth layers to break up some of the live instruments. For the solo, I wanted to pay homage to the original, but also bring a little of my own style into it."

What makes the release of their favorite Heart song even more special and meaningful to FINDING ELYSIUM is Noel Waters' latest gift to herself: the new Epiphone Nancy Wilson Fanatic signature guitar that she proudly plays on the track. She recently did a demo and review of the guitar on FINDING ELYSIUM's official YouTube page, which can be seen here.

The 2020 pandemic put a sudden halt to performing live and the ways musicians work together, especially during the recording process. For FINDING ELYSIUM, to make matters more complicated, many of their band and creative team members returned to distant homes after the start of the lockdown. "We're not joking when we tell people that this band is from all over the world," said producer/guitarist Noel Waters, the only native of Los Angeles in the band. "When facing the lockdown, we knew we needed to have the recording process strategically well thought-out to give this alt-rock version of such a classic song a cohesive band sound."

While lead singer Angie Grayfox is originally from Moscow, Russia, she remained in Los Angeles with Waters to track her lead vocals. The recording was ultimately completed with guitarist/singer Niko Kiknadze at his home in Batumi, Republic of Georgia, bassist Alfie Lucero-Canaan in Mexico, and drummer Adam Soucy in New Hampshire.

With all of their respective tracks completed, Waters sent the completed session to recording engineer Raul Lopez (Grouplove, Lennon Stella, Lewis Capaldi) at Larrabee Studios in North Hollywood, CA. Working at a distance, Waters and Lopez completed the mix and then it was off to famed Grammy® award-winning mastering engineer, Joe LaPorta (David Bowie, Vampire Weekend, Royal Blood) at Sterling Sound in Edgewater, NJ. "It's amazing that when you listen to the recording, none of participants in the recording, mixing and mastering process except Angie and I were in the same room at the same time, but we were still able to still make it sound like a band thanks to modern technology," says Waters.

Angie Grayfox first moved from Russia to New Jersey at the age of 13 to train full-time to be a figure skater, but by age 17, the sport left her badly hurt. It forced her to think of what her next step would be and the teen came back to her life-long love of music. When she made the move to LA to study music full time, Angie met her future bandmate Noel.

Noel Waters has music in her blood. She is a fourth-generation musician going all the way back to her great grandmother, a stride ragtime piano player who worked in the silent movie theaters in the 1920's. She's studied multiple instruments and styles, including winds, percussion, keyboard and her main instrument, guitar, which she honed during her four years of studies at the Musicians Institute (MI) in Hollywood CA, where she also met her future FINDING ELYSIUM bandmates. While initially wanting to be a studio musician/touring guitar player, she quickly found a love for music production and composition.

Often the only two women in their classes at the Musicians Institute, they quickly became friends, bonding over a shared love of fantasy games, books, and films. Soon after, the newfound duo assumed the name FINDING ELYSIUM. The result? Narrative alt-rock that exists outside of societal expectation.

"To us, Elysium (from mythology) is a metaphorical realm that we created for our community as a place of rendezvous," explains Waters and Grayfox. "Our intention is to take listeners on a journey in search of 'Elysium' (hence the FINDING), where everyone will feel a sense of belonging regardless of interests, beliefs, or appearances. We've created this space where people can express themselves limitlessly. Our lyrical content serves as a form of escapism, while our fantasy-based image represents our love of all creatures that we grew up reading and writing about. As George RR Martin wrote, 'We read fantasy to find the colors again, I think... there is something old and true in fantasy that speaks to something deep within us.' In the end, we're all just lost voyagers searching for our 'Elysium.'"

Fans wanting to catch the band live should stay tuned to their Twitch page, where they've been hosting performances and chat sessions a few times a week.

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