Ghost of Summer Suns
Ghost of Summer Suns is the new solo project from Atlanta-based songwriter Elizabeth Elkins. Elkins creates what Resonator Magazine calls “confessional, winter-kissed soundscapes and swirls of midnight” reminiscent of Aimee Mann, PJ Harvey or Imogen Heap. Her songs have been described as contemporary epics that could easily double as provocative, stand-alone poetry.
The debut Ghost of Summer Suns recording is a self-titled EP, released on iTunes in winter 2010. The five-song recording includes “Gifted” (a Tears for Fears-style lament about a talented musician who gives up playing to start a family), “Winter Card” (a retrospective of watching a life destroyed by madness), “Indie Landfill” (a kiss-off to the Atlanta indie rock scene), “Firetrap” (the story of a small town in Alabama you can never escape) and “White Coats” (a final good-bye to a very-bad-for-you lover, with musical hints of Peter Murphy and Midge Ure).
Tracked in Atlanta over the last six months of 2008, the EP features Derek Murphy (Angie Aparo) on drums and James Hall (Pleasure Club) on bass.
A Grand Prize winner of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, Elkins wrote one of the highest-charting unsigned singles on commercial specialty show playlists. Her songs have been heard on ABC, FOX, The CW, The WB, TNT, FX, VH1, CNN, The N, The Discovery Channel and MTV. A veteran of stages including New York City's The Living Room, Nashville's Bluebird Cafe, the CMJ New Music Marathon and the BMI/Billboard Acoustic Brunch at SXSW, Elizabeth splits her time between Atlanta, New York and Nashville performing and co-writing. Her albums have been heralded as “best of the year” by the Nashville Tennessean, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Georgia Music Magazine.
In her additional role as singer/guitarist of the modern rock band The Swear, Elkins has been lauded by Paste Magazine for her “thundering certainty”, by Chuck Eddy of Rolling Stone for her “tough, assertive and expressive vocals” and by Guitar Player as a guitarist in “total command of meaty riffs, feedback swells, dynamics, and churning, crunching chords.”
Band Buzz
Resonator Magazine writes about debut album from Ghosts of Summer Suns
Elizabeth Elkins is a singer-songwriter you call when you need to rock-and note, if you will, that there are two parts of this sentence that seem to contradict one another-”singer/songwriter” and “rock”.
- Resonator Magazine
Bitch Magazine loves Ghost of Summer Suns
"It's the talented Ms. Elkins's surprising decision to go at it alone that has done her the most justice. Ghost of Summer Suns, the Alabama native's solo project, gives her punk-rock muscles a break; instead, it offers up a new style that's instrumentally complex and roomy enough to showcase her capacity as a lyricist. Compelling throughout, Ghost of Summer Suns proves that Elkins's departure from her past is a step in the right direction." -Claire Ashton
- Bitch Magazine
Indie Ball writes about Ghosts of Summer Suns and Elizabeth Elkins
A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to get the lowdown on a terrific indie talent coming through town, playing under the name “Ghost of Summer Suns.” (It’s all about who you know when it comes to finding out about new music. Lucky you know us.) Despite the full-band name, Ghost of Summer Suns is a solo project for Elizabeth Elkins. It’s also perfect for those of us who scour the internets for the one, the only, Ultimate Female Indie Musician. Talent is one thing, and Elkins has it in spades.
- IndieBall
Largehearted Boy picks "Gifted" for his Daily Downloads
Ghost of Summer Suns: "Gifted" [mp3] from Ghost of Summer Suns
other Ghost of Summer Suns posts at Largehearted Boy
- Largehearted Boy
