A member of the Elephant 6 Recording Company in its mid-to-late ’90s heyday, Elf Power embraced psychedelic-tinged pop as its wheelhouse, much like fellow label mates Apples in Stereo and Olivia Tremor Control. Since the effective passing of the label, Elf Power has continued to churn out consistent, well-regarded albums and build a dedicated international fan base. Most recently, Elf Power has embarked on a national tour alongside former label mates Neutral Milk Hotel.
Elf Power lead singer/guitarist Andrew Rieger sat down for an email interview with The Daily Cardinal, where he shared some of his hopes and dreams for the future as well as some personal tidbits from the band’s past and what has changed since they formed.
Daily Cardinal: How’s tricks?
Andrew Rieger: Doing well, we’re a little over halfway through a 33 show tour and all the shows have been amazing thus far!
DC: What’s it like being a member of Elf Power?
AR: It’s fun, writing and recording songs, traveling the world playing said songs for people.
DC: Is there any particular repartee or relationship between yourself and the rest of/anyone else in Elf Power?
AR: I’m the main singer/songwriter, so generally I write the songs and we work on the arrangements together as a band.
DC: What does an average day look like, getting ready for a show or just doing Elf Power things?
AR: On tour, lots of driving, searching out healthy food, hanging out with friends/fans, going for walks, reading.
DC: What would you consider Elf Power’s “home base” e.g. where you get together to record, where you live, where the band is from, etc.?
AR: Athens, Georgia.
DC: How did you come to reunite with Neutral Milk Hotel on tour? Is it a reunion?
AR: Elf Power’s first big tour in 1998 was a big national tour with Neutral Milk Hotel, so it is exciting and fun to be doing it again 15 years later.
DC: What’s the travel situation between Elf Power and Neutral Milk Hotel? Travel together? Apart? By bus? By plane? By dirigible?
AR: The bands travel separately in motor vehicles.
DC: Do you have any particular goals and/or things you’re excited about for this tour? Like, any cities/venues you’re looking forward to playing?
AR: Yes, tonight [Feb. 4] we are playing at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville which I’m very excited about as it has a rich history and is considered to have some of the best acoustics of any music venue in the world.
DC: How does performing live affect your song repertoire, in terms of how you play a song and which songs you choose to play?
AR: Certain songs come across better than others live, so we try to play songs with a good energy and feeling live as well as try to keep a good range of dynamics in the set by playing quiet songs and loud songs and mixing up the instrumentation in the set as well.
DC: What has changed the most since you formed in the early ’90s, in terms of making/releasing albums?
AR: Digital technology has changed the way we record as well as release albums, but the basic songwriting approach has been fairly consistent.
DC: What has changed the most in terms of touring since your inception?
AR: Cell phones make it a lot easier to find places if you get lost.
DC: What does the future of Elf Power hold?
AR: We’re touring a lot all over the world for the remainder of 2014.
DC: What is the absolute worst gig you have ever played?
AR: Opening for a Pearl Jam cover band in a rural town in Belgium.
DC: What is the greatest rock ‘n’ roll album of all time?
AR: Royal Trux, Accelerator.
Elf Power will be opening for Neutral Milk Hotel this Saturday, Feb. 8 at 8 p.m. at the Orpheum Theater.
