In 2000 a band by the name of Eli Young Band emerged from Texas, flash forward to 2022 and Eli Young band has become a staple in country music with six studio albums under their belts. Eli Young Band members play their own instruments and write their own songs, including 3x Platinum, Crazy Girl and 2x Platinum, Even If It Breaks Your Heart.
The band made up of Mike Eli, James Young, Jon Jones and Chris Thompson continuously create music that their long time and new fans are sure to love. Their current single, Love Talking garnering over 507K streams on Spotify alone. This song is giving fans a sneak peek at their next album planned for a release of later this year.
Courtesy of Eli Young Band || Photography: Corey Ray
With a busy year ahead of them, I sat down with lead singer, Mike Eli to talk new music, monumental achievements and touring for 2022! Just announced 2/14 the band will be going on their ‘Love Talking’ tour.
Courtesy of Eli Young Band
BC: Being a band since 2002 - is there anything that has changed for you musically and as a band?
ME: “Yeah, absolutely.” Eli says, “Hopefully, we’ve learned more about who we are and what kind of people we want to be, and we’ve really become better musicians. We know how to record in so many different ways and we know now what really works best for us. All of those things came together in such a great way on the new album, which we’re finishing up now!’
BC: You have been a country music band since the beginning, what does the genre of Country Music mean to you as a band?
ME: “Country Music has always been about speaking your own truth, and about telling stories about real life. Other genres can find their way through fantasy and that's just not what Country music is about. We always want to be honest and we want our fans to feel it and relate to it, because it’s the truth. That’s why we’ve always wanted to stay at home in Country Music!”
BC: What are some moments in your career that were monumental for you?
ME: “We’ve been so lucky to have so many pivotal moments. Playing the Grand Ole Opry was a moment when we felt like we had actually made it.” Eli shares, “It's such a pinch yourself moment when you play that stage for the first time. The day we found out “Crazy Girl” went number one at Country radio was huge for us, too. That song changed our lives forever!”
BC: From 2002 to now, what has been your favorite song(s) you have written and why?
ME: “As far as songs we’ve released, “Guinevere.” It will always be one of those songs that we’re most proud of. We created something beautiful in telling that story.”
BC: Your most recent song, “Love Talking” is out in the world, what can you share about this song?
ME: “We’re really proud of this one,” Eli tells me, “It’s so different but so relatable - from the groove to lyrics, we wrote a special one. This was one of over a hundred songs we wrote over the course of 2020… and what a ride that year was for everyone. I (Mike) wrote it with Eric Arjes and Jeffrey East. We wrote a ton together over the past 2 years. We’re so glad it ended up being the first release from this album.”
Courtesy of The Valory Music Co.
BC: Did you come into the write with the idea for the song or did it happen while writing?
ME: “The original idea came from Jeffrey. He’s one of those writers that sometimes has a full plan for a song in his head before he ever walks into the room. There was something so simple but so complex about it. We fell in love with the idea right away.”
BC: Can fans be expecting more music from you soon?
ME: “Yes! We wrote a ton of music over the past year and half and so in addition to this new album there will be much more music to come.”
BC: You are gearing up to be on the road again, what can fans be expecting from your live shows?
ME: “We just had rehearsal to revamp the show for the tour so it’s a really exciting time. When the show gets a big shot in the arm, it’s so much fun for us and for the fans. It’s a rocking show with a lot of the old stuff and some of the new stuff – it’s a great mixture of both.”
BC: You are performing at Southern California’s, Tailgate Fest, are you planning a special show for the fans there?
ME: “Absolutely, we haven’t reworked our show like we just did in a long time. So it’ll be a fun and different experience for all of us!”
BC: Lastly, if you could say anything thing to the world right now and the whole world would listen what would you say?
ME: “Let's be nice to each other!” Eli says, “As cliche as it sounds, hopefully we can all find each other again in the music.”