Celebrating the release of her excellent, brand new sophomore LP, Shake the Spirit, breakout genre-bending Americana and blues rocker Elle King is set to return to town Oct. 29 to headline Marathon Music Works (after being one of many artists rained out at Pilgrimage Fest last month), along with buzzy local up and comers Cordovas, also supporting a stellar new effort. An electrifying and magnetic live performer, King’s latest comes on the heels of a turbulent couple of years, which only served to fuel her most honed and ambitious record to date. Tickets for her latest stop are still available here, but we’re excited to announce that we’re also giving away a pair of tickets to one lucky fan! Read on for more about the show, and enter for a chance to win below.
ELLE KING
Born Tanner Elle Schneider to comedian and SNL alum Rob Schneider and model London King, singer Elle King spent her youth dabbling in acting and honing an appreciation for a wide range of music, refining her skills as a singer-songwriter in college, before capturing national attention around 2012. Inspired early by acts like The Donnas and The Runaways, Elle learned guitar at a young age, soon moving onto banjo as well after finding an affinity for country and bluegrass classics like Hank Williams and Earl Scruggs. After gigging in New York as a teen, attending the University of the Arts in Philly, and bouncing around between Ohio, Los Angeles, and Denmark, all the while honing her style as a songwriter and performer, King managed to attract early buzz and a major label deal with RCA ahead of her 2012 debut, The Elle King EP. By her 2015 first full-length, Love Stuff, King was a breakout musical fixture, earning Grammy nods, a top 10 single, television appearances, and shows with the likes of Ed Sheeran, Of Monsters and Men, Modest Mouse, Dashboard Confessional, and more, and even a CMA Award for her successful teamup with country star Dierks Bentley. Despite her whirlwind ascent, however, and increasingly high-profile touring and commercial and critical accolades, the past few years have been particularly turbulent for Elle on a personal level, as she struggled with mental health, substance abuse, the dissolution of an impulsive marriage to a near-stranger, and increased scrutiny and expectation for her art. Funneling it all into song, however, King, moving from New York to LA, assembled her band and some talented producers like Greg Kurstin, to craft what would become her excellent new sophomore effort, Shake the Spirit. A personal, powerful, and uninhibited work, King’s latest takes the bluesy, Americana-infused rock template of her debut, as well as its pop accessibility, and pushes it to more adventurous, poignant, and focused territory, landing as her best effort to date. An enigmatic live performer, Elle’s return to Nashville is surely a show you don’t want to miss!
CORDOVAS
Since 2011, Cordovas have been making waves with their rootsy, retro-inspired Americana rock jams. Led by Joe Firstman (who spent many years as an aspiring solo performer before finding his perfect outlet with this band) and rounded out by Lucca Soria, Toby Weaver, Graham Spillman, and Sevans Henderson, the group have spent a majority of the past few years on the road, showing off their insane guitar skills and flawless harmonies to adoring crowds. In 2012, they dropped their self-titled debut album, which has since connected with listeners itching for a new take on ’60s and ’70s inspired southern alt-rock made famous by bands like the Grateful Dead and Little Feat. After inking a deal with ATO Records, the group delivered their long-awaited new LP, That Santa Fe Channel, earlier this summer, produced by Kenneth Pattengale of The Milk Carton Kids, and expanding their rootsy, harmonic, cosmic country, and southern story driven style. For many years one of Nashville’s best kept secrets, though hardly a secret anymore, Cordovas are a road-worn, genre-bending, and phenomenal live outfit, and urge you to show up early and see what all the buzz is about.
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ENTER TO WIN TICKETS
Enter to win tickets by filling out the form below. If you experience any trouble with the contest widget, or have any questions, feel free to email us at [email protected].
Winner will be announced Thursday, Oct. 25 at 5 p.m. CDT, and will receive one pair of tickets. Good luck!
[contesthopper contest=”94985″]
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Elle King and Cordovas will perform Monday, Oct. 29 at Marathon Music Works. The show is all ages, begins at 8 p.m. (doors at 7 p.m.), and tickets are available to purchase for $34-70.