The Cancellations are a band formed by Elijah Jones (The Constellations). In 2014, Elijah moved to Nashville from Atlanta for a change of life and scenery. In that time, he began writing music that reflected upon his life and past experiences. He formed Elijah Jones & The Tenderness with longtime friend, Erik Matthijs. The Tenderness were a big departure from the style of The Constellations and focused more on stripped-down 60’s style rock & roll.
After the disbanding of the Tenderness, Elijah and Erik regrouped with help of some Nashville friends to form The Cancellations. Through this new creative approach, The Cancellations’ music tells stories of heartbreak, substance-abuse, and self-discovery.
In this interview spotlight, I chat with The Cancellations about the new music, technology, surviving the pandemic and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Where are you from and how do You describe your style of music?
(Elijah) I’m from Atlanta, but the band is from all over. North Carolina, Georgia, Illinois, New Mexico, and Michigan. We all live in Nashville now. The city where music comes to die. Our style is… pop rock… ish. We say pop sometimes, and rock and roll at other times. It just depends on an individual’s definition of those genres.
How did you get here? As in, what inspired or motivated you to take on this journey through music and the music biz?
(Elijah) I like to think we avoid the “music biz.” I believe the middle class musician went extinct years ago, and what the music industry has to offer these days feels a lot like an empty bag. I am a writer, so it’s less what I do and more who I am. Playing music doesn’t feel like a choice. It would only be a choice not to play.
How does your latest project compare/contrast with your previous release(s)? Were you setting out to accomplish anything specific, follow a specific theme, or explore different styles of creation?
(Elijah) The first record, Fist Fight, was recorded and released without much thought. The songs were recorded in my bedroom with very little polishing. Love Letter, our second album, was initially a concept album. It was a compilation of songs written by the inspiration of pop artists, reflecting the strange relationship between admiration and dismissal that we have for the Taylor Swifts of the world. We tightened up production a bit and gave a more finely polished product. Pity Parade (out June 10th) is us emptying the clip. We threw the book at it in the studio. Anything we thought sounded good, we added. It’s a pop rock album with 13 songs that begins with a samba melody set to lyrics describing the futility of making music. Irony and self-deprecation fueled this album.
Name the biggest challenge you faced as a creative during these unprecedented? How did you adapt? How have you kept the creative fires burning during all this?
(Elijah) I don’t know if I’d agree with the implication that chaos stifles creativity. Historically speaking, the best art came out of personal and cultural madness. My favorite part of the music making process is writing and recording new music, both of which can be done at a 6-foot distance from another person.
What was the last song you listened to?
(Elijah) Dead End by Wreckless Eric
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? 8-tracks? Cassettes? CDs? MP3s? Streaming platforms?
(Elijah)Vinyl is a rich man’s drug. It’s great, and if a person wants to buy me a big vinyl collection, I’ll listen to the shit out of it. I buy a lot of CDs. CDs are available and affordable, and they are the vinyl of 2050.
Where is the best place to connect with you and follow your journey?
(Elijah) At a live show. We appreciate social media interaction and followers, but not unlike many artists these days, we read 100 comments about how much people enjoy the new music, then turn around and perform for 10 of them. If you like the music, come hang out with us at the shows. It allows us to keep making it.
I really appreciate Your time. Anything else before we sign off?
(Elijah) Yeah. Buy the new album (June 10th). Listen to the new album. Request the new singles be played on your local radio station. If you hate it and think we suck, write us hate mail. We are proud of this album (Pity Parade) and don’t think there is any filler material in there. Listen to it and tell us what you think.
