Elliott Ok is a songwriter/multi-instrumentalist who blends heartfelt lyricism with surreal musicality, spinning tales of technicolor trailer parks, Korean corner markets, eggplant farms, and the beautiful people who occupy them. After releasing his debut album Eely (a nickname amongst bandmates), Elliott moved from his hometown of Santa Cruz, CA, to Portland, Oregon, where he and his band continue to write, record, and perform his imaginative songs. Due in October 2024, his second album, Going Away Party, celebrates the sorrow of leaving, the joy of arriving, and whatever happens in between—an ode to wanderlust for the homebody and hibernation for the vagabond.
Through a freshly planted forest of tree saplings and warm breezes, Elliot Ok captures lo-fi warmth via gentle melodies and whimsical acoustics in “Home Sweet Home (Away From Home).” The new single is a nimble outing with the artist navigating dense textures that evoke the feeling of nostalgic straight-to-tape recording techniques. At the same time, his refreshing perspective brings the classic tones to modern times. The gentle sway of the arrangement emphasizes Elliot Ok’s poetic songwriting as the longing in the lyrics becomes more palpable with each listen. The moving songwriting places you directly in the artist’s shoes thanks to the emotional vulnerability and passionate tones that easily cut through the lo-fi fuzz. “Home Sweet Home (Away From Home)” is an unforgettable performance from an artist whose take on modern folk feels rejuvenating.
“When I was eighteen, I worked at a corner store in Santa Cruz called Kong’s Market. I was often visited by colorful characters, including local legend Chris Green,” explains the artist. “He’s the ultimate beach bum mystic, a vintage wino who bikes up and down the coast, body-surfing, writing poetry, and collaging old surf mags. On one occasion, he took a “Gnarly” (4Loco) out to “the lounge” (a cinder block seat behind the store) with a piece of receipt paper, on which he intended to write suggested music for me. He returned with a huge list of albums, and next to Augustus Pablo’s East of the River Nile was written ‘ALL TIME.’”
“I lost the piece of receipt paper, but I still listen to Augustus Pablo, and his lazy melodica seems to snake its way into a lot of my music, this song included,” continues Elliott OK. “I live in Portland, OR, but I like driving out to the coast and plunging into the same body of water that touches the sand two blocks from where Kong’s Market is now an empty building. And I know that Chris Green is out there somewhere, floating around like a piece of driftwood in ALL TIME, creating ‘home’ in whatever wave he’s riding, paper he’s writing on, or cinder block he’s lounging on.”
