Daniel Ellsworth & The Great Lakes

Daniel Ellsworth and The Great Lakes (DE+TGL) is an American indie rock band originally formed in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2010. They are now living in separate cities: Los Angeles, Boston, and Columbus. The band consists of Daniel Ellsworth (vocals, keys), Timon Lance (guitar), and Marshall Skinner (bass). The band tours extensively around North America and has released four studio albums, including two LPs and one EP: Kid Tiger, Civilized Man,, Bemidji and Fashion. Their two EPs are from an extended body of studio recordings, "Chapter One" and "Chapter Two." The acclaimed record "Fashion" was released in 2018, followed by a flurry of digital singles. Their new album, HIGH LIFE, is due out on February 16, 2024.

History

Civilized Man (2011–2013)

In 2010, the band recorded their debut album Civilized Man, engineered and co-produced by Mark Nevers who has also worked with Will Oldham, Andrew Bird, Yo La Tengo and Lambchop. The album was recorded at Beech House Studios in Nashville, Tennessee in May 2011. This album includes a former member, Ricky Perry, on guitar. Perry left the band shortly after the release of the album.

Amazon MP3 named Civilized Man the number 76 album out of the top 100 albums of 2011. The online music retailer also named the band's single, "Shoe Fits," the number seven song of the 2011.^[1]^[2] In February 2012, Civilized Man charted on Billboard's Heatseeker's chart at position 18. Later that year, The Deli Magazine voted DE+TGL as Nashville's Best Emerging Artist of 2012.^[3]

Kid Tiger and Bemidji (2013–2016)

In May 2013, DE+TGL recorded their second full-length album at Sputnik Sound in Nashville, Tennessee. The album was recorded by Grammy Award winner Vance Powell, who has worked with Chris Stapleton, Kings of Leon, Jack White, and The White Stripes. While in studio, the band was featured in an article in Paste Magazine, including an interview and a write-up saying "There’s very little you can guarantee in life, but one of the surer bets is that Daniel Ellsworth and The Great Lakes will make you dance."^[4] In anticipation of the Kid Tiger album, Esquire named DE+TGL one of their 15 Bands to Watch in 2014.^[5] Kid Tiger was released on March 4, 2014.

The songs on Kid Tiger and Bemidji, released March 7, 2015, were recorded in the same session with Powell. The 17 songs were divided into two separate releases based on where the songs were written. Songs on the Kid Tiger album were written in Nashville, while those on Bemidji were written at a remote cabin in Bemidji, MN. The album, Kid Tiger, is named after a fictitious character in Bob Dylan's book, Tarantula.

Chapter One and Chapter Two (2016)

While touring North America, DE+TGL played the Austin City Limits Music Festival in October 2016. During the winter, the band started working on a new collection of songs in Nashville's Elephant Lady Studio and Blackbird Studio.^[6] Produced, engineered, and mixed by Kyle Andrews, these new songs are slated for release over the course of fall 2017-summer 2018. The first single from this body of work, "Paralyzed",^[7] was released on Friday, September 15, 2017. The second single, "Control"^[8] was released on October 20, 2017. Their first EP of 2018, "Chapter One," was released on January 19. Their second EP, "Chapter Two," from the same body of studio recordings was released on April 27, 2018, and featured in Billboard, Parade Magazine, Earmilk, Paste, Ones to Watch and Relix.

Fashion (2018–2019)

Two years later, a period of transformation saw the birth of their acclaimed Fashion album in 2018. The direct and punchy record evolved throughout the writing process and was crafted at Nashville's Elephant Lady Studios with the help of indie-pop connoisseur, Kyle Andrews. DE+TGL was already no stranger to building big sounds, but this album took that tendency even further. The scope, the sweep, and the height of the sonic space they could reach being stretched more and more – as if it were a scientific experiment in how captivating, euphoric, and pounding pop can be.

2019 ushered in a fresh era as the band released a burst of heavy self-produced singles, including the pulsating “Way You Are (ft. Ruby Amanfu).”

HIGH LIFE (2023–Present)

Now it’s 2023, and DE+TGL is back with High Life – a record written throughout 2019-2022 and recorded in Los Angeles, CA, engineered, co-produced, and mixed by Justin Glasco (known for work with Paris Paloma, Brett Dennen, The Lone Bellow). The single, "HIGH LIFE," was released on October 24, 2023. The forthcoming album is an existential 7 song journey about change, resistance, love, regret, and recognition of our shared humanity. “We’re figuring out what this era of the band is” says lead singer Daniel Ellsworth. “With three of us now, we’re shifting how we write, how we record, and feeling more free than we ever have to experiment with what those processes look like.” Set for release on February 16, 2024, it’s a new record for a new chapter. No regrets, just the high life.