Homesick Elephant

Artist Information

Biography

Sara and Kevin have been playing music together since the day they met, almost a decade ago, which is immediately apparent through the exceptionally tight harmonies and intuitive pauses. They formed Homesick Elephant in 2006, shortly before moving from their home in Philadelphia to their new life in Los Angeles. The band name was inspired by Ruby, a homesick elephant who was about to "pack her trunk and move to Los Angeles" (so the Google headlines stated) at the same time as the duo. Although they are nice and settled in Los Angeles now, they still go on frequent tours around the US and Europe, and are regularly returning to Philly, New York, Raleigh, S.Walton, Seattle/Orcas, San Francisco, Nashville, Austin, Athens, Dublin, and Berlin.

Homesick Elephant's heart-wrenching harmonies, old-time instrumentation and homespun sincerity make you feel like you're a character in a Wes Anderson Film. Listeners tend to fall in love with the whimsically narrative lyrics; but even a casual observer cannot resist the old fashioned charm and sincerity of the live show. Their most recent release "The Pilgrim & The Pen" features string and horn arrangements for more of a "chamber folk" sound. On rare occasions, you can catch the duo playing live with a string trio - an event you can't miss! Traditionally, though, Homesick Elephant travels in the stripped down duo form with just 2 vocals, 1 guitar, and a mandolin. Their favorite shows are intimate gatherings with no amplification, but they have played just about every kind of venue from large outdoor festival stages, to seated indoor theaters, to small bars, to quiet living rooms.

RIYL: Sufjan Stevens, Simon & Garfunkel, Iron & Wine, Elliot Smith, Loretta Lynn, Cat Power, Jeff Mangum, The Fleet Foxes, The Civil Wars, The Carter Family, or The Kinks.

AWARDS:
- Finalist in the Folk/Acoustic category at the All Indie Music Awards 2012.
- Second Place in the Folk category at the Indie International Songwriting Competition in 2012.
- Listed in the TOP 20 folk artists in Los Angeles on Reverbnation.


Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiPya7F_zXY&feature=plcp (with strings)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SUkVnTBoDA&feature=relmfu (as a duo)

**Also - Check out their newest video for the song "Hey Ma" which was released in January 2013 and has already had over 30K views! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4ukqQYrLlg

Instrumentation

Kevin Kelly - Banjo, Acoustic Guitar, Vocal
Sara Kelly - Percussion, mandolin, Acoustic Guitar, Vocal, Glockenspiel.

Discography

The Pilgrim & the Pen (2011) - LP

Hold Me Close (2009) - Single

The Ghost of Philadelphia (2007) - LP

EP for Ruby (2006) - EP

Official Website

http://www.homesickelephant.com

Links

• Facebook
• Last.fm
• MySpace
• Twitter
• Reverbnation
• Bandcamp
• Youtube

Audio

• Projector
  Listen  
• Cut it Out
  Listen  
• Get on a Boat
  Listen  
• Static on the Radio
  Listen  
• The Pilgrim
  Listen  
• Miles to Go
  Listen  
• Orange Dress
  Listen  
• Hey Ma
  Listen  
• Quiet as a Mouse
  Listen  
• The Fictional Ballad of James McNulty, 1890-1970
  Listen  

Lyrics

• Long Lost Love Letter
• Cigarettes & Bayonets
• The Pilgrim
• Miles to Go
• Hold Me Close

Video

heyma.mp4

House is Quiet.mov

Photo Gallery

Press

• Concert Preview - Athens, GA (8/2/2011) [+ Show ]
  

  Indie-folk duo with devastatingly charming harmonies over mellow tunes fit for the background of nea...Indie-folk duo with devastatingly charming harmonies over mellow tunes fit for the background of nearly any indie film.
  

• Concert Pick - Durham, NC (7/26/2011) [+ Show ]
  

  Homesick Elephant is the mellow indie outfit of Kevin Kelly and Sara FitzSimmons. The duo formed in ...Homesick Elephant is the mellow indie outfit of Kevin Kelly and Sara FitzSimmons. The duo formed in Philadelphia in 2006 and moved to Los Angeles shortly thereafter. Kelly and FitzSimmons croon like a less electronics-oriented Stars or a less soporific Iron & Wine; their sound is wholly pleasant if consistently unchallenging. They make the kind of music that makes you wish you could just pinch its cheeks. Humble Tripe opens the $5 show at 9 p.m. —Nina Rajagopalan

• Show Recommendation - Philly, PA (7/23/11) [+ Show ]
  

  ....Nowadays the elephant is grown, and totes an impressive full-length record called The Pilgrim an.......Nowadays the elephant is grown, and totes an impressive full-length record called The Pilgrim and The Pen, celebrating its Philly release this weekend. The new album mixes the duo’s introverted K Records sensibilities with massive country-folk skill – Kelly’s fingerpicking is almost as impressive as FitzSimmons’ vocal delivery. To knock it out of the park, the orchestral ebb and flow across the album — particularly on “Quiet As A Mouse”—will break your heart. Catch their early North Star set and remind them to visit more often.

• Show Review - Philly, PA (12/28/10) [+ Show ]
  

  ...their get-simple performance was what impressed the most. With just two microphones and a guitar,......their get-simple performance was what impressed the most. With just two microphones and a guitar, they struck the right blend of K Records and Sun Records, coming off sentimental, but sincere; comical, but convincing. Kelly proved nimble on the fretboard, fingerpicking most songs in studied folk patterns, while FitzSimmons's voice is a veritable instrument on its own, one that cooed with warmth and comfort but also required her to back away from the mic on the louder moments to keep the mix even.

• Show Preview - Madrid, Spain (2010) [+ Show ]
  

  Por si existen dudas, sólo basta con escuchar durante poco más de un minuto a este dúo de Los Ángele...Por si existen dudas, sólo basta con escuchar durante poco más de un minuto a este dúo de Los Ángeles para darse cuenta de su delicioso folk y de que apuntan maneras para convertirse en la nueva sensación de la escena indie europea.
  
  Approximate Translation: If in doubt, just listen for a minute to this duo from Los Angeles to realize that their delicious folk might just be pointing them towards becoming the new sensation of the European indie scene.

• Concert Preview - Los Angeles, CA (12/10/09) [+ Show ]
  

  Their live sets are so damn fun and cute that we just want to pinch their figurative cheek, so check...Their live sets are so damn fun and cute that we just want to pinch their figurative cheek, so check out the melodic-laden duo when they hit the stage at 9.

• Interview with Homesick Elephant - "Kitchen Love Songs" [+ Show ]
  

  The sweetly in love Philly / Los Angeles folk duo, Homesick Elephant, just might play your living ro...The sweetly in love Philly / Los Angeles folk duo, Homesick Elephant, just might play your living room. If you are lucky enough, ready yourself for a throw back experience and slow, buttery, heartfelt harmonies. The Deli chatted with Sara and Kevin Kelly about living room intimacy and what’s next for H.E.

• Show Review [+ Show ]
  

  Pop folk. Neo folk. Folking Folk. Whatever you call it, Homesick Elephant has brought it to LA in ho...Pop folk. Neo folk. Folking Folk. Whatever you call it, Homesick Elephant has brought it to LA in hopes of giving the Left Coast an Indie-Americana revolution.
  
  Though once native to Philadelphia, Homesick Elephant (Kevin Kelly and Sara FitzSimmons) have a rapidly growing fanbase in LA, all thanks to their tasteful collection of quirky folk tunes and sunny-side-up live sets. It's intimate joy with two harmonious singers, a guitar, and the occasional glockenspiel. Think Virginia Woolf meets Simon and Garfunkle in a Skittles commercial.
  
  Their sound is full of color and whimsical tales which come through ten-fold in a live environment. At the Tangier -- one of the loudest bars in LA -- Homesick Elephant recently played to a quiet and engaged crowd. And with their unconventional songwriting chops Homesick Elephant's music seems virtually tangible.
  
  This duo of awesomeness is playing alongside Berlin acts Susie Asado & Sibsi at the High Energy constructs this Friday at 8PM ($5, all ages). Come get your folk on.
  
  -Hugo Gomez (www.thedelimagazine.com/la) - January 2008

• Homesick Elephant Show Review - Savannah, GA [+ Show ]
  

  "Homesick Elephant is the L.A.-based duo of Kevin Kelly and Sara Fitzsimmons (formerly of Cheese On ..."Homesick Elephant is the L.A.-based duo of Kevin Kelly and Sara Fitzsimmons (formerly of Cheese On Bread). They find inspiration for their hyperkinetically maudlin ditties in Wes Anderson’s films and soundtracks, and those who appreciate the colliding emotions, precious British Invasion nuggets and unsettling pauses which are the hallmarks of those features will likely dig their sound."

• Review of EP for Ruby [+ Show ]
  

  "Upon first listen, you may think of the band as Simon & Garfunkel meets Mitch & Mickey, but the ban..."Upon first listen, you may think of the band as Simon & Garfunkel meets Mitch & Mickey, but the band strives to be more of a Wes Anderson - Loretta Lynn combo. What sets Homesick Elephant apart is its sincerity. Songs like Margaret Thatcher Appleby and Shoestring Love Affair are sure to grab your attention and make your heart weep."

• Fan comment
  

  "Sara's voice is like Rainy Day Spring" (6/2006)

• Wedded belly-singing-love-howlers [+ Show ]
  

  "...wedded belly-singing-love-howlers. These sweethearts made the walls vibrate with their ecstatic ..."...wedded belly-singing-love-howlers. These sweethearts made the walls vibrate with their ecstatic harmonies and sweet-syrupy-drizzling songs."

Setlist

All originals. Typically 45 minute sets, but we can play for up to 3 hours.

General Set List:
No Troubadour
Margaret Thatcher Applebee
Cigarettes and Bayonets
Elliot & Maryann
End of the Apocalypse
Burn All Your Effigies
Florida
The Ghost of Philadephia
Red Rosie Requiem
The Pilgrim
Orange Dress
Maggie's Funeral

Basic Requirements

Calendar