Introducing: elison

Based in Des Moines, Iowa, elison are an indie rock/shoegaze/dream pop duo with a message.  We chatted with the duo – Marissa Kephart and Scott Yoshimura – in the leadup to the release of new single Covered Me to get greater insight to the band and the song.

First up, could you tell us a bit about elison?

Elison is made up of Marissa Kephart, lead singer and guitarist, and Scott Yoshimura (The Envy Corps, Canby), producer, engineer and multi-instrumentalist. The duo formed the summer of 2021 after they found they shared the same love for music from the 90s and aughts. The name ‘Elison’ comes from Marissa’s maiden name, “Cornelison.” Her father’s a long-time jazz musician so she chose it as a way to honor him and their shared passion for music.

What inspires you to write?

Anytime I listen to music I immediately have the urge to turn it off and pick up my own guitar. I’m immediately inspired (and distracted). Lyrically I’m currently pulling from my own past experiences. I had always wanted to play music as a teenager, and it seems I’m going back and healing parts of that person now that I’m pursuing music. (Marissa)

How would you describe your sound?

We sculpt dreamy immersive synths, layer them with airy smooth vocals, punctuate it with thoughtful guitar flourishes and driving drum beats. We’ve found a home within the indie rock/pop genre while flirting with dreampop and shoegaze with ease.

How does the creative process work within the band?

Lyrics start from the notes app or a journal I carry with me jotting down little seeds of inspiration from lived experiences, things I’ve read, or words spoken. When I’m in a phase of writing I’ll try and pick up my guitar daily just to noodle and come up with little riffs or chord voicings that then will be paired with the little song lyrics seeds. It just takes one little pairing to build a song around. I’ll then take lyrics and melody written for a song or a fully flushed out song/arrangement to Scott.

Scott helps to arrange/rearrange/co-write to add to the instrumentation and fill out the sound. We meet weekly for hours at a time to go over the songs or record all the various elements to build and keep the songs moving forward. (Marissa)

What has been the most memorable gig you’ve played so far?

We have yet to play live but being played on public radio here in our hometown was a pretty big high for us so far.

What track, or musician automatically gets you singing along?

Zombie by The Cranberries

Is there any artist or band you’d love to collaborate with?

Danger Mouse (Scott)

What bands or musicians do you have on heavy rotation right now?

Son Lux, Lykke Li (Scott)

Hand Habits, Horsegirl (Marissa)

Was there a specific moment of inspiration behind the lyrics of Covered Me?

I’d been thinking a lot about how some people shape shift and present themselves a certain way – especially early on in a relationship when they’re trying to impress you, this song started there but kind of shifted into highlighting being with a narcissist. (Marissa)

What’s up next after Covered Me for elison in terms of videos, upcoming gigs, new music…?

An animated music video will follow our release of Covered Me and we’re going straight back in the studio to work on our next single to be released later this summer.

To keep in the loop about elison and their music, be sure to follow them on TikTok, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. They have a pretty nifty website too! You can listen to Covered Me and more music from elison on Spotify , Apple Music, and Bandcamp.