About Me
Exhibiting both a strong reverence for the past and bold outlook on the future, the music of Ellison Starr refuses the limitations of genre. Drawing from a lifelong affinity for artistic endeavors, Dave Ellison (mandolin, vocals) and Gian Starr (guitar, vocals) extract from a variety of sources new and old as the inspiration for their sound. Their diverse style owes as much to the traditions of bluegrass and folk as it does to the innovations of Motown, the hard edge of classic rock, the pomp of punk, eighties camp, and modern eclecticism. While some have referred to their music as indie-folk and alternacoustic (Liz Untermann, The Oracle) , Ellison Starr prefer to let the music speak for itself.Ellison Starr is the culmination of a long friendship that began seven years ago in a small college town in the Hudson Valley. As students of SUNY New Paltz, Dave Ellison and Gian Starr passed each other in the bustling corridors and sprawling fields that made up the campus. Initially, their recognition went no further than the instruments they carried and played incessantly between classes. By 1999, however, the two found themselves immersed in the thriving musical life of the small mountain town, and began to collaborate often. Over the course of the next six years, Ellison and Starr collaborated on a wide array of musical endeavors, playing in such Hudson Valley bands as Arcoda, The Whiter Side of Trash, and The They.It was not until 2004 that Ellison and Starr decided to shed their peripheral projects to focus entirely on a two-man songwriting endeavor. The pair became deeply entrenched in the pursuit of new musical landscapes, drawing on their shared appreciation of musical diversity. Channeling all of their resources into creating lush melodies, unique instrumentation, and harmonic depth, the duo has cultivated a robust catalogue of original material. The earliest incarnation of this creative outburst culminated in the bands first release, entitled Take It With You. With the addition of one-man rhythm section Chris Macchia (Omjom, The Mach-tet), Ellison and Starr brought their unique sound to Leopard Studios in scenic Stone Ridge. Here, the trio laid down eleven tracks, each as unique as the bands varied influences. Take It With You stands as an artistically wrought statement, not only of where the band has been, but where they are going.
Ellison Starr still reside in New Paltz, where they are continuing their collaborative efforts. While performing rigorously throughout the Hudson Valley and beyond, the band is currently compiling new original material for a follow up to Take It With You.
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