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BabyStep Magazine

Introducing: Elephant and The Rider



Hailing from Cheadle, Manchester, Elephant and The Rider are charging into the indie scene with a fresh energy that’s hard to ignore. This newly revived 4-piece—Pip, Tom, James, and Carl—has been on fire in 2024, releasing four singles that have made waves both in the UK and across the pond in the USA. With shout-outs from BBC Introducing, iHeart Radio, and Amazing Radio, they’re gearing up for the release of their most ambitious work yet: *Forever Didn't Last That Long*, a new EP that blends their evolving influences and a bold new sound.


With over 34,000 Spotify streams and a growing fanbase in 77 countries, Elephant and The Rider are proving they’re more than a band to watch—they’re a force to reckon with.


You’ve released four singles in 2024, with each gaining traction on both UK and US radio. How have these releases shaped your sound, and what new directions are you exploring in your upcoming EP, Forever Didn’t Last That Long?


 We tend to just play the music we enjoy, which is why the EP has a bit of an eclectic mix because we all listen to a wide variety of music. Naturally we are starting to lean more into synth forward sounds with the integration of a hybrid set up. The synth progression can be found throughout the EP in its early forms too - but it’s safe to say that our sound is already developing beyond this EP as we write new music and refine our set up. We’re very excited for what's beyond this EP already.  


 With support from BBC Introducing, iHeart Radio, and Amazing Radio, how has the radio exposure impacted the band’s journey? Has this recognition changed how you approach your music or your connection with listeners?


Interestingly our latest release ‘Pink Front Door’ seems to have more radio attention in the US which is really cool. We guess it’s the West Coast  “G-funk” synth playing a role. To be honest we are just extremely grateful and thankful for the support. To say it will shape the way we write music, probably not. We are just going to continue playing what we love. That way the support means even more to us, because we have a real connection to the music and hopefully inspire others to have that same connection too. 



 This EP is described as your most ambitious project to date. What can fans expect from it, and were there any specific influences or experiences that played a role in its creation?


Fans can definitely expect better musicianship in this EP. We dig deeper into rhythmical, tonal, and dynamic embellishments throughout. The EP definitely still sounds like us, but we feel it kinda fits a different category to our previous releases. The sound has become more Alternative and has more musical influences than just Indie Rock. Challenging mental health has been a driving inspiration lyrically - all these releases are more vulnerable and explore darker and heavier tones to our sound. Our next release ‘Keep Knocking’ is a great example of this. I guess all in all, we want to push ourselves musically and also as humans to channel something greater than ourselves. Hopefully we can create something truly special and unique in the process.


You recently performed a live set at Lion’s Den. What do you feel is unique about your live performances, and how do you bring the energy of your recordings to the stage?


Aside from our music, our humor and candidness. There’s always funny moments we don’t expect that truly catch us off guard. We are constantly working to bring more opportunities and resources to our live set, so it's always developing and improving. When you see us live, it's better than the recording; all the same elements are there, but we throw in a little extra. You're witnessing us in our musical flow state together, it’s a different energy to the recordings. This year especially has been very transformative for our live show, we’ve overcome a lot of technical challenges which limited our capabilities. Now the possibilities seem endless with ever growing nuances evolving our performance.


With over 34,000 total Spotify streams and hundreds of playlist adds, how do you view the role of streaming in building your fan base, and what has surprised you most about the ways fans are discovering your music?


 These numbers are so cool to us. We honestly couldn't have predicted receiving that many streams since our first release in January, so we are super chuffed. We recently had some fan mail from across the world asking if we had some more new music, if we could come and play in their country, how much they want to travel to the UK to see us perform etc. - All from Spotify algorithms suggesting our music to them. So the numbers do mean a lot to us and we value streaming massively. We can’t tell you how much it means to us that our music can make meaningful connections with people across the world almost instantly, it's quite amazing really. Maybe after the EP release and everything else we have planned in the near future, 2025 can bring us 100k streams! Regardless, we are going to keep doing what we love and we can’t wait to share it with you all.


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