Elena Skye & The Demolition String Band is a Hoboken-based band that’s known for its fresh take on the retro honky-tonk sound. Founded in 1996 by singer/songwriter Elena Skye and guitarist Boo Reiners, The Demolition String Band has become a familiar presence in the alt-country and bluegrass scene in the tri-state area. Elena Skye will pairing up with her new drummer Louie Appel to play a few home shows this week, with an August 3 gig at the Liquid Lounge and a performance on August 8 at Elysian Park as part of the “Hoboken Honky-Tonk All Stars” night.
The band’s debut CD, One Dog Town, was released in October of ’98 on North Hollow Records. The album was produced by Greg Garing with Boo Reiners and John Siket, who’s know for his work with Soul Asylum, the Lemonheads, and the Dave Matthews Band, and it was engineered in Hoboken’s Mutiny Zoo studio. Elena Skye & The Demolition String Band’s debut received enthusiastic reviews in The New York Times, Billboard, The Village Voice, Country Standard Time and local magazines and papers across the country.
Skye said that the band has since straddled the fence of bluegrass, leaning heavily into honky-tonk, fueled by years of rock ‘n roll posturing. Their direct involvement in the bluegrass world included co-hosting a jam at Coney Island High on St. Marks Place for over a year, and working as two of the main organizers of The St. Mark’s Bluegrass Festival in ’97, which was Manhattan’s first bluegrass festival. And after opening for Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder at Irving Plaza in early 1999, the band began touring extensively to enthusiastic audiences throughout Virginia, Louisiana, Tennessee, Texas, North Carolina, and New England. Recently, the band received a $2,500 B.E.A.M. grant (Benefiting Emerging Artists in Music), a program created by Jim Beam Bourbon. Skye said that the grant will help pay for some essentials including some studio time. “With the Jim Beam grant, we’ll use the money to cover some touring costs, including a new mandolin to take on the road, and to go into the studio to record with Steve Addabbo,” said Skye. “Steve has worked with Shawn Colvin and Suzanne Vega, and he’s someone who I’ve always wanted to work with. We’re very excited!” In addition to the financial assistance, the B.E.A.M. program has also given Skye the access to counseling and advice from Pat DiNizio, the renowned songwriter and lead singer of the Smithereens. “I’ll be going to Pat after we finish recording to find out what he thinks about the new songs,” said Skye. So what can listeners expect from the Demolition String Band’s new album? “There will be elements of country, because we’ll be using the same instruments, but it’s not country,” said Skye. “There’s still going to be some hard core honk-a-billy songs, but there are going to be some really dreamy numbers too.”
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