Mount Eerie is an acoustic, lo-fi/folk project of Phil Elevrum formerly known as The Microphones. Phill is the lead member of Mount Eerie, although he has collaborated with many musicians through the years for his records and live performances.

Elevrum is an overproductive singer, songwriter and producer, owner of the label P.W. Elverum & Sun, Ltd. where he records his music. His new work bears the title ‘Now Only‘ and was released on 16th March. The music of Mount Eerie can be described as ambient folk with experimental elements and sounds, melodic acoustic guitar rhythm and narrative lyrics with personal references to feelings and thoughts stemming from real-life incidents, as in the case of the previous album ‘A Crow Looked At Me‘ (2017), an album of mourning for the loss of his wife. Samewise Elevrum made new true stories to sing about his wife and the life he had with her and how he lives in grief for her with their daughter.

The six-track acoustic mourning folk, confessing and full of personal expression album ‘Now Only‘ begins with a sort of monologue of him singing to his late wife: “I sing to you, you don’t exist, I sing to you though.” the storytelling continues with how they met and all the memories of Elevrum from his wife. In ‘Distortion‘ the experimental and black metal influences in his music are obvious. He is trying to clear up and explain his obsession to continue singing about the one he loved. “But I don’t believe in ghosts or anything, I know that you’re gone and that I’m carrying some version of you around“. In ‘Now only‘ he is making a great effort to accept life as it comes; to survive from the devastating event that caused the loss and grief that he is living, accept the loss as something that happens in life and no one can make anything about it and control it, accept the existence of survivors in life who are obliged to stay strong, to let themselves heal and continue living. The rhythm changes all the sudden like he is opening a window to something new. In ‘Earth‘ the music changes to alternative rock with the vocals still in storytelling mode. Like he is trying to escape “I don’t want to live with this feeling any longer than I have to, but also I don’t want you to be gone”. In ‘Two Paintings By Nikolai Astrup‘ he describes two paintings that are hanging in his hours of mourning. “To make some sparks rise up to join the stars. These people in the painting believed in magic and Earth. And they all knew loss. And they all came to the fire.” The last track is ‘Crow Pt.2‘. It is a magnificent gem of death, grief and loss. The absolute deposit of the devastation and ruin he is living in while his life and his daughter’s are in progress and continue through the loss they have been loaded with, the loss they have to fight with every day.

His music is in turmoil from his intense feelings; at times it feels like he is trying to survive and other times like he is giving in to his sentimental death. His voice moves slowly though his melancholic guitar melodies, passes through the darkest noir folk paths and, like a spirit, rises and changes everything for a few moments and then sinks again and hypnotizes us with its simplicity. Likewise he has constructed genius melodies which are in the same sentimental turmoil; heavy guitar distortions pass from alternative to indie rock and then fall again to the quiet, ambient dark folk paths. Without consistency and without obeying to any music restriction he has managed to paint through his music an exact picture of his feelings.

Eleftheria Gesou