We definitely experimented with more instruments, and synths," local singer/songwriter Travis Ehrenstrom of Travis Ehrenstrom Band admitted. The experimentation he's referring to, of course, is the science of piecing together a new album with his bandmates. "It was really just the impetus of feeling like we had enough material to work on something. We took that collection of work and songs that we wanted to record and we just played each of them like a million times," Erhenstrom recalled with a laugh. "From there it was about taking what we wanted from that and kept working until we were happy."
TEB's new album, "Lady Luck," set to release on April 5, comes as a testament to growing as artists and the band's commitment to staying true to what moves them. With this tight six-track EP, each song showcases the group exploring themes of love, loss and everyday experiences that resonate on a personal level.
As the group prepares for an upcoming Silver Moon show on Feb. 2, where the group will unveil the album, Ehrenstrom shared a sneak preview of the album and spoke on the recording process.
Overall, the album offers a unique blend of psych, rock, funk and blues from a band that can stand apart in the local music scene, but these two tracks keep ringing in my ears.
"La Luna" - The third song of the album is introduced with a guitar intro steeped in Spanish influences. As the rhythm section takes over and drives the energy with a samba-inspired groove, it becomes clear that this band isn't afraid to lean into its sultry side. Ehrenstrom's velvet tenor lets out lyrics that comb through rapture, passion and inspiration before exploding into a psychedelic-infused guitar solo that sounds like the bright side of the moon.
"Enough to Change" - Track five asks big questions and delivers an even bigger sound. The message in this song is unflinchingly honest; Was I loving enough? Caring enough? Did I do enough? Inspired guitar, bass and drum work seemingly dances with these contemplative lyrics to produce a track that is unflinchingly honest and shows listeners this band's emotions laid bare. Bonus point: The less-is-more guitar soloing that then transforms with a Hendrix-style explosion makes this track an easy reminder why it's so easy to fall in love with electric guitar.
"This album, more than anything, is so reflective of our evolution as a group. This entire album is so band-centric. We had a goal when we were heading into the studio. We wanted to keep our sound, we didn't want to change that, we just wanted to kind of add a little bit of that studio sheen to it," Ehrenstrom said.
