Those Willows' Mel Tarter and Jack WellsSoulful Portland pop crew Those Willows return with a fun clip to accompany their latest single, “Elowah.” Inspired by Elowah Falls on the McCord Creek trail in the Columbia River Gorge, the song stems from the visceral reaction they took away from a hike there as an ice storm engulfed the Gorge.
“We had committed to a hike, so we climbed to the top anyway,” explains the band. “The frozen cascades and goliath icicles brought about this tune.”
The song is a peppy number, replete with a summery vocal harmony (a trademark from vocalists Mel Tarter and Jack Wells) that counteracts the wintry milieu of the video. The song, produced by Ross Charland, was recorded in an A-frame cabin at the base of Mount Adams—they have been working in the cabin since returning home from a European tour in 2018, writing and recording a “fresh, Motown-infused, indie rock set to be released in early 2019.”
As the band explains, “The secluded cabin, away from cell reception and Wi-Fi service, was an ideal place to record this ode to the Pacific Northwest.”
The video was filmed in the band’s garage with a homemade green screen before being passed to Austin-based animator Trevor Wiggins to create the fun, retro style clip.
