There have been plenty of times in recent years where one might take something like this for granted. “A video of a band playing live in a room together? Wait — on the internet???” Yeah, I know, wild times we live in. But you know, this isn’t a thing to be overlooked. If the course 2020 has taken has taught anything, it’s to appreciate each other and each other’s work in exactly the ways that have seemed ho-hum and everyday in the past. Who the hell knows when the lungfire is coming? So you’re telling me you’ve got Ealdor Bealu hanging out in Boise with a two-camera setup playing a new song live? Shit yeah I’m in for that. Band in a room. Sign me right up.

When the band’s Carson Russell checked in this Spring, he was hopeful that Ealdor Bealu‘s rescheduled-to-Fall tour would happen. Well, yeah. Obviously not so much. They would’ve been headed out next month in order to support their righteous second LP, Spirit of the Lonely Places (review here), which came out July 2019. Instead, like many, they’ve opted to pursue writing new material, and the single “Way of the Sudden Storm” — which seems aptly-named, if nothing else — is a first sampling of that. Again, it’s a band in room. The recording is pretty raw in terms of the audio, but you’ll hear guitarist/songwriter Travis Abbott, Russell (also guitar) and bassist Rylie Colllingwood sharing vocal duties while Alex Wargo — making his debut here after replacing Craig Hawkins, who played on the last record — introduces the song with a flowing progression on his cymbals and snare that acts as the foundation upon which the linear build unfolds.

It does so with a patience that speaks to the band working quickly toward their third album but well established and aware of the sound they’re after and how they want to handle fleshing out their arrangements. Of course, one will look forward to the finished version of “Way of the Sudden Storm” — which unless they’re in the studio right this second and opted for some reason to engage in misdirection it in the quote below will likely feature on a full-length release sometime next year — but if you think of this as a live demo version, you can still get some sense of the atmosphere they’re shooting for, and, I’d argue, attaining.

Spirit of the Lonely Places is at the bottom of this post if you’d like a refresher, but immediately below you’ll find the premiere of “Way of the Sudden Storm” live from Ealdor Bealu‘s rehearsal space. As you watch, try to remember the context in which this is happening and just how fortunate we are to be in a position where people can get together again and explore and create art and even just breathe the same air for a while. Band in a room. They offer a quote as a group as well.

Please enjoy:

Ealdor Bealu, “Way of the Sudden Storm” official video premiere

Ealdor Bealu on “Way of the Sudden Storm”:

“Ealdor Bealu would have been preparing for our two-week Fall West Coast Tour right about now. As it was for our spring tour, the fall tour has been cancelled. With live music on an indefinite hiatus, we have used these past six months to create and sharpen the songs for our third full-length album, which is slated to be recorded this winter. We had plans to debut a couple of these tracks on the road, but with that no longer an option we have decided to release one of these brand new songs via a live video from our practice space at the Boise Bomb Shelter! Please enjoy this sneak peak of album #3 with this killer single ‘Way of the Sudden Storm.’ We hope it brings you comfort in these perilous times. Be well, stay safe, and we shall see you all on the road again when this too has passed.” – Carson, Rylie, Travis, and Alex

Way of the Sudden Storm
Recorded Live at Boise Bomb Shelter (Boise, ID)
August 2020
All Music and Lyrics By: Travis Abbott
Video Editing: Travis Abbott

Ealdor Bealu is:
Carson Russell: Guitar, Vocals
Rylie Collingwood: Bass, Vocals
Travis Abbott: Guitar, Vocals
Alex Wargo: Drums

Ealdor Bealu, Spirit of the Lonely Places (2019)

Ealdor Bealu on Facebook

Ealdor Bealu on Bandcamp