There’s a moment about halfway through “Magnolia” where everything just locks into place. The guitars breathe, the rhythm section digs in, and you realize you’re listening to something special. Electric Elm just dropped this beauty on February 17, 2026, and it’s already stuck in my skull on permanent repeat.
Let’s talk about who’s making this racket. Electric Elm is Chris Bousquet and Eric M. Lichter. Bousquet’s been around the block—shared stages with Nathaniel Ratcliff and the Night Sweats, Howe Gelb, Crash Test Dummies. The guy has roots. And Lichter? He produced this thing at Dirt Floor in Middletown, Conn., with Guido Falivine engineering and Steven “King” Wytas mastering. The team nailed it.
But here’s the cool part. This track exists because of a happy accident. Bousquet ended up on a bill with Fjord Pony—Rick Ciervo on keys/guitar, Mike Mongillo on bass, Jesse Alford on drums—and suddenly the solo thing turned into a real band. Those guys aren’t on the recording, but you can feel them in the bones of this song. It’s like “Magnolia” was waiting for a full band to bring it to life.
“I put my dreams in the Cut-Up machine / I pulled my heart down from the shelf / for her resolute elysian verdancy / when I found that I was someone else.” That’s some heavy stuff. It’s about transformation, about losing yourself and finding something new on the other side. The music matches it perfectly—folk-rock with an edge, like early Wilco if they grew up in Connecticut eating oysters.
The cover art by Meredith Andrews deserves a shout too. It fits the vibe—earthy, mysterious, feels like something you’d find in an old barn.
“Magnolia” is out now. You can grab it wherever you get your music. Crank it loud, roll the windows down, and let it hit you right in the chest.