Montreal-based modern psych-pop band Elephant Stone released their new animated short film Hollow, as well as a deluxe version of their critically acclaimed 2020 album of the same name viaElephants On Parade. The short film is directed by Laurine Jousserand and scored to an orchestral re-interpretation of side A of the album. Following the story of humanity’s search for a new home following an apocalyptic event that makes earth uninhabitable, it’s a tale of loss and grief, existential crisis and rebirth, and a world withering away all set to elegant, intense droning music.

 
“When I began the writing/recording process for Hollow (the album) I always envisioned it as a film,” Rishi Dhir, who has helmed the band for the past thirteen years, explains. “I felt the narrative was strong and something that people could relate to. So, when COVID hit and derailed all of our (and everyone’s) plans, I used the opportunity to reimagine side A of the album as a soundtrack to a film that hadn’t (yet) existed. Asking around for potential animators/directors who would want to be a part of the project, I eventually connected with Montreal-based animator Laurine Jousserand. It was a thrill to see the evolution of Hollow (the film) over the pandemic; a true labor of love. Film scoring is definitely something I’d love to get into more down the line.”

Elephant Stone was born out of a need for refuge for Dhir, who has helmed the band for the past thirteen years. After playing in bands such as The Datsonsand The High Dials, he picked up the sitar and began writing about personal experiences, leading to a carved out niche in the modern psych-rock genre by infusing it with some pop sensibilities. As a highly-regarded sitar player, Dhir has also collaborated with indie-rock icons like Beck, and legendary cult bands like The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Black Angels, The Soundtrack of Our Lives, The Dream Syndicate, and many more. Dhir’s journey with music, in and out of Elephant Stone, was wrought with trying to find a place that fit him until he decided that what he made was worth sharing in the space that he created for himself. The best kind of music, and the stories paired with those sounds, often begin with that internal excavation. “I only write about what I know and think I understand. As long as there’s Rishi, there’s going to be Elephant Stone.”

Photo Courtesy: Bowen Stead