After my recent move to Vermont, a great deal of time has been spent reading, writing, exercising, and enjoying time outdoors. Yet, there’s one activity that takes up a considerable amount of my waking hours, and that’s listening to music. For the first time in my life, I have become homesick. Thus, it only seemed appropriate that a playlist be made to remind me of my home state of Georgia. Bands such as R.E.M., Neutral Milk Hotel, Mastodon, of Montreal, and Deerhunter are the first that come to mind, but there’s not a single group that reminds me more of Atlanta than The Constellations.
Recently, I was given the opportunity to talk with Elijah Jones, a Dekalb County native, and the frontman to the psychedelic soul-rock band that is, The Constellations. The son of a Baptist minister, Elijah grew up listening to Tom Waits, the Doors, and the soundtrack to Annie, while also singing in church on Sunday mornings. Due to Jones' religious upbringing, the content of his music may be a bit surprising to some. Yet, he confidently responds on the band’s website by saying,
"You can’t just write about the good in life. There’s some bad shit in the human heart, and that part of it is just a little more interesting to me."
The thirty-eight year old musician began work on, what would eventually be the band’s debut album, at the sprightly age of seventeen, writing the lyrics to the track, "On My Way Up".
"Growing up, I listened to alot of Georgia State University radio, 88.5 FM, which I think is where a good amount of my influences came from." I then, happily confirmed his disbelief that Album 88 was still alive and on the air.
Since returning from the Southern Gothic tour, his radio listening has shifted towards that of Otis Redding, Al Green, James Brown, and a healthy dosage of National Public Radio (NPR).
"The Southern Gothic Tour was certainly an experience," Elijah recalled. "But just as any other touring musician will say, there are certain shows that stick out as being fairly memorable. For me, that definitely had to be Milwaukee. It’s an amazing feeling to be playing a sold-out venue where everyone there knows all the lyrics to the songs you wrote. It was honestly mind-blowing, but after getting locked out of the van in New York City, it felt pretty good to be home."
Each member of the group comes from a different background, yet they’ve all been contributing to the Atlanta music scene for an extended period of time. The band was started when Ben H. Allen (known for working with such artists as Animal Collective, Bombay Bicycle Club, Cee-Lo Green, Christina Aguilera, Deerhunter, Kaiser Chiefs, Matt & Kim, The Notorious B.I.G., Washed Out, and Youth Lagoon to name a few) opened a studio for local musicians in Atlanta. Elijah was asked to sing chorus for a song that was written by a friend. Though the track was never actually used, the first lyrics of the song would later be the namesake of his own group.
"From darkness to light, we shine through the night... The stars will combine to form constellations."
According to Elijah, the first album was all about what happens in Atlanta from 2 AM to noon.
In an interview with the Daily Brink, Jones continued, "Anything you want happens during that period! Most of the songs are about partying a little too hard and the consequences. You also mix genres from dance to hip-hop to rock 'n' roll."
As to be expected, the music video for “Perfect Day,” was filmed locally at a house on 13th Street in Midtown Atlanta. Furthermore, I was curious to know how the band had gotten its ties with Cee-Lo Green on the track, “Love Is A Murder.” Following the inquiry, was a brief chuckle heard on the other end of the line.
"Everything just sort of came together at the right time," Jones began. "I was already a fan of Cee-Lo, and one night, I saw him at one of our shows in Atlanta. He already had connections to Ben Allen, so that sort of opened the door for a collaboration. Asher Roth had worked with Ben as well, so we got him to feature on the song, 'We’re Here To Save The Day' about a year before his own album was released.”
While having well-known musicians featured on the album was certainly significant, there was nothing that boosted the band’s morale more than hearing their music played on national television. Songs by The Constellations have been used thus far in popular television shows, such as Body of Proof, Chuck, House, Royal Pains, and The Vampire Diaries.
“It’s pretty surreal,” said Jones. “For a good amount of time after the release of Southern Gothic, we were on the road playing shows, so we didn’t get the chance to see many of the episodes we were featured in. More often than not, we learned about their usage from friends and family members who would text us whenever they heard a song of ours on TV. It’s always interesting to see how the shows choose to interpret the song I wrote.”
Two years after the release of Southern Gothic (2010), The Constellations released their sophomore album, Do It For Free (2012). Recapturing the party-like atmosphere of the previous record, LP 2 was more focused on common issues faced by the typical 99% of American citizens. A participant in the Occupy Atlanta movement, Elijah produced a unique 1970’s style record that could be considered unique to our time period. The retro aura of the album was given life with the assistance of modern hip-hop beats.
After learning of Jones’ admiration for the song, Dirt In The Ground (1992) by Tom Waits, it was pretty clear where the inspiration came from in songs such as, “The Ol’ Speakeasy” and “Black Cat.” Yet, what was most noticeable about the album itself was how heartfelt each of the songs were. One might go to the extent of saying that this album was simply organic. Since getting back from the band’s 2013 Spring Break Tour, Elijah has settled down in Nashville, Tennessee, where he continues to make music. “I’ve started to clean up my act,” said Jones.
“There’s no such thing as a middle-class musician anymore. Working a 9-5 job keeps me humble.”
According to Elijah, a third album is complete, but the date of its release is currently undetermined. “I may never move back to Atlanta,” he says. “I have a job, and an entirely new life up here in Tennessee. Parts of the city still haunt me, and I think it’s best to put that part of my life behind me.”
It’s not especially hard to find songs about the city of Atlanta, but to me it’s much more difficult to discover honest anthems about what the city is like to the residents who live there. Sure, the Georgia Aquarium, Centennial Olympic Park, and the World of Coca-Cola are the first things that come to mind, but most of my fondest memories took place after dark, at holes in the wall only known to the locals. The Constellations have provided myself and many other young adults, an audible advertisement to the side of Atlanta we love so much, and an absolute ode to the experiences we’ve made along the way.
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