Casting out for fresh expression in the wake of dissolving projects, the worlds of British roots-rocker, Felix Bechtolsheimer, and Krautrock obsessed producer, Oli Bayston, collided to form Curse of Lono, a self-professed Cinematic Southern Gothic Alt Rock outfit. Since the old friends reconnected to form the band in 2015, they’ve fleshed out their sound with the addition of  Bechtolsheimer’s old bandmate, drummer Neil Findlay, lead guitarist Joe Hazell, bassist Charis Anderson and keyboardist Dani Ruiz Hernandez. As the band got to writing and recording, they wanted to add a visual element to their output, utilizing film to create a stronger connection to audiences, whether down the block or thousands of miles away. Soon they created “The Doghouse Sessions,” a series of live performance videos- filmed in and named after the group’s rehearsal space in London- that will be released month by month as a lead up to the band’s debut full length, due out early next year. “The videos are very intimate,” the band says of the project. “We wanted to invite our friends and fans into our world, to watch us play our songs in the room where we get together every week and where many of them were conceived, with no overdubs or studio trickery.” In the meantime, Curse of Lono will be releasing a self-titled, four-track EP October 14^th via Submarine Cat Records, accompanied by a short film of inter-connected videos directed by Alex Walker and shot by Bart Sienkiewicz.

Today, Elmore is premiering “He Takes My Place,” a lover’s lament driven by shuffling acoustic guitar and a folksy melody. Felix Bechtolsheimer’s lyrics are simple but poetic in their honesty; “Is he a better man than me? Will he set your poor heart free?” he muses with deep, lightly accented vocals, as much to himself as to his lost paramour. This bittersweet balance is mimicked in the song’s full-bodied instrumentation, from the plaintive wheeze of accordion to the gentle backing harmonies.

Listen to “He Takes My Place,” below, and follow The Doghouse Sessions via Curse of Lono’s website or YouTube channel.