New Album ‘Strange Hours’ Brings Eli Young Band Full-Circle

Eli Young Band (Left to Right) Jon Jones, Chris Thompson, Mike Eli, and James Young

Credit: Jeff Ray

It’s been 25 years since their love of music brought them together at the University of Texas. Since then, the Eli Young Band, made up of Mike Eli (lead vocals and guitar), James Young (guitar), Jon Jones (bass guitar), and Chris Thompson (drums), have carved their own path in country music.

With hits like “Crazy Girl,” “Even if it Breaks Your Heart,” “Love Ain’t,” and others, their stand-out sound has resonated with a strong and dedicated fanbase, keeping the band both current and successful for a quarter of a century.

New Album “Strange Hour” Out Now

Their new album Strange Hours adds to their dynamic music catalogue with thirteen tracks, all written or co-written by members of the group.

From “Nothing On The Wild” to “Almost Always There” to “Home in Hometown” and more, the songs underscore why Eli Young has such staying power.

And their latest record comes with a little added heart and soul. For years they recorded in Nashville, but this was an independent project that took them right back to the studio in Denton, Texas where it all began. It’s where they recorded their debut album in 2005.

“Going back to Panhandle House where we recorded Level, it feels like we got to remind ourselves why we started making the kind of music we make,” says lead vocalist Mike Eli.

Band Returns To Texas To Record

“It’s a very full-circle moment,” adds bassist Jon Jones. “The studio is three blocks from where we all used to live in the same house together. And because it’s an independent record we get control again. We never really felt like the label took control away, as far as song choices and all of that, but there was definitely influence and input, as there should be with a label. With this album, we could just go in with our producers and make the record we wanted to make.”

In Denton, they had more time to flesh out songs, extend instrumental segments, and try new sounds. And that creative freedom shines through in the music.

“I think the song ‘All Good With Me’ is something really different than the band has ever really done but it also fits into what we do,” drummer Chris Thompson explains. “It’s an up-tempo, fun, kind of happy song, and has some cool nuance things I think we tried to do on records before but maybe couldn’t pull off. Now we can.”

The band has worked hard to stay true to the music and what brought them together in the first place. This might be their first independent album, but Eli Young Band has maintained an independent “spirit” dating back their college days. Even after they started having success on the country music scene, they chose not to move to Nashville. They decided to live and raise their families in their native Texas.

Today, Eli Young is not only a close-knit band, it’s a family.

Band As Close As Family

“We’ve gone through all the phases of life together since college,” says Jones. “Being broke, living in a house together, getting a record deal, having success, but also our personal lives. We’ve been in all of each other’s weddings and started having kids around the same time and have always been more or less on the same page together.”

They decided a long time ago to strike a balance between life and work. And in the early days, it didn’t matter whether they lived in Texas or Tennessee.

“We were on the road 20 days a month back then,” says guitarist James Young. “Before we had kids and families, we were out on the road so much, so it didn’t matter if we lived in Seattle. We were just hitting it, nose to the grindstone, playing everywhere we could.”

Through the years, they’ve built a solid foundation that’s kept them united through the good times and the bad.

They’ve Gone Through Ups And Downs Together

“With every song, every album you release, every show you do or don’t do, there’s always ups and downs,” notes Eli. “Whether it’s a good day or a bad day, whether ticket sales are low for one show, then two days later you play a sold out show two states away, at the end of the day it all goes back to the four of us doing this together. We try not to get overwhelmed and just keep our eye on the ball for the next big thing whatever that might be.”

For now, it’s a new album they’re all extremely proud of, and a busy tour to support it. Between now and early December, they’ll be crisscrossing the country for their Strange Hours Tour.

They all agree, if you’d told them in college they’d be having such a good time and still making great music 25 years later, they might not have believed it possible.

And yet…