Elijah Johnston - Hometown Vampire (2023) [Hi-Res]

Originally a patch of disjointed acoustic demos, time and production guidance from Athens stalwart producer Tommy Trautwein turned Hometown Vampire into a heady and humorous rumination on the dangers of small town celebrity and the ego destruction needed to survive in love, music, or life as a whole. Aesthetically, Hometown Vampire provides a guided tour through 50 years of guitar music, calling out to greats like a prayer, asking for the songs we love to act as guidance through the trouble around us. The characters labeled here as vampires refer to any of the lowlifes we see around us or in ourselves; the punisher at the bar, the chronic failure who’s always got a new scheme, the kinds of people who live in the past and stew in bitterness. Hometown Vampire is a farewell to all the good and bad of music scene chicanery, late night shit-talking, and all the failed romances before.

Elijah Johnston: Vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, electric piano, synthesizer, bass guitar, 12-string guitar, baritone guitar, Farfisa organ
Tommy Trautwein: Bass guitar, electric and acoustic guitars, drums, vocals, bongos, trumpet
Gideon Johnston: Drums, percussion, bongos
Cannon Rogers: Electric guitar
Gracie Huffman: Piano, organ, synthesizer
Miller May: Saxophone
Ian White: Electric guitar
Drew Beskin: Bass guitar
Hampton Peay: Farfisa organ
Annie Leeth: Vocals
Patrick Doherty: Percussion