Full Album show of July 31, 2020
Album: Elliott Waits For No One

Artist's Biography
Alternative rock trio Elliott Waits for No One is the result of three separate long and winding roads that converged at just the right time. Inspired by the ups and downs of decades spent in the music industry, EWFNO reflect the hope and heartbreak that can only come from lives lived on the road, on the charts, and on stage. With songs such as “Sick of It All” and “Loathing,” as hopeful and catchy as they are dark and aggressive, Brian Troch, Jenny Franck, and Jeff Tortora have sculpted their many adventures into a sound and story fit for the multitudes.
Based in Chicago and Las Vegas and cleverly named for their mutual affection for Elliott Smith and Tom Waits, the exuberant members of EWFNO endured storied journeys before finally forming what they each consider the best project of their career.
While fronting several Chicago bands during the early 1990s, guitarist and vocalist Troch experienced enough highs and lows to fill a lifetime. His charisma as a frontman garnered Troch’s bands multiple headlining slots at major venues across the U.S., as well as an appearance on MTV’s Halloween Horrorshow. Shortly thereafter, Troch lost close friend and drummer Jeff Ward just as the pair’s band began building a major industry buzz. Troch rebounded from the untimely loss and joined Zno White, which signed a major deal with Combat/Relativity/Sony Records and eventually became Cyclone Temple. Cyclone Temple lasted for three world tours and appeared on MTV’s Headbangers Ball. Once Cyclone Temple disbanded, Troch answered the call to form Shooting Hemlock with drummer Tortora. Shooting Hemlock was a hard rock band that performed major industry showcases and played to capacity crowds at such prestigious venues as NYC's Limelight. Shooting Hemlock released two albums before going their separate ways.
Big stages were nothing new for Tortora, a drumming virtuoso who had already developed a reputation as one of the industry’s most versatile, inventive, and hardest-hitting percussionists. In 2000, Tortora earned a drummer’s dream job: he was chosen from among 600 applicants to drum for the Blue Man Group.
Tortora has since toured the world, performed during the Super Bowl halftime show, and played in front of over a million people in Rio de Janeiro.
While Tortora and Troch were busy tasting the bliss and the bitterness of the rock world, Franck was establishing herself as a rising must-hear voice within alternative rock. Inspired by the melodramatic musings of grunge rockers Nirvana, Alice in Chains, and Stone Temple Pilots, Franck enchanted even the most jaded of industry folks with her soulful voice.
After releasing her much-acclaimed first three records, Franck’s song “Black Crows” would eventually earn her a record deal with Sony Music’s Dark Star Records and a first-round Grammy nomination for Best New Artist and Best Rock Song of the Year.
EWFNO formed when Franck met Troch at Dark Star Records, the label to which they were both signed. The dynamic duo knew right away that the sugar of Franck’s divine voice blended perfectly with the spice of Troch’s gritty growl: “When we wrote our first song together, “Sick of It All,” our voices, though quite different from one another, complimented each other beautifully. I absolutely knew we had something special.”
The pair’s trust in their instincts represents EWFNO’s modus operandi in both their music and life in general. While some musicians take a cerebral tack to writing songs, EWFNO thrive via a much more visceral approach.
Feeling is paramount during songwriting sessions, and inspiration is allowed to flow from wherever it may, as Franck explains: “We bring each other unfinished songs or riffs and finish them together. Sometimes Brian will bring me something to add lyrics to. I’ve always been more of a poet who puts melodies and music to my words.”
EWFNO’s guttural approach to songwriting carries over to the band’s live shows. Troch summarizes the band’s mission when taking the stage: “We want everyone to have a great time. We want to take them on an emotional ride and let them forget about the tumultuous times we live in.”
The EWFNO story is unique to rock n’ roll in that it refutes the myth that burning out and fading away are the only two options available for those about to rock. It is readily apparent that the members of EWFNO never burned out, and they sure as hell aren’t fading away any time soon.
About the Album:
Sharing their self-titled debut album is Alternative/ rock Chicago-based band “Elliot Waits For No One.” Bringing Elliot Waits For No One (EWFNO) to life are members Brian Troch (guitar and vocals), Jenny
Franck (guitar and vocals), and Jeff Totora (drums and vocals). The intention for their debut album is inspired by the “ups and downs of decades spent in the music industry, EWFNO reflects the hope and
heartbreak that can only come from lives lived on the road, on the charts, and on stage.”
Starting out, Totora and Troch were already rocking together, while Franck was climbing to success with her incredible vocal chops. She was later signed to Dark Star Records, which is where the three would
soon meet, and while they knew their voices were different from one another, “they complimented each other beautifully,” Troch says. “I absolutely knew we had something special.”
Starting off the new album is their single “Loathing”. It introduces a very gritty and hard alternative rock sound that becomes the staple of their music throughout the album. The amount of thought and
intelligence that supports the lyrics really drew me in, and set them apart from “just another rock band with loud music.” It really lets the lyrical content to rise above everything, which I think is the most
valuable part of a song. “Sick of It All” changes the direction from the first song with a softer approach.
there’s a beautifully done balance between the two vocalists Troch and Franck.
A highlight for the album is “Megalomaniac” with the abundance of intensity that they bring to the song. There were inklings of massively impactful musical moments and musicianship on their side, that brings
this song to life. That intensity that they create so well has an incredible ability to keep building anticipation and take the listener on a new journey with them.
Their next song “Original Sin” does a great job of highlighting Franck as a vocalist. That, along with the continued rise in intensity, keeps the song dynamic and interesting. While she can carry a softer tone to her voice, she can also match the grit and harshness that is sometimes present in Troch’s vocals, and her adeptness in that way is so impressive. There’s even a little section towards the end of the song where its strictly instrumentally focused, and even that section highlights their skills as a band. The same can be said for their fire song “Bleed Me.”
The magnitude of tension that they create in “You Can’t See Through Me” is absolutely mind-blowing. The song is alluring and thought-provoking, which drew me into it completely. This became another amazing highlight that brings the entire album to a whole new level. “Reliable One” and “Like You” has a hint of EDM inspiration that is very different for their sound, but is executed very well. “Like You” has a fun and fierce attitude about it while “Reliable One” highlights a different vocal approach by Franck, which is juxtaposed with the scream-like style that Troch brings to the table, and the balance of the two is done very well. Closing out the album is “Ghost Behind the Rainbow” the song is alot softer than the others, but creates a beautiful and resolved ending. Throughout the album, there are so many moments of highs and lows, feelings of anger and hurt, while closing in on a more hopeful resolution to “Elliot Waits For No One.” I really loved that they explored a lot of different aspects of their musicality. While some songs had stuck out in some ways, I do give them massive props for doing so. Their hard alternative rock sound works so well, and they really know how to work that. I think I take a new level of interest and curiosity to step out of ones comfort zone to explore other musical ideas. Not only explore them, but expand on them and release them for us to hear. While some of the songs didn’t fit their “loud rock” mold, I really commend them on having enough balls to not only try, but surpass expectations of what their sound is. Troch says it best when he says that “We want everyone to have a great time. We want to take them on an emotional ride and let them forget about the tumultuous times we live in.” With this album? I think they’ve set themselves up for years ahead of them filled with success.