Elliott Waits For No One speak truth to power in their passionate, intensely cathartic new song and video Megalomaniac — premiering exclusively on Tinnitist.
The third single from the American alt-rock outfit’s self-titled debut album on Dark Star Records/Sony/Universal, Megalomaniac serves as an “a pinnacle anthem for what individuality means, and has become in the world today,” says bandmember Jenny Franck. “People truly believe they are larger than life itself, and yet they still cannot defy death.”
Singer-guitarist Brian Troch wrote the main riff for Megalomaniac during the Chicago Cubs’ final World Series game. He went into his studio after it appeared that Cubs could blow it and couldn’t bear to watch, so he went into the EWFNO home studio and out came the beginnings of Megalomaniac. Brian returned again to watch the game and saw the Cubs won the World Series — a definite win-win.
Troch and Franck collaborated on the lyrics, with the former penning the initial version, while Jenny raised the metaphorical bar with her brilliant rewrite. Wisely, she preserved Troch’s dynamic and striking opening line: “Preen all my feathers,” quipping “I’ve always wanted to do a bird song.” Meanwhile, drummer Jeff Tortora put the finishing touches on the black-and-white video, recording the demented strobe light-whisper scene at 3 a.m. in his hotel room in Germany while on tour with Blue Man Group.
Collaborative effort is nothing new for the band. Based in Chicago and Las Vegas and cleverly named for their mutual affection for Elliott Smith and Tom Waits, Elliott Waits for No One is the result of three separate long and winding roads that converged at just the right time.
Singer-guitarist Troch has experienced enough highs and lows to fill a lifetime with bands like Zno White and Shooting Hemlock, performing headlining slots at major venues across the U.S. and appearing on MTV. Virtuoso drummer Tortora, who has worked with everyone from Korn to Billy Idol, scored a dream gig in 2000 when he was chosen from among 600 applicants to drum for Blue Man Group. Must-hear vocalist Franck first established herself as a rising star in alt-rock, releasing three acclaimed records and earning first-round Grammy nominations for Best New Artist and Best Rock Song of the Year with her track Black Crows.
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, complemented each other beautifully. I absolutely knew we had something special.” Feeling is paramount during songwriting sessions, and inspiration is allowed to flow, 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.”
The band are also excited to announce that their second single You Can’t See Through Me just won Best Sci-fi Short Film from The Golden Short Film Festival. Watch the videos for Megalomaniac and You Can’t See Through Me above, stream or purchase the track at your preferred outlet HERE, hear more from Elliott Waits For No One below, and keep up with the band on their website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
