Cereus Bright + Elenowen

Cereus Bright finds its muse—and its name—from the Cereus: a white desert flower that blooms only at night. This flower, blossoming in the most desolate of places, is a symbol of art and story, which draw their beauty from brokenness and heartache. In their lyrics and melodies, Cereus Bright aims to embrace life as both messy and beautiful.

Their songs showcase strong, passionate harmonies singing stories of real life—hope and heartbreak, adventure and stillness. Tyler Anthony plays guitar, piano, and sings, Evan Ford layers harmonies while playing mandolin and lead guitar. Bassist Matt Nelson and drummer Luke Bowers provide driving rhythm and nuanced texture. On special occasions, they are joined by violinist Kaitlyn Ferry and cellist Gideon Klein.

Ideologically, Cereus Bright makes a strong case for Folk music. Recently the genre of folk has come to mean “acoustic pop”, blending together into a sea of kick drums, hand claps, and escalating banjo riffs. In its roots, Folk music is meant to communicate; to use simple, melodic music to communicate stories of success and heartbreak, to transport and convict listeners. This is Cereus Bright’s goal—drawing you in with beautiful melodies so they can move you with poetic yet direct lyrics. Connections with bands like the Avett Brothers, Fleet Foxes, and the Head and the Heart are apt comparisons and major compliments.

Cereus Bright self-released their second recording, the five song EP, Happier Than Me, on November 12, 2013; exactly a year after the release of their first EP recording, Goldmine. This year has seen the band in near constant motion, crisscrossing the country in support of Jackie Green, Philip Philips, The Infamous Stringdusters, and Count This Penny. Currently, Cereus Bright continues to lay their roots around the country, with dates supporting Sturgill Simpson, The Dirty Guv'nahs, and Judah And The Lion on the books for fall 2014.

It's called 'chemistry', an elusive quality that can be part history, part mystery and all intangible until the moment that you feel it. It's a meant-to-be melding of the emotional and creative that can happen between songwriters, performers, best friends or life partners. For Josh and Nicole Johnson – the duo Elenowen – that connection is all of the above and much more. And on their self-titled EP, the chemistry they share is as rare – and real – as it gets.

Though emerging from the same Nashville-based Americana-folk scene as The Civil Wars, Elenowen deliver a sonic glow all their own. Amidst haunting harmonies and elegiac lyrics, their songs flow with an undercurrent of yearning, surrender and unexpectedly sharp edges. "We strive to maintain a certain vulnerability in our music," Josh says. "We write a lot about our own lives as well as the truths about relationships that we relate to. We think it creates an intimacy that's totally connected to the music." The sound itself is roots-driven, with accents of cello and pedal steel cutting a deeply evocative facet. Even the name Elenowen is an authentic nod to heritage, with Ellen being Josh's mom's middle name and Owen being the middle name of Nicole's dad. "They're the sides of the family we each got our music from," explains Josh. "What's in our hearts will always come out in what we do."

The singular power of Elenowen comes from the bond that can only exist between two people who've known – and loved – each other for most of their lives. "We were 15 and 16 when we met," explains Nicole. "We dated for a year, broke up for a year and a half, then got back together and have been together ever since. After that first breakup, I think we both still knew that we were meant for each other, but we also knew that we weren't what each other needed at that point in our lives." At 18, Josh moved from Knoxville to Nashville to be with Nicole, writing songs and pursuing a music degree at Belmont University while Nicole worked as a homecare attendant, back-up singer and barista. Within a year of Josh's graduation, the starkly candid debut album Pulling Back The Veil chronicled their first year of marriage with songs that were subsequently showcased on TV shows like 'One Tree Hill' and MTV's 'World Of Jenks'. Josh and Nicole began filming impromptu performances in their small basement apartment, with the resulting clips – called 'The Basement Sessions' – quickly garnering a following on YouTube and the No Depression website. In 2011, Elenowen made their national television debut on the top-rated premiere season of NBC's 'The Voice'. But it's the five tracks on their new EP that now mean the most to the couple and convey what's most real to audiences.

"We wrote all these songs around the same time," explains Josh, "when Nicole and I were walking through similar issues and feelings. Most marriages are not all lovey-dovey, like most love songs claim. For us, these songs are as much about love as they are about the struggle of keeping love alive." The EP's opening track, "Flying For The First Time", is co-written with acclaimed singer/songwriter Trent Dabbs and soars with uninhibited vocal harmony and lyrical beauty. "Blood And Bones", also co-written with Dabbs, is a towering paean to the physical and emotional bonds of desire. "Head To My Heart", co-written with EP co-producer Philip LaRue, reconciles intuition with passion via Nicole's potent vocals. "We Were Better Off" is a shimmering reflection of lost innocence and mislaid dreams. And "Bittersweet" is a hushed and moody twist on traditional love songs in which a couple affirm they are 'all I want/and nothing that I need'. "I absolutely believe in true love," explains Nicole. "I also believe," she adds with a laugh, "that true love is never easy."

More and more, Elenowen are discovering that the truth of what they do is bringing them new fans nationwide. "I think audiences respond to our honesty," says Josh. "When we perform these songs, people get the feeling they know who we are, because that's what we're putting out there. We are the heart behind our music." For Nicole, the journey both starts and grows in a place of instinctive sharing. "When it's 3 AM and I have an idea for a song," she explains, "my best friend/music partner/husband can grab his guitar and the idea takes off. The songs that come out of those moments are part me, part him, and all us. When we formed Elenowen, I realized that I'm no longer a singer in the shadows. I'm now a half of something that means so much not only to us, but to other people as well."

But what about that thing called chemistry? For Elenowen, it's a one-of-a-kind formula that is about to become bigger than the both of them. "I think our chemistry is what keeps us going," says Nicole. "We fight for it in our marriage, in our friendship and our music. These songs are so much a part of us and the emotion is so real, that every time we sing them its almost as if we're feeling them for the first time. What Josh and I ultimately want is for people to get inspired and connected by what we do." And for Elenowen, it's a promise you can take to heart.