We spoke with Elephant Moon about “Where Were You” and more!

Hi! “Where Were You” feels deeply personal and atmospheric—what was the initial spark or moment that inspired the song?

Well, I’d worked out how to tune the guitar to open G. Then worked out some chords that became the song. So I’d had the song for a while, but the original lyrics didn’t sit right with me and so it was in my mind not completed. One day strumming the guitar I suddenly started singing ‘where were you’ and it just sounded right and that line suddenly gave me a way into the song. It allowed me to weave in different moments from the past and then shift the focus in the chorus, looking ahead. I think I was at a stage in life, where I could both be looking back and at the same time realising it never really stops, no matter how old, fat and grey you might be. You’re always chasing the next sunrise, day, horizon, idea, ambition, connection. And that’s what keeps us going. Hopefully. That became the song.

You recorded the vocal and guitar live in one take using ribbon mics. What drew you to that stripped-down, raw approach for the foundation of the track?

Recording the song at Nicolai Schmith of Burning Velvet. He had this approach to record everything live, sometimes onto old reel to reel tape. So he’d just set up two mics and decided the way forward was to record it in one go. Luckily I was ready to execute it. 

The song’s journey—from North London to Funen to Jutland—seems integral to its identity. How did each of these places influence the mood or sound of the piece?

Well I wrote it in North London at the end of my 15 year stay there and was going through a pretty rough time. Then I moved out to Denmark, which in itself was a bit of a hard landing and ended up recording it in a small recording studio on the south coast of the island I live on. After that I took it to this Chilean guy, David, who lives in Jutland, who mixed it and now it’s out. So the song’s just been on a bit of a journey itself.  

The recurring line “Where were you” suggests a longing or emotional distance. Is the song addressed to someone specific, or does it reflect a more universal sense of absence?

It’s not addressed to anyone specific. It’s more like a series of snapshots—fragments of moments from long ago. There might be some about me and some about others. Singing about them somehow makes them your own—even if I can’t quite literally explain each situation. But singing the song always makes me end up thinking about different people and places. Each time is different. I could possibly have written another 18 verses. 3 seemed enough though. 

A: You’ve described Elephant Moon’s sound as drifting between indie folk, ambient, and cinematic Americana. How conscious were you of genre while crafting the track?

None whatsoever. Never have. I’ve never been very interested in being in bands that set a strict framework for what they are and then can’t deviate from that box or genre. Each song feels like a world of its own—its own creation and mood—and if you’re not prepared to experiment to see what works or what might not, then I’m not that interested in the first place. Afterwards, when you have to describe your song and tick a box for what category the song fits into, you realise you haven’t necessarily made it easy for yourself.

What was it like collaborating with Moogie Johnson and Nicolai Schmith on this debut—how did their contributions shape the final soundscape?

Well, Nicolai gave me the chance to record it in the first place. He had the idea of doing it live—acoustic guitar and vocals in one take, in front of two mics. He was great at creating an atmosphere where I could relax and really do the song justice. He also added a bit of electric guitar to it. As I was leaving the studio, he mentioned sending it to an old mate of his, Moogie, who he thought might be interested in working on the song and adding a bit of texture and layers of instrumentation. I agreed, curious to see where it might go? Moogie’s contribution knocked me out the first time I heard it. His work on this track can’t be overestimated. He did a great job, and I’m genuinely grateful to both him and Nicolai for what they brought to the track.

Hilmar Darri Flygenring’s video adds another surreal, dreamlike layer to the song. How did that collaboration come about, and what was your reaction to the visuals?

Hilmar was the first person I shared the recording with and he’d previously worked on lots of films and music videos. So he had this idea of capturing small, almost meditative moments—like a wheel spinning. So I went out with my phone and three cheap clip-on lenses—macro, fisheye, and diamond—and started filming lots of those kinds of shots using normal, slo-mo, and time-lapses, as you do. I shot everything myself, except for the parts where I appear on screen. I actually didn’t want to be in it at all, but Hilmar insisted and he took those shots. After that, he handled all the technical aspects of the editing. I loved how it turned out—dreamlike, subtle, and full of atmosphere.

The production feels minimal yet emotionally expansive. How did working with mixer David Villanueva and mastering engineer Antony Ryan help refine that balance?

I met David thru this song. I was working as a photographer at the time and needed a mix of the recording. David had a great big recording studio but needed some photos to promote the studio. My sister introduced us and we helped each other out. David did a fantastic job at this. I went in and did a drone take on a cheap Spanish guitar from third verse on. After that David mixed the song over two sessions and it ended up sounding quite big and cinematic. He took great care of it and put a lot of work into it and I think he did a really great job. We also realised during this mix that we’d both lived in London around the same time and he’d lived two roads behind me, up the High Road, at a time. So although we hadn’t know each other in London, we’d probably stood on say, the 476 or 149 bus or something and seen all the daily carnage unfold, so David could relate to the location of where the song was written. So there was a bit of full circle going on. David introduced me to Antony, who did a great job. They are both great people to know and work with. 

“Where Were You” is a striking debut. What’s next for Elephant Moon—are there more songs, an EP, or live performances on the horizon?Well, thank you. Yes—there’s a new single coming out soon called Good Medicine, which is a little different. I’m really excited about that one. After that, I imagine a few more single releases leading up to a full 10 track album called Seven Bells and Insane Insomniacs at the Break of Dawn, which I reckon will be out at the beginning of 2026. In the meantime, I’m working on a second album of songs and I’m about seven songs into that—so I’m feeling fairly busy, in a good way.