YOUNG ELK


Current Release:
Fist Fight
(10/17/25)


Silver Bullet
(9/26/25)


Upcoming Release:
Calm Down LP
(11/11/25)

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Label: Rue Defense
Genre: Slowcore, Alternative
Influences: Low, Slowdive, Pedro the Lion, The Cure, Mogwai, Radiohead, Grizzly Bear
Location: Portland, OR 
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Past Releases:

‘Minor Keys” b/w “Debts’ 7” - 2015 (Holiday Breath Records)

‘The Dark Side of the Holy Ghost’ LP - 2016 (Holiday Breath Records)

‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman’ Digital Single - 2016 (Holiday Breath Records

‘Cheap Beer’ b/w ‘Murderer’ 7” - 2017 (Holiday Breath Records)

‘False Paradise’ LP - 2018 (Holiday Breath Records)

‘Arguments’ courtesy of Bummer Pop Vol. 1 Compilation 2018 (Holiday Breath Records)

‘Living in the Past’ via The Prom Tribute Compilation “I’ll Send You to the Stars” 2019 (Barsuk Records)


Press Contact: Graham Bell
253.948.7647
whoisruedefense@gmail.com

Press:



Single - Silver Bullet

The first single from Young Elk’s third full-length album, ‘Silver Bullet’ investigates the complexity of a mother/son relationship. How do codependence and control often become a quick fix, a silver bullet. Just some medicine to make the pain go away, etc. It never works like that, and if a mother has not done work on herself that silver bullet that medicine becomes poison. 


Single - Fist Fight

“Fist Fight is a tender scene from the final days of my marriage to my wife of 16 years. Her deep, attending love for me. Wishing I would stop drinking. Wishing I would deal with my traumatic past in a way that would save us, even though I couldn’t/wouldn’t at the time.” -E. Rudick


Single - Little String

Little String is about the collapse of the facade of the American family, and the fact that the bedrock of society and one’s identity may be tied together with a flimsy string that needs to be untied.


Album - Calm Down

‘Calm Down’ was written when frontman Ezekiel J. Rudick was questioning a lot of things about his identity. His thoughts went as deep as the complexities of being in a marriage, and also strayed toward the idea of being in a band. He notes, “I was also figuring out how to process the toxicity of my family after realizing their implications in childhood trauma and abuse.” ‘Calm Down’ is an attempt to bring peace to a restless, weary soul plagued by family, a failing marriage, and questions about our daily relationships.


BIO

In 2015, after Ezekiel Rudick’s band Violent Psalms broke up, Nic Moen approached him about starting a new band. They had known each other for a long time playing shows together around town. Rudick had about 5 new songs he was kicking around that were a lot less of a loud indie rock band setup – they were a lot more ethereal, delving more into themes of faith, existentialism, and grief. After jamming through a few of the tunes, Nic brought in his long time friend and collaborator, Tony Reyes, to play bass and, after a very snobby Craigslist ad that Rudick posted for a second guitar player, they recruited recent Florida transplant Bruce Reed.

In very short order, Rudick was hospitalized for a severe lung infection that nearly claimed his life. During his month-long stay, the other members got together at a Jeremy Enigk show and basically agreed that Bruce and Tony would swap instruments — Tony being a melodic/experimental guitar virtuoso, and Bruce as an exceptional bass player and arranger. And that was the lineup ever since.