The inspiration for Chase Elodia’s new single sprung from modest means—specifically, a fleeting interaction on an idyllic summer evening.
“This random stranger approached me and my friends outside a bar in Brooklyn, pulled a cat out of her Baggu handbag and smoked the group out,” says Elodia, recounting the story behind “Baggu Bag Baby,” a warm-hearted, charmingly off-kilter indie-pop nugget.
Thus far making his way as a drummer, composer and bandleader, the Crown Heights-based musician is a MacDowell Fellowship recipient who’s toured internationally, releasing jazz-oriented work and collaborating across disciplines. His 2022 debut, Portrait Imperfect, was named one of the year’s best new releases by DownBeat.
For his latest batch of music, Elodia is working with guitarist/producer Jack Broza (Forager), synth player Christian Li and vocalists Alejandra Sofia and Elora. And Elodia seems to be headed down a more personable path. A promising early sample from an album due this fall, “Baggu Bag Baby” leaves an unexpectedly sweet aftertaste.
“In handing over that ‘dank-smelling thing,’ to me and my friends, the stranger was really giving us ‘everything,’” says Elodia. “Her gregariousness indexed how random moments of communion can leave one feeling more hopeful about the world.”
We’re proud to premiere Chase Elodia’s “Baggu Bag Baby.”
—Hobart Rowland
See Chase Elodia live.
