Pallet On Your Floor

"So pleased to announce the upcoming release of a project that is close to my heart. Elan Mehler and I have been making music together for more than 12 years. He was one of the first artists I toured internationally with, playing standards, folk tunes, and Elan’s original music in a hotel lobby in the Swiss Alps, and cafes and clubs in neighboring countries. On December 18th, 2020, we will be releasing 'Make Me A Pallet On Your Floor' on Newvelle Records. The album is a collection of 1st and 2nd takes, immediate, raw and stripped down versions of the weathered songs they first played together in Switzerland years ago." ~ Becca Stevens

The material consists of standards and folk tunes, each song starting from a clean palette and unfolding at its own pace. In their cover of Gershwin’s, “Our Love Is Here To Stay”, Becca Stevens and Elan Mehler play the tune dirt slow. It’s a change that lends the track a skeptical undertone, giving it a dark and playful interpretation that’s emblematic of the album. Both Becca and Elan are huge fans of Gillian Welch, and the duo beautifully cover the Welch track “Elvis Presley Blues”, as well as Welch’s version of the title track, “Make Me A Pallet on Your Floor”. Originating in the 19th century, “Make Me A Pallet on Your Floor” has been interpreted by hundreds of artists in a variety of styles and with many alternative lyrics. Welch’s version is notable for its deviation in tone from the ribald to a search for sanctuary. Bringing life to the lyrics, “man I’m broke and I got no place to go”, Stevens channels this tone and captures the feelings of crashing on a friend’s floor when things seem hopeless.In a time of extraordinary uncertainty, it feels especially poignant to hear 2 old friends explore what it means to find a place of quiet comfort in music.