A move to Oregon and the birth of a second son warranted most of Elder’s attention, but he didn’t let go of the tracks from 2008. Eventually, this collection of songs was released in 2011 under the title (ampersand) and once again featured band member Fernandez on backup vocals, but this time left the rest of the creative juices to Elder himself.
The cover art holds a special meaning here too, as it was a piece of trash found in the street near Elder’s home. Perhaps the idea of using discarded materials and transforming them into something new is a current that he deeply identified with at this stage of life. (ampersand) was self-released in a digital format only.
On the heels of that release, T. Elder’s musical stamina began to rebuild and he felt the urge to complete what he could of eigh eye tea sea aitch despite having moved away from all previous band members. Using a home recording setup similar to that on ¡Aitch Y Double Hockey Sticks!, he was able to tie up six of the ten tracks and digitally self-release this half dozen as The Lie You Leave in 2012. The desire to continue his creativity under the name Aitch took shape in the form of a reunion show in May of 2013. Hosted at Atlas Coffee in Santa Rosa, the group performed some of their favorite tracks and shared the stage with Andrew Maurer along with two other well-known and influential local artists Ash Thursday and Heather Van Cleve.
A three-year hiatus saw T. Elder nearly disappear from the radar, and while he may not have been actively writing songs, his heart was often influenced by some of his favorite artists. Taking a page from Kyle Fields of Little Wings, Elder notes that it’s never too late to give up. Kyle’s determination to express his music while adhering to a DIY style is one of Elder’s prominent inspirations. Once again, the work of Tom Waits has also played a role as of late (remember that mixtape?), with Elder formally learning how to play piano and changing up his vocal style in 2018 to something more raw and authentic.
Wanting to emulate Waits’ ability to be so much more than just a musician, Elder notes that he aims to be a similar performer, entertainer, and really, a method actor much like Waits himself. While Elder’s latest release in 2012 was his most earnest attempt at rock and roll, fans shouldn’t expect anything similar on future Aitch albums. In fact, even T. Elder himself may not know what direction his next release will take, but for him, it’s clear that the journey is most of the fun.