Montreal’s psych-rock shapeshifters Elephant Stone are back, and this time they brought the doom with them. The band just dropped their second single from upcoming album ‘ASHA’, and Fascists Killed Yer Rock ‘N’ Roll is a serious left turn from the breakneck punk energy of lead single Everything Evil. We’re talking slow, suffocating, Sabbath-sized riffs with sitar threading through the cracks — the kind of song that creeps up on you and then just sits on your chest.
A Reckoning, Not a Rant
Where a lot of bands reach for outrage when tackling politics, Elephant Stone frontman Rishi Dhir goes for something colder and more clear-eyed — naming the threat instead of just shouting about it.
“You’d have to be living under a rock to ignore what’s happening. I don’t claim to have the answers; this song is about giving the threat a name. It’s a reminder that we’ve seen this script before… and we’ve overcome it before.”
That defiance shows up loudest in the bridge: “All you fascists, you’ve all come and gone / We know yer game, we’ve all heard that song.”
As for the video — it repurposes footage from One Got Fat, a genuinely creepy 1963 public domain bicycle safety film featuring masked kids. Turns out vintage PSA horror is the perfect visual language for a song about conformity and historical repetition.
About ‘ASHA’
This single is the second preview of ‘ASHA’, Elephant Stone’s 10th studio album, out August 28 via Elephants On Parade. The title means “Hope” in Sanskrit and was Rishi Dhir’s late mother’s name — so expect this one to sit in that tender space between grief and defiance. Limited signed, hand-numbered vinyl is up for pre-order now through Little Cloud Records.
‘ASHA’ track list
- Here Comes The Rising Sun
- Everything Evil
- Fascists Killed Yer Rock ‘N’ Roll
- I Got A Pill
- Broken Arrow
- A Beautiful Fate
- Parallel And Contrary Motion
- Sleepwalking In Prague
- Spirit, Take Me Away (feat. Amy Millan)
Who Is Elephant Stone?
At the center of it all is Rishi Dhir — sitarist, songwriter, and certified studio nerd — who’s spent two decades fusing Western psych-pop with Indian classical tradition out of his own Montreal home studio, Sacred Sounds. He’s also logged serious time alongside The Black Angels, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, and Beck, plus a stint in psych supergroup MIEN. Backed by longtime members Miles Dupire, Robbie MacArthur, and Jason Kent, the band’s newer material trades some of their old pop polish for a rawer, heavier edge — and honestly, it suits them.
Catch Them Live
Elephant Stone hit the road across North America this September in support of ‘ASHA.’ Dates below — tickets available here.
Sept 15 — Burlington, VT @ Foam Brewers
Sept 16 — Rochester, NY @ Bug Jar
Sept 17 — Troy, NY @ No Fun
Sept 18 — New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
Sept 19 — Washington, DC @ Comet Ping Pong
Sept 20 — State College, PA @ Manny’s
Sept 22 — Chicago, IL @ Sleeping Village
Sept 23 — Detroit, MI @ Outer Limits
Sept 24 — Toronto, ON @ Second Summer Festival
Oct 1 — Montreal, QC @ Bar le Ritz
Follow Elephant Stone
Website | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | Spotify | TikTok | Substack
C'mon why don't you leave a comment here