Rob Elo is a thirty-something singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Originally from Nanaimo, British Columbia, he is now residing in Yellowknife, NT; he prides himself on musical flexibility, enough so that his style is virtually unidentifiable. If he had to say, it probably ranges from ambient downtempo electro-pop to classic singer-songwriter acoustic-pop ballads to groovy, syncopated, and pocket-heavy rhythmic jazz and soul. Rob also has a low-key fear of commitment when it comes to bathing in a genre – exemplified in these very sentences.

 

Rob’s solo-career efforts took off with the independent release of his debut EP, 30 is the New 20, in December 2020; since then, he’s been working steadily on another, longer release, planned for fall 2023.

 

Elo currently writes, performs, and manages a fresh jazz/neo-soul fusion group of four west coast-based musicians under the band-name, hard.times. The independent releases of the Portland LP (2019) and Live at White Room (2020) helped the band find their groove; they graduated to releasing the single ‘Clean Dancing’ (2021) via Inner Ocean Records. hard.times had the opportunity to develop their sound with the addition of BC-based soul singer Lady Phyl, releasing the single ‘High with Me’ (2022) which has now accumulated over 100,000 streams on Spotify, was featured on Spotify’s Fresh Finds Playlist with over 1 million listeners, and serves as the introductory release to their upcoming collab album. 

 

In addition to his current ongoing solo and collaborative work, Rob has had the opportunity to work with a variety of different musicians and projects – Rob fronted the band Sound and Science (piano and lead vocals), composing music, performing locally, touring, and producing the self-recorded and released EP, ‘Burn Your Boats’, in 2010. Between 2012 and 2018, he played keyboard, composed, and recorded with the progressive metal band, The Body Politic, who self recorded and released the EPs, ‘Egressor’ (2014) and ‘Contraddiction’ (2017). Throughout various cross-Canada tours, the band opened for world-renowned metal acts including Protest the Hero and Tesseract. 

 

Elo has also performed with Current Swell (Folk-Rock); Pocket Change (funk/hip-hop); the Erika Wilson Quartet (Jazz); Born Reckless (Country); Band of Rascals (rock); Mr Goshness (progressive hard rock); and many others. Through these various opportunities for exposure and musical relationships, he draws upon diverse musical stylings of his fellow artists to influence his own compositions and collaborations. Rob has performed in front of audiences of thousands at music festivals like Rifflandia, Rock The Shores, Phillips Backyard, Victoria Jazzfest, Nanaimo Jazzfest, and Shorefest. 

 

Rob has written and been awarded five grants from Creative BC, MuchFACT, and FACTOR. He completed his Diploma in Jazz Studies in 2013 at Vancouver Island University, and has since operated as a private piano teacher in Nanaimo, with provision of virtual lessons to students in northern Canadian communities, including Yellowknife, NT. He has led group classes and courses in school, taught several beginner Ukulele courses, and taught alongside world-renowned ukulele player and instructor, James Hill.