As one of the most sought-after vocalists on the West Coast, Elliott Peck has made a name for herself lending harmonies to everyone from Phil Lesh and Bob Weir to Jackie Greene and Lukas Nelson. As a member of the band Midnight North, she’s appeared on bills with the likes of Bonnie Raitt and The Infamous Stringdusters and slayed festivals from Newport Folk Festival to Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. In 2012 she began singing on many configurations of Phil Lesh & Friends, and toured nationally with Phil Lesh & the Terrapin Family Band from 2017-19. Now, with her mesmerizing solo career, Peck is stepping center stage, ready to prove she’s a talent more than worthy of the spotlight on her own.
“I’ve been writing songs for a long time and I’ve been really fortunate these last few years to perform with so many great musicians,” says Peck, “but as a songwriter I & wanted to record my own material in addition to my songs I record with my band Midnight North. Peck’s debut solo record , Further From the Storm, (2018) was recorded in Oakland with producer Karl Derfler (Tom Waits, Dave Matthews), It was Peck’s first release under her own name and her debut album for the burgeoning Blue Rose Music label. She performed at the 2018 Americana Festival debuting her new songs on a showcase bill with Margo Price, David Lunning & Steve Forbert.
Weaving together the disparate threads of American roots into a captivating whole, her debut record serves as a brilliant showcase not only for Peck’s vocal prowess, but also for her meticulous craftsmanship. She writes with a breezy vulnerability, a plainspoken and unflinching honesty that belies her songs’ subtle sophistication as she draws on classic country, blues, R&B, and jazz to create an utterly timeless collection. It’s the kind of music that demands repeated listening, revealing new rewards with each and every drop of the needle.
Her most recent release, an EP titled “In the Pines” (2023) was recorded at Sun Machine Studio in Novato California with producer Ryan MacCaffrey. A collection of songs that continues to demonstrate her growth as a both a songwriter & vocalist. To celebrate this release, she performed at the Sweetwater Music Hall (Mill Valley, CA) in December 2023 with a start studded backup band (Natalie Cressman, Jason Crosby, Dan Lebowitz) to a sold out crowd of adoring Bay Area fans.
“Working with Phil Lesh for so many years has always pushed me to think outside the box,” says Peck. “I’ve adopted his policy of trying to keep things surprising. There’s comfort in writing a song and being done with it, but I’ve learned from Phil not to be afraid to go back and rethink things and experiment with different sounds and allow the song to continue to evolve.”
This may be why Peck appeals to strongly to both the Americana world of singer/songwriters, as well as to her solid fan base of jamband & Grateful Dead fans. Even if you’ve never heard her sing a note before, Peck sounds like the kind of songwriter you’ve been listening to for years, and as she embarks on her newest chapter, it’s clear that she’s the kind of songwriter you’ll be listening to for years to come, too.