NOTE: This week’s TWOFER is so great, we’re giving each half its own blog post. For information on another notable local album release show happening this evening, head here.

Tonight, Ellen the Felon and her Mattronome will take to the rink and release their new album, Bang Bang Bang, at St. Louis Skatium. I chatted with Ellen about the creation of the record, her storied history with her band mate, and more:

Talk to me about the making of Bang, Bang, Bang. How long did the record take to produce, where was it recorded, etc.?

It’s been about 3 years since we initially recorded Bang, Bang, Bang. We went to Firebrand Studios, which is a great studio with all the bells and whistles. Our engineer Brian Scheffer was very patient with us, seeing as at the time we had little to no experience in the studio. We were accustomed to playing live shows, so naturally we recorded live. Recording was fun and tiring, and definitely a learning experience. Matt (Matthew Reyland) and I fought like a brother and sister, and you can hear a little bit of that at the beginning of “Temple”, the last track on our album.

From where in life do you pull your songs? Are the tracks on Bang Bang Bang new, old, or a mix of both? Choose one song from the album and describe the process you went through in order to write it.

They are a mix of both, but some are reworked. When I wrote “Oh Timothy” I was in the basement of my Mom’s house, just writing and smoking cigarettes. I called my boyfriend at the time and left a voice mail. I really enjoy leaving my friends hilarious voicemails; just ask ’em. So I left this voice mail and the beginning line is, “Oh Timothy, why won’t you pick up the phone?” I was trying to sound like a stalker. The song starts off with a voice mail and ends with me asking him why he got the cops involved. I’ve pulled from waitressing, love, fantasy, death, drinking, revenge, and friendship. I keep pulling.

Who contributed to the beautiful cover art and layout of the CD?

Alecia Hoyt is the one, and she is fucking brilliant. I had an old piano at my house and we decided that we should burn our instruments for our album cover. It was freezing, but we drank enough to warm up. Check her out at www.aleciahoyt.com.

Matt did the layout, which took up half of our rehearsal time but it was well worth it.

How did you and Matt become a band?

Matt and I went to middle school together and hung around the same crowds, but it wasn’t until we were in our early 20s that we started playing together. We played our first show at The Way Out Club and to this day I feel like it was our best. Maybe because it was our first. You know us musicians, always chasing that high. I’m kidding…kind of.

Have you ever played a show at Skatium? Tell our audience what it’s like to go to a concert at a skating rink.

Yes! The Skatium is one of the most underrated venues in St. Louis. Where else can you go and roller skate around amazing live bands while drinking? It’s dangerous and it’s fun!

Invite and show details here.