High school friends revive alternative rock band with launch of music video

POCATELLO – After years of going their separate ways, three Highland High School “Class of 2009” friends, Nicholas Paz, Samuel Matkin, and Jeremy Bristol, have reunited to revive their alternative rock band, The Elephino Project.

The band members describe themselves as “like-minded musicians who share a passion for making music that intercepts art and activism. Music that not only entertains but also provokes thought and inspires action.”

The band’s comeback kicks off with the recent release of a music video for ”Calculate,” a song they originally recorded in 2011. The song delivers a bold statement on the country’s national debt crisis and has already exceeded over 8,000 views on YouTube in just a few weeks.

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“Since our formation in 2011, we’ve cultivated a unique musical identity that reflects our diverse creative,” said Bristol, the band’s drummer. “As good friends, we thrive on the synergy of our creative process, constantly pushing each other to evolve and experiment with our music.”

“The Elephino Project’s” lead singer, Paz, wrote the song around guitar player Matkin’s riffs, saying, “The lyrics just hit me one day. At the time, our country was $14 trillion in debt. The song is even more relevant now. The key talking point from the song is, ‘We’re in an economic crisis. Are you prepared?’ ”

The music video “Calculate” was produced by their friend Tucker Robertson of Bandit Media in Rexburg. Robertson provided the stock footage at the beginning of the video, reflecting the social issues in the song lyrics.

However, the rest of the video was filmed in the Massacre Rocks area outside of American Falls with the help of Robertson, the band’s publicist, Juston Swafford, and a drone.

“I knew exactly where I wanted to shoot this video. It’s an amazing place where I grew up hunting coyotes,” said Paz. “We had a blast shooting the video on the cliff. What a great place to portray the last ones to survive.”

Only four takes were needed for the scene on the cliff, but overall, the video took about six months to complete.

The band is pleased with the final product, dedicating it in loving memory of Matkin’s mother, Susan Matkin, who passed away in 2022.

“She was our biggest fan. We used to jam down in our basement,” said Matkin. “I still play her old classical guitar. I spend hours meditating and playing the riffs in my head.”

While some may think “Calculate” is a little dark and scary, the band members are funny and carefree.

“We approach serious topics with a light heart. We have a sense of humor interwoven into our songwriting,” said Bristol. “Yet, we want our audience to also reflect on the deeper meaning behind our lyrics.”

The band’s sense of humor is evident in the juxtaposition at the end of the music video. “People think we’ll come out of the cave with guns as the last men standing. Instead, we come out with our guitars,” said Paz.

Now that “The Elephino Project” is back together making music, they already have a new song and music video in the works called “Danger,” also filmed in east Idaho.

“I feel like the universe has brought us back together again. We are boosting each other’s ambition and sharing some powerful messages,” said Matkin.

“The Elephino Project” looks forward to performing live in the community. In the meantime, they invite everyone to spread the word about their band and to follow them on YouTube and Spotify.

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