Songwriter and clothing designer Elisa Randazzo, who previously worked with the likes of Mayo Thompson (The Red Krayola), releases her debut solo album on Drag City.

Elisa Randazzo is an American musician, songwriter and clothing designer based in California. Her 2010 Drag City release, ‘Bruises & Butterflies’, was born out of a series of late night writing and recording sessions with guitarist, Aaron Robinson. During a trip to New York in 2007, Randazzo forged a friendship and musical partnership with one of her icons, legendary 1970s British folk singer, Bridget St John. Two songs on this release are a result of their collaboration.

Elisa’s two clothing lines, Dusty of California and Cameo, were named in honour of her love of Dusty Springfield. For over a decade, she designed by day, and wrote and recorded music by night. She juggled a range of musical projects, including writing / recording for her own band with her then husband. Her work as a violinist and singer spans releases like UK’s Fierce Panda label and PIAS. While living in Los Angeles, Randazzo met musician-artist Mayo Thompson, best known for his leadership of the avant-garde rock band, The Red Krayola, and she played violin and sang with the band, touring the United States, Japan and Austria and appearing on four Red Krayola LPs, including, ‘Sighs Trapped By Liars’, which she recorded and co-sang in 2007.

Elisa was born in New York to well-known, 1960s songwriters, Victoria Pike and Teddy Randazzo. Her father wrote hit pop songs such as, ‘Goin’ Out Of My Head’, ‘It’s Gonna Take A Miracle’ and ‘Hurt So Bad’, which were recorded by a gamut of early pop legends, from Little Anthony and The Imperials, to The Zombies to, Linda Ronstadt to Frank Sinatra, among others. Her Mom was also a prolific songwriter, writing psychedelic classics such as The Third Bardot’s, ‘I’m Five Years Ahead Of My Time’, (Nuggets collection). Elisa grew up on the road with her parents. She spent nursery school in Jamaica and numerous stints in Las Vegas while her parents performed in lounges across from Elvis. At age 7, her parents split-up, and Randazzo moved to a farm in upstate New York with her mother.

After her own painful separation in May 2006 and subsequent divorce, Elisa Randazzo transformed her living room into a studio and endeavoured to capture the raw feelings of her most vulnerable state.

Manifested from the bottom of the well of Randazzo’s broken marriage, ‘Bruises & Butterfiles’ is a musical marriage of English folk and west coast lore. Her songs paint the portrait of a desecrated woman, attempting to understand her own broken heart.