Eli Conley - Searching For What's True (2023) Hi Res

Eli Conley's third album Searching for What's True explores themes of uncertainty, ache, and loss, yet light shines through the clouds again and again. The songs are drawn from the concrete and immediate details of daily life: a stuffed animal clutched in a child's arms, a colorful sunset after a forest fire, a statue of a Confederate general toppling to the ground.

Eli's voice is tender and heartfelt, with melodies that can leave you teary-eyed yet hopeful. As a queer transgender man from the South, his songs tell stories that aren’t always reflected in roots music. On the album's first single "Making Something New," Eli describes the work of an artist as "finding beauty in the wreckage / making meaning of the grief / when we tell our stories true we find release." His deep belief in the transformative power of creativity stems not only from his own experience, but his many years leading singing and songwriting classes for queer and transgender people and allies.

Searching for What's True is Eli's first release since being diagnosed with a serious repetitive stress injury that forced him to stop playing music for many months. After wrist surgery and careful rehab, he came back to songwriting with a renewed sense of purpose. The resulting album is a testament to the power of the creative spirit. At times it's hushed and intimate, at others soaring and dramatic. At the heart of Searching for What's True is Eli's singular voice, urging us to stay open to our grief and our joy.