Ordinary Elephant
Genuine, powerful and anything but ordinary
Ordinary Elephant is anything but ordinary, captivating audiences with their emotionally powerful and vulnerable songs, letting the listener know that they are not alone in this world.
Pete and Crystal Damore blend their well-honed combination of insightful writing, effortless harmonies and intertwined clawhammer banjo and guitar. Lloyd Maines (one of the first Austin City Limits Hall of Fame Inductees) called their music "as genuine as it gets". Ordinary Elephant was the International Folk Music Awards 2017 Artist of the Year. The Associated Press called their 2019 album Honest one of the best Americana albums of the year, and PopMatters said it was “…easily one of the best folk duo records in years.”
Veterinary cardiologist Crystal and computer programmer Pete met at an open mic in College Station, Texas in 2009 and soon moved to Houston together. Music was their sideline until they threw caution to the wind to take their music on the road. They use their own life experience to point out that the “safe” route can be anything but safe, and they invite us to explore our own truest, best selves and consider the moments and memories that lead to who we are.
“Keep kind all that rises from your chest to your tongue. Don’t ever let your words undo the work you’ve done,” sings Crystal in “Worth the Weight,” a song that beats at the heart of their album Honest. In the song, it's a two-line enjoinder from an adult to a kid. In life, though, it's a mission statement for ourselves as much as for others. And the work that Crystal, along with her husband Pete, has done on Honest is both filled with kindness and worthy of praise.
“There is nothing at all ordinary with this elephant. They are smack dab in the tradition that I have always loved but have both (all four?) feet in the 21st Century. This is rich ground. Listen!” --Tom Paxton
“Ordinary Elephant showcase folk music at its best. Commentary on social issues, a focus on the importance of family and seeking out the highest human aspirations…” --Listening Through the Lens