Gus Englehorn - "Exercise Your Demons"

Who is Gus Englehorn? He’s one of the most captivating and eccentric performers that I’ve come across in recent memory. After his career as a professional snowboarder came to an end, the Alaska native and current Montreal resident started writing songs - simple ones musically, with a biting, yet playful and absurdist, narrative-driven focus. His 2020 debut album, Death and Transfiguration, featured several quirky and memorable numbers, including an ode to a childhood bully called “Collarbone,” and he’s taking his distinct brand of songwriting to the next level for his forthcoming second album, Dungeon Master. 

Fans of Daniel Johnston, Beat Happening, and The Vaselines will definitely find much to enjoy in Englehorn’s sound, particularly amongst this new crop of material. “Exercise Your Demons” is decidedly more off-kilter than anything on his first record, starting with a sing-speak intro where Englehorn shares some masochistic feelings: “Hit me. I want you to hit me. You heard me. Yeah.” His words further hone in on the wordplay between “exorcise” and “exercise,” serving as the key example of the song’s meaning: "This one is partially inspired by David Lynch's 'Blue Velvet', particularly the scene where Dorothy asks Jeffrey to hit her," Englehorn says. "It's about how we often turn to destructive behavior to try to make ourselves feel better when all you really need to do is get a little exercise.”

Englehorn’s partner and drummer, Estee Prada, is the visionary behind the video for “Exercise Your Demons,” which imagines Englehorn as a preacher/motivational speaker/cult leader type encouraging his audience to literally exercise their demons. Watch it below!

Dungeon Master is set for release on April 29th via Montreal-based imprint Secret City Records. You can pre-order the album digitally via Bandcamp or on compact disc, vinyl, or cassette via Secret City. Englehorn’s music is also available to stream on all platforms. Keep up with him by following him on Instagram. He’s currently on tour and will be performing several gigs in Austin this week for South by Southwest.

To learn more about Englehorn and Prada, you can revisit our 2020 podcast interview them here on the site.