Named for the storied New Orleans street that runs from the Mississippi River to Lake Pontchartrain, Elysian Fields Forever is a mixture to two enduring musical traditions: the endlessly adaptable songbook of The Beatles, and the anything-goes spirit of New Orleans. The concept is straightforward but the execution is anything but — New Orleans music is all kinds of music, and the strength of The Beatles’ songs allows the band to move across styles and genres with ease while showcasing their influences, from Fats Domino to The Meters, Big Star to The Ramones, and, of course, The Beatles themselves.

Highlights include album opener “With A Little Help From My Friends,” pulled from the pages of the power-pop handbook (Alex Chilton of Big Star called New Orleans home for the last 20 years of his life), “I’ve Got A Feeling,” which takes the song from its London rooftop origins to the funk grooves of The Meters and James Brown; “I’m Only Sleeping” stays in their hometown, feeling like a hazy late night in the haunted corners of the French Quarter; “Help!” is done as a ballad, akin to John Lennon’s original vision of the song; George Harrison’s eastern deep cut “The Inner Light” becomes a Bollywood-second line groove, with psychedelic electric banjo replacing the original’s sitar. Horns, big vocals, walls of guitars, punk rock energy, and most of all, a palpable love of the music fill out the record.

The Walrus brings together some of the city’s most seasoned players: drummer/ keyboardist André Bohren and singer/bassist David Pomerleau (Johnny Sketch & The Dirty Notes, The Desert Nudes), lead guitarist Felix Wohlleben (Jenn Howard Band, Noggin), and singer/guitarist Jonathan Pretus (The Breton Sound, Cowboy Mouth). The band began as an occasional side project in 2009, gaining popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic with outdoor concerts around New Orleans. The Walrus are authentic musicians playing authentic music throughout the Gulf South, pulling songs from across the universe of the Beatles’ catalog.

The project was made possible with support from the Threadhead Cultural Foundation, which champions New Orleans’ living musical traditions