Mike Rivard of Club D'Elf is our guest on No Simple Road this week! To the naked eye, Club d’Elf looks exactly like a world-class instrumental band: five or six fierce players laying down heavy grooves and exploratory solos on distinctive original material, as audience members dance or listen in rapt attention. To its fans, however, and its large and colorful cast of musicians, D’Elf is all that and much, much more.

That is what we got from Mike on this week's episode... much, much more! We get right down to business discussing Mike's struggles with depression, what he's done to help heal, creating the new album 'You Never Know' (coming out April 1st), the music of the Gnawa, trance states, learning the Sintir, and oh, so much more!

Club d’Elf began in 1998 at the Lizard as a kind of controlled jam session, featuring Rivard’s friends and associates from various bands. Out of the original D’Elf jam pool emerged a core group, usually augmented by one or two other players from a rotating cast. The core was eventually honed to its essentials: Rivard and drummer Erik Kerr, followed eight years later by drummer Dean Johnston.

For more on Club D'Elf go to www.clubdelf.com

SONG AT THE BEGINNING OF THE INTERVIEW: "Zeed al Maal" of the upcoming album 'You Never Know'

SONG AT THE END OF THE INTERVIEW: "Dervish Dance" off the upcoming album 'You Never Know'

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