Elle King Previews New LP With Weary Ballad ‘Good Thing Gone’

Elle King draws from vintage southern soul on her new track “Good Thing Gone.” The song will appear on King’s second album, Shake The Spirit.

“Good Thing Gone” borrows from old recordings made at soul studios like Stax and Muscle Shoals. The drummer plays a rock-steady 6/8 rhythm, while the guitarist adds short, unfussy licks. King follows the bare verses with a busy chorus — choir-like backing vocals, a chirpy organ and a restrained horn section.

“Good Thing Gone” is set in the aftermath of a fizzled relationship. King looks back with weary resignation: “We could’ve tried a bit harder/ I could’ve practiced more patience/ Look at this good love we’ve wasted/ Another good thing gone.” They broke up, but she doesn’t sound broken up about it.

“Good Thing Gone” follows “Shame,” with both songs part of King’s upcoming Shake the Spirit album due out October 19. She co-wrote “Good Thing Gone” and several other Shake the Spirit cuts with her band, the Brethren. Other co-writers on Shake the Spirit include Greg Kurstin, known for working with Top 40 stars, and Ben Gibbard, lead singer of Death Cab for Cutie.

In a statement, King said she named her album after being “shaken to the core over the last year and a half.” “I was literally talking to ghosts,” she added. “But making the album not only changed my life, it saved my life. It’s like when you see somebody who is struggling, you want to shake them. Putting this record out is like shaking myself awake.”

In addition to releasing a new album this fall, King is planning a short tour in October and November.

Elle King Tour Dates

September 22 – Franklin, TN @ Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival
October 2 – London, England @ Bush Hall
October 7 – Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Festival
October 14 – Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Festival
October 26-28 – New Orleans, LA @ Voodoo Fest
October 2 – Atlanta, GA @ Park Tavern
October 30 – Charlotte, NC @ The Underground
November 2 – Washington, DC @ Lincoln Hall
November 3 – New Haven, CT @ College Street Music Hall
November 4 – Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts
November 5 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw
November 8 – Toronto, ONT @ Opera House                                                                                                     November 9 – Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
November 10 – Chicago, IL @ The Vic Theatre
November 12 – Los Angeles, CA @ Belasco Theater