I'm Not Knockin

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
NEW MATT ELLIS SINGLE, “NOT EVEN SPRINGSTEEN”, OUT 11/14/25

Matt Ellis releases searing new single, “Not Even Springsteen,” the first taste of his forthcoming seventh album.

Australian-born, California-based songwriter Matt Ellis returns with “Not Even Springsteen,” the first single from his forthcoming seventh studio album, and it’s a haunting, clear-eyed portrait of America’s political divide.

Recorded, mixed, and co-produced by Nicolas Vernhes (Spoon, The War on Drugs) at Rare Book Room in California’s High Desert, the song sees Ellis blending his signature folk-rock storytelling with social commentary that cuts deep.

Through character-driven lyrics and plainspoken poetry, Ellis examines the contradictions of modern America, where faith, fear, and nostalgia collide at the ballot box. The generational union man, single mother, and son of immigrants all find themselves misled and disillusioned. “They confused you with their fake news; not even Springsteen changed your mind,” Ellis sings, channeling both heartbreak and disbelief at a nation divided against itself.

“I was texting with a friend after the election results came in,” Ellis recalls. “Incredulous at the result, I half-joked, ‘Not even Springsteen changed their minds,’ an off-the-cuff comment that carried so much cultural weight, it became a defining lyric for the song and album in many ways.”

That off-the-cuff jab at MAGA was in reference to Bruce Springsteen’s PSA in the weeks leading up to the election. Never had we seen so many prominent artists come forward to support a presidential candidate, and it spoke volumes to the dire situation.

Tracked live in late summer 2024 with Matt Ellis on acoustic guitar and vocals, Denny Weston Jr. on drums, and Dustin Bookatz on bass, “Not Even Springsteen” captures the immediacy of a band locked in the moment. Additional guitars, mandolin, and melodica were added by Joshua Norton, while Ellis recorded his final vocals at his home studio just over the ridge from Rare Book Room.

The song’s bridge features guest vocals from friend and fellow Hi-Desert songwriter Karma (of Henry Ate), whose ethereal harmonies lend the closing lines a haunting echo—“Don’t it make you feel like a rebel / fighting the wrong side.”

Produced by Ellis and Vernhes and mastered by J.J. Golden, “Not Even Springsteen” will be released independently on November 14, 2025, and available on all major streaming platforms.

Follow Matt Ellis on Instagram for news on the upcoming album release.

I'm Not Knockin

shaun rust

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