Elephant Stone

“shimmering psych rock brilliance” - Wales On Line

“Transatlantic counterparts to Cornershop in their deft weaving of indie rock and elements of traditional Indian music.”

- PurpleRevolver (UK)

Take Britain: The Rocky Road to Worldwide Fame - Clash

“Elephant Stone aren't a regular guitar band, it transpires - they're also a sitar band.” - The National

“A few extended sitar bliss-outs and a band capable of functioning as a behemoth rhythm section ensured this was as much about the groove as the song — and with Dhir’s ear for a paisley hook, this was very much about the song.” - Montreal Gazette

"[Elephant Stone's] debut album The Seven Seas, I would venture its everything Jay Ferguson of Sloan has been dabbling in all these years and Carl Newman of the New Pornographers would have wet dreams about such auspicious a pop sensibility that Rish Dihr has with this Montreal project.
-Will McGuirk, Scene and Heard - Scene and Heard

"this could well be one of our favorite albums of the year. "
-Powerpopulist - Powerpopulis

One of the more pleasant musical surprises of the last couple of years around these parts has been the emergence of the excellent '60s-tinged pop group Elephant Stone. While we were all saddened by his departure from the equally great Montreal outfit High Dials, please take comfort in Rishi Dhir's many abilities as chief songwriter, bassist, singer and sitar player for Elephant Stone. The Seven Seas was produced by Jace Lasek from the Besnard Lakes and it coolly captures Dhir's love of both classic British pop and Indian raga subcurrents while brimming with messages of peace, hope and love - Hour

Ex-bassist and sitarist for Montreal psych-rock band the High Dials, Rishi Dhir reappears on the scene with a few famous friends in his new incarnation, Elephant Stone. The band name cleverly mixes references from both Rishi’s Indian heritage and the band’s musical proximity to The Stone Roses, both of which heavily influence this debut, a collection of dreamy britpop infused with rock-sitar jams. Well-produced and put together, catchy tunes, great Brit vibe: a keeper. - Nightlife

Elephant Stone offers hopeful, dreamy pop music that’s impossible to place in any one time period. - Dose

As former bassist for the High Dials, it's no surprise that Rishi Dhir has a heart full of soul; the happy revelation is just how advanced his songwriting instincts are at the helm of his new band. It takes all of 10 seconds for Bombs Bomb Away's sunshine psychedelia to brand itself upon the brain, and the tidal surge of A Morning Song will pull in anyone within reach. The prominent use of sitar is no identity-badge gimmick to attract notice in the crowded local scene - it's integral to these tracks, whether it be the mystical intro to The Straight Line or Don't You Know's ecstatic full-power outro. Utterly uplifting, and a powerful contender for Montreal album of the year.
Rating 4 1/2 - Jordan Zivitz

"sitar-driven ground-shakers"
3.5 stars - Jared Morano

Somewhere in the sonic vicinity of Lee Maver’s bitter sweet wanderlust and My Bloody Valentines white knuckle waves of discord lies Elephant Stone, whose tripped out, transcendent debut "The Seven Seas", feels both timely and timeless, a euphoric crystalline turn of chiming pop positivity bathed in tasteful raga glory.
Founded in 2008 by Rishi Dhir- former bass/sitar guru of Montreal’s the High Dials-Elephant Stone is unapologetically hopeful and pragmatic: its surging songs are about grand ideals- purity, peace, and joy-and unfurl in kind, with cinematic breadth to match, yet remain inexorably raw and earthbound, tethered, like all good rock and roll should, to the heart and soul.
4 Stars - Steve Baylin