New group, ELLISH, drops debut music video
ELLISH is a new recording project from Chris Thompson, Craig Mitchinson, John Knox and Patrick Gosling, all Sunderland music scene natives.
Patrick Gosling performs and releases music as a solo artist, while Chris Thompson has worked with many local artists over the years.
John Knox runs the Old Black Cat Jazz Club, which predominantly performs at the Sunderland Minister, with appearances at other local venues.
Craig Mitchinson has previously released music under the alias ‘Eddie McCarthy’ and has also been involved with various Sunderland music projects.
The group have stated that they aren't fixed on a genre and their main motive is to create music ‘that gets people dancing’.
Their debut release, ‘Feels So Right’ was released in August 2026, and they are now launching a music video to accompany the track.
‘Feels So Right’ is ‘grounded in disco but collaboratively turned into an indie sleaze tune’. They released the song without any form of promotion as they predominantly cared about people hearing the track which has shown to be very popular at their regular DJ sets in local pub, The Kings Arms, every Saturday night from 6pm.
The lads have said that the track is about experiencing a sex dream and then doing everything you can to get back to sleep and return to the dream. ‘The video is about counting sheep to get back to sleep, but it's not always that straightforward...’
The unique music video depicts Thompson and Mitchinson in a battle to fall back to sleep, while surrounded by countless sheep (portrayed by a crowd in masks). The general eerie tone of the video, created by the menacing sheep masks, lighting and overall visuals is completely lacerated by the bright, upbeat track that soundtracks the film.
Chris and Craigs' jovial personalities certainly shine through the lens, as they fully commit to their characters, while dressed as Ebeneezer Scrooge.
We then spoke to Chris Thompson for more of an insight into the new troop.
Q: Why was now the right time to form ELLISH?
A: ‘Me (Chris) and Craig have wanted to work together for ages after discovering a mutual love of soul, disco and euro disco music.’
Thompson then discusses the past few years and his involvement in different projects with various Sunderland artists. While on his honeymoon earlier this year he dedicated time when traveling exclusively to listen to Michael Jackson’s first three solo albums on Epic Records; Off The Wall, Thriller and Bad, to help influence and inspire his writing.
‘I came back with idea for ELLISH which was infectious songs that people can dance to but with modern themes.’
Q: How did the group form?
A: ‘I invited Craig and Patrick into our DIY studio at The Bunker without any kind of brief or agenda, because I wanted to get their organic and critical take on the tunes. ‘Feels So Right’ stood out to them and they immediately made several key changes to the song that transformed the vibe and identity.’
Chris states, ‘I loved the fact that I would have never heard those things myself, so at that point ELLISH solidified itself as a collaborative project.’
John Knox lay down drums on the track, alongside making clear improvements with the percussion, and other elements, on ‘Feels So Right’. ‘It was clear then that he should be a permanent member.’
Q: Where did the name ‘ELLISH’ come from?
A: ‘ELLISH’ is a colloquialism in Sunderland, meaning great, high quality, superlative. I wanted something that would immediately identify us as a part of this region and ELLISH does that perfectly. Plus, it sounds cool.’
Q: Who inputs what in the group / Who orchestrates most of the production side or is it an equal share?
A: ‘There isn't really a model for who does what. Pat is our principal producer, but I will typically build songs with as many parts as I can ahead of bringing them to a session. Everyone contributes ideas however finished or unpolished, and it really is a simple sniff test – if its banging then we’ll end up using it, if not then we’re happy to write it off.’
Q: Does ELLISH plan on releasing any more music in the near future?
A: 'We have lots of stuff ready to go, and the most exciting part for me is that we’re independent of a genre or defined roles. As long as it's fun and we can play it at our DJ sets, it’s a track we should release. We will get another song out before the year is up and go from there.
Currently there is no plans for playing live or making an EP, we just want to get the tracks made and have fun doing it... and make weird music videos obviously.’
You can watch the new music video for ‘Feels so Right’ by ELLISH via the link below.
Stream the track here: 'Feels So Right'
Follow ELLISH on Instagram: ELLISH Instagram
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