Deloyd Elze (pronounced Dee-Loyd L-Z) is the project of Jacob Henry Allen, who grew up between Georgia and Florida and now calls California home. The moniker honors his great-grandfather, a man known for his resilience and rebellious streak as a diary farmer-turned-moonshiner. Deloyd uses the term “digital twang” to describe his aesthetic – a blend of traditional American folk with indie and electronic elements, delivered with the grainy texture of something shot from a digicam. His new EP, Nellene, pays tribute to his personal history and the places that shaped him, offering five tracks that move between introspection and emotional intensity.
Nellene opens tenderly with “Gatorade & Menthols,” a song about reckless young love in a small town where boredom nudges people toward trouble just to feel alive. “Rite of Passage” brings some of the promised “digital twang” effects into focus, pairing its sonic experimentation with themes of accountability and fighting for something real. The track leans into the idea that any relationship worth keeping will inevitably hit rough patches, and that you have to be willing to face them head-on. When the chorus bursts open with “I want to see you get mad at me. It don’t matter how much it hurts, it only shows how much it’s worth,” it lands as a completely sincere confession and a surrender to vulnerability.
“George Jones” features rising country-folk artist Angela Autumn. The track moves slowly at first, but gathers emotional weight as it builds toward a powerful finish. The following song “Dog Will Hunt,” picks up the tempo without losing Deloyd Elze’s emotional throughline. Its central lyric, “a dog will hunt and horses will run,” speaks to the truth that that people follow their nature, whether that nature is wild, restless, loyal, impulsive, or stubborn.
Deloyd’s connection to home and family runs deep throughout Nellene, which is named after and dedicated to his grandmother, Margaret Nellene Williamson. The EP closes with “Queen of Spades,” written in the wake of her passing. What began as a private attempt to honor a woman with a long list of talents and legacies ultimately became the EP’s moving, personal finish.
“Nellene is a labor of love and a continuation of thought on A Horse Named Proletariat. They exist as siblings, but each one has their own personality and shape. It was made over the course of a year or so, in various locations. A garage in Boyle Heights, a garage in Joshua Tree, a studio in Echo Park, a house in Eagle Rock, a cabin in Beachwood Canyon, and a studio apartment right in the abyss of Hollywood. It was made with some of my best friends and constant wellsprings of inspiration. I lost my grandmother May of 2024, and her loss has had a profound effect on me. She is one of a litany of reasons why I continue to make and pursue music. When I went home to bury her, we looked through her photo albums and found an incredible and new look on her life. She taught me that life is about fighting for the things you love and what you want to make out of it. It can be hard, it can be simple, it can be cruel, and it can be wonderful. There is no rhyme or reason to this big, beautiful rock floating in space. We make the most of it with the short time we are allotted. You either have to be too dumb or stubborn to quit but above all you have to try. This record is dedicated to Margaret Nellene Williamson.”
-Deloyd Elze on Nellene
Listen to Nellene EP below:
Deloyd Elze SXSW 2026 Schedule:
Fri. March 13 – Austin, TX @ BMI x YETI Showcase
Fri. March 13 – Austin, TX @ UTOPIA Presents Showcase at Zilker Brewing
Mon. March 16 – Austin, TX @ Digital Twang Official SXSW Showcase
Tue. March 17 – Austin, TX @ Make Out Music Showcase
Thu. March 19 – Austin, TX @ Willie Nelson’s Luck Reunion
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