Eli Hansen (Real Numbers)
What are your top five albums that were released in 2025? (In order 1-5)
- Sharp Pins - Balloon Balloon Balloon (K/Perennial)
- Lightheaded - Thinking, Dreaming, Scheming! (Slumberland / Skepwax)
- Cindy Lee - Cat-o-Nine Tails (W.25th) [vinyl reissue of 2020 lathe cut]
- Living Dream - Absolute Devotion (Inscrutable)
- The Cords - The Cords (Slumberland/Skepwax)
What band did you discover in 2025 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? How so?
I'm going to cheat here and reference multiple bands and their songs that I've discovered. So this year I read the wonderful book Everybody's Heard About the Bird - The True Story of 1960s Rock-n-Roll in Minnesota (thank you Steve for lending me a copy). In it I discovered the later '60s output of Minnesota bands that I had completely stopped caring/thinking about. Such welcome revelations include The Trashmen's deranged 1966 attempt at folk rock with "Hanging On Me," The Underbeats sweet slice of soul from '67: "It's Gonna Rain Today." The 1968 Castaways doing trippy hard rock: "Just On High." Amazing output from a bunch of bands whose time-of-hits had sadly passed.
How will you remember 2025 (in terms of music)?
Been listening to a lot of strange music as of late. Some soft, some hard, some xtian, but mostly still pop. Still unsure if this is a new high or a new low.
What can we look forward to from you in 2026?
The long-awaited new Real Numbers album has been mixed! We started recording it in 2024, with an additional batch of songs recorded in 2025. It does in fact sound amazing so stay tuned for more news!
I've also decided to DJ more. I loved doing Beloved Radio, which ended early 2024, as a way to share music with a bigger audience. Live and off the cuff would be even more satisfying, either in 'the club' (for sure happening) or on the FM dial (probably not happening).
What records are you looking forward to most in 2026?
Somebody please reissue the Moscovite Five cassette!
Singles rule the music scene right now. How has that affected you as a band or label? Has it influenced your approach to new releases or touring?
I love all the fun music videos that are being made. Real Numbers shall try to deliver some good ones in 2026. And, indie labels: please keep making 7" singles so I can DJ them.
Eli Hansen – social media links
- Instagram: @real.numbers
