If Beulah and The Shins got together for a basement jam, they might wind up creating something along the lines of Just Like July, the debut single from Pelicans and their Allies. The lead single from their forthcoming self-titled EP, it’s playful and melodic, indicative of the group’s overall approach on a debut EP that includes “a song about Sam Clemens struggling with his alter ego, peppered with a hint of King Kong.” The song came about, by the way, when a fan asked for a song about Mark Twain.

Pelicans and their Allies originally started life in 2012 as Addieville, an acoustic guitar and cello collaboration between Robert Higgs and Dayana Yochim. At some point around 2014 they went from acoustic to plugged in, changed their name and set about recording the debut EP. Recorded at Higgs’ home studio - the enticingly entitled Blanket Fort Studio - Pelicans and their Allies is out on November 6th. You can pre-order from the band’s Bandcamp page: