We’ve got the second single from Guards for you to listen to and download. “Coming True” takes a simple new-wave riff and builds layers upon it, reaching cinematic climaxes, reminiscent of past projects we’ve worked on together…

Guards is a trio made up of Loren Humphrey, Richie Follin, and Madeline Follin of Cults. Together, Element and them have collaborated on countless projects, including the FUTURE NATURE and MAKE IT COUNT soundtracks, a ton of commercials and shorts, along with the music for the MAKE IT COUNT Contest Series, including the 2009 series that was set to Richie and Loren’s band, Willowz.

Guards are closing out the year with an East Coast tour (dates below), and the full-length album ”In Guards We Trust” will be out February 5th. For more info on Guards and past Element projects, including the music video to “I See It Coming”, check out THIS blog post.

GUARDS TOUR DATES

11/29 Boston, MA @ The Sinclair
12/01 Washington, DC @Black Cat
12/07 Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie
12/08 Lancaster, PA @ Chameleon Club
12/09 Hartford, CT @ Arch Street Tavern
12/11 Clifton Park, NY @ Upstate Concert Hall
12/12 Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk
12/13 Ithaca, NY @ The Haunt
12/15 Brooklyn, NY @ Knitting Factory

Photo by Olivia Malone

It’s a rare thing these days, in the age of the internet and all, when you can honestly say an amateur skater paid his dues to earn what he’s got, but for Nick Garcia, there’s nothing truer than that. Skating his ass off, and getting noticed the old fashioned way… “The harder you work the luckier you get” and with that said, we are proud to introduce Element’s newest pro, Nick Garcia.

Here’s a look back at Nick’s skating through the years, including video highlights, articles exposure, magazine covers, and his most recent footage and first pro ad… Congratulations Nick, you deserve it.

The Nick Garcia collection consists of the Welcome and Blue Collar boards, a cruiser shaped by Nick, and limited edition shirt. Everything is available in the Element store and at your local shop, so stock up now.

Over the past year, we had 45 MAKE IT COUNT events in 30 different countries, with one goal; to get the most dedicated skateboarders from around the world for a life changing experience.

On August 11th, 23 finalists flew in for an all expenses paid trip to California for one week, and to compete in the global finals at Element YMCA Camp.

During that week, we went to San Diego and skated the Transworld park, hung out at Element headquarters, and had a day all to ourselves at The Berrics. In addition to skating, we hiked to the natural waterslides at Stony Creek, launched in Lake Sequoia, and saw a slew of wild animals in the Sequoia National Forest.

In the end, it was Jon Cos who took first place and a year’s sponsorship from Element, while Dustin Blauvelt came in second, and Nate Greenwood finished in third.  Some left with trophies and prizes, but everyone went home with something much greater; friendships were forged, and our Element family grew bigger.

Thank you to everyone who contributed in making this series an experience of a lifetime.

For more info, to see the finals video, and to see the #elementmakeitcount instagram feed, go HERE:

Element Advocate, Loren Humphrey and his band Guards are going to SXSW, and playing a jam packed schedule (listed below). And while you’re there, don’t forget to check out the Thrasher Death Match with live bands and a mini-ramp. The event’s sponsored by Converse, so our very own Julian Davidson will be there. If you’re in town, enjoy the music and mayhem, and we’ll see you there.

Loren Humphrey (Guards drummer) originally wrote and recorded the song “I See It Coming” for MAKE IT COUNT, The Element Story (chapter 4). Guards then reshaped and rerecorded the song, including lyrics written by Richie Follin. The song became one of the top singles on the band’s first EP, and was their first official music video. The video was shot in a mortuary, with an orchestra playing the live instruments which were originally multi-tracked. The end result is nothing short of amazing.

Guards are Richie Follin and Loren Humphrey of Willowz, along with MGMT‘s James Richardson and Madeline Follin of Cults. Loren has worked closely with Element for years, creating all sorts of exclusive music, including the MAKE IT COUNT soundtrack, the music for the FUTURE NATURE and RISE & SHINE trailers, a slew of commercials and look-book videos, and all of the music used for the MAKE IT COUNT Contest Series for the past three years.

For more information on Guards, visit them HERE, you can even download their EP for free.

And when you have time, check out their live performance on MTV HERE, with Loren and Richie rocking some Element Emerald gear! The two later came by the Element Emerald launch party at Saturdays in New York, as seen below with Johnny Schillereff (Element Founder).

Guards on the SXSW schedule, and details below.

Tuesday 3/13 WHITE IRIS PARTY 8:45pm @ Parkside 301 E.6th St.

Thursday 3/15 SMALL PLATES / ULTRA 8201 PARTY 2:15pm @ Lovejoys 604 Neches St.

Thursday 3/15 DEATH & TAXES PARTY 6:00pm @ Cheer Up Charlies 1104 E.6th St.

Thursday 3/15 WINDISH AGENCY SHOWCASE / PURE VOLUME HOUSE 9:00pm @ ND Studios 501 North IH-35

Friday 3/16 FLOATING FEST / HYPE MACHINE PARTY 10:00pm @ Hype Hotel 504 Trinity St.

Saturday 3/17 BROOKLYN VEGAN / PARTISAN PARTY 5:00pm @ Hotel Vegas 1500 E.6th St.

Saturday 3/17 CHEVROLET SOUNDSTAGE 11:45pm @ 612 E.6th St.

Photo credit: Amber B Dianda

Nyjah Huston and Element formed a relationship when Nyjah was only 7-years old. Then,  a twig on the Element tree, Nyjah grew into his own… In 2011 Nyjah 3-peat’d at Street League, and won X-Games gold, but he’s out now to prove his talents where their matter most; in the streets.

Element presents “RISE & SHINE” – The Nyjah Huston video, available on iTunes worldwide on 11.11.11.

Nyjah Huston and Element formed a relationship when Nyjah was only 7-years old. Then,  a twig on the Element tree, Nyjah grew into his own… In 2011 Nyjah 3-peat’d at Street League, and won X-Games gold, but he’s out now to prove his talents where their matter most; in the streets.

Element presents “RISE & SHINE” – The Nyjah Huston video, available on iTunes worldwide on 11.11.11.