Front Porch Step

A solo acoustic vehicle for Newark, Ohio-based singer/songwriter Jake McElfresh, Front Porch Step serves up candid, emotionally charged punk-folk in the vein of Dashboard Confessional, City and Colour, and Tim Barry. McElfresh released his debut EP, Endearment, under the moniker in 2012, followed shortly by another EP, So Help Me God. He garnered significant online praise for his YouTube rendition of the song "Island of the Misfit Boy," which caught the ear of Pure Noise and eventually landed him a record deal. His debut long-player for the label, Aware, was issued in the summer of 2014. He then joined the lineup of the Pure Noise Noise Records tour. A few months after the release of his debut, McElfresh became the subject of sexual harassment allegations that surfaced online and which had been made by several women, including some underage girls. Subsequently, McElfresh suspended all touring. He eventually posted a message on Facebook attempting to apologize and explain the situation, after which he went on indefinite hiatus. During this period, he made one appearance: a free live show at the Nashville stop of the Van's Warped Tour on July 1, 2015 that was purportedly agreed upon by tour management as part of the singer's ongoing counseling treatment. Despite the allegations, no charges were brought against McElfresh. Roughly a year after making his Warped appearance, McElfresh announced his official return to performing with release of the spiritually minded single "Help Me Hurt." In 2017, he released his sophomore full-length album, I Never Loved Before I Found You, which included the singles "Burned," "Stones," and "Perfect Man."
© James Christopher Monger /TiVo