Newmarket sweethearts (and trust me, I actually mean they're a bunch of sweethearts) The Elwins have been generating a lot of buzz in the last while for their new record, And I Thank You, despite the fact the record has yet to be released due to the ongoing hunt for support from record labels.

Originally created as a duo by Matthew Sweeney and Travis Stokl, The Elwins has been a ongoing project of friendship. "It's all about working together and speaking your mind. Overall it's about taking care of each other," said Sweeney. "Since we all have a great relationship, everything else just kind of works out. We still write and jam together after all these years." All the hard work by the two, as well as by joining bandmates Chris Shannon and Feurd, has been put to good use in the recording process of a new LP, including the recently released single "Stuck in the Middle."

"We've talked to a few labels looking for support with the release." said Sweeney. The band plans to have the album out by February 21, with or without being signed to a certain label. "We hope to tour like crazy once the album is out and just to have as much fun as we can fit into our lives."

In the meantime, the guys have been able to keep themselves busy in the past year with a Movember campaign involving an original song and music video to help raise funds for prostate cancer research — something that has affected members of the group. "I think our final total was between $300 and $500," Sweeney stated. "It wasn't an overwhelming success, but I think it was a good way to get the word out." As well, the boys busied themselves with some holiday fun, including a Christmas contest, allowing fans to write lyrics for an original song that the band would perform and a six-song collaborative album with friends, both available for download on The Elwins' Bandcamp page.

Another thing that kept The Elwins busy during the last year was the launch of creative and unique merchandise, including sunglasses, pillows and mugs — or should I say "Pellows" and "Muggz." "We just asked ourselves, 'What do people need,'" explained Shannon. "Sunglasses for when you're driving. Pellows for when you're sleeping and Muggz for when you're drinking." The items are featured in hilarious advertisements that Shannon wrote and directed and are available to watch on YouTube. "Since we had such weird and unique merchandise, we wanted a weird way to show it off. I mean, no band has infomercial-style videos for what they're selling. And well, you don't walk out the house and think, 'If I'm gonna go to a show, I'm gonna buy a mug.'" They believed that the crazy items and advertisements would give fans an expectation of what to expect at shows.

And I Thank You will hit record stores February 21. Check them out at myspace.com/theelwins, and keep your eyes peeled for the band's Partridge Family-style webisodes.