PRE-SAVE “Husk” out august 14, 2026

annalee knies + elka

Fifth single from Project Traction Colorado, a nonprofit expansion that empowers women and gender-expansive artists to gain traction in music production & engineering

Annalee knies

PROJECT TRACTION PRODUCER

They/She/He

Annalee Knies is a Fort Collins-based musician, producer, songwriter, and singer deeply rooted in the Northern Colorado music community. After earning a Bachelor’s of Science in Audio Production and Music Business at the University of Colorado Denver, Annalee has continued building a career as both a performer and producer. Annalee has toured, managed, and performed with local project autumnal (guitar, vocals), as well as toured managed for national artists like John Roseboro.

“Women and gender-expansive folks have just as much to contribute to production and engineering as men, but historically have been a tiny percentage. We have a unique perspective to share that has been shaped through our identity, and everyone deserves to have their perspective heard.

As a femme person in music, I’ve witnessed firsthand the gender gap in the music industry. I’ve been in recording classes in college where I was 1 of 2 non-men in the class, and it feels isolating. I’m grateful that I got to be a part of a project that is working to close that gap.”

PROJECT TRACTION ARTIST

Elke Tukker (She/her), Jakob Mueller (he/him), Tobias Bank (he/him), and Cor Wright (they/them)

Elka

Elka is the Fort Collins, Colorado-based musical project of songwriter Elke Tukker (she/her; pronounced EL-ka). Blending elements of indie rock, folk, shoegaze, country, and slowcore, Elka creates intimate, genre-bending songs that balance vulnerability with grit through layered vocals and atmospheric arrangements. . A collaborative project featuring musicians Jakob Mueller (he/him), Tobias Bank (he/him), Cor Wright (they/them), and others, Elka released its debut EP, “Cold Feet, Soft Landing,” in 2025. 

“The music industry is daunting! Not only because of the competition, or because sharing art with others is scary, but also because it’s such a men-dominated, clique-y sphere. This is particularly true for the technical side of music-making, such as engineering, mixing, and producing.  Intentionally creating spaces for women and non-binary folks to learn the skills and build experience is essential to make the industry safer, just, and enrich its creative outputs.”