Coral Grief is the Seattle indie rock trio of singer and bassist Lena Farr-Morrissey, guitarist Sam Fason, and drummer Cam Hancock. Farr-Morrissey and Fason recorded their 2021 self-titled EP in isolation, pairing propulsive drum machines with lush melodies, earlier than recruiting Cam Hancock on drums for 2023’s Daydrops EP. Their dynamic has absolutely solidified on Air Between Us, their just-unveiled debut full-length, although they’re not fairly deciding on a sound; there’s a looking out, exploratory high quality to their music. Removed from coasting on the comforting tropes of dream-pop, the album – recorded with engineer Nich Wilbur on the Unknown, a small church-turned-studio in rural Anacortes – anchors in a sea of noisy, delicate textures, bending them in accordance with the advanced emotionality of Farr-Morrissey’s lyrics, a rarity within the style. “The zeal of my coronary heart, buried within the sand,” she sings. You don’t must dig too deep to really feel it.
We caught up with Coral Grief for the newest version of our Artist Highlight collection to speak about their earliest musical reminiscences, recording Air Between Us, the stream of the document, and extra.
Air Between Us closes with a music in honour of a document retailer that Lena labored at till it closed in 2021, and it has certainly one of my favourite traces on the album: “Reminiscences from the ear are preserved in royalty.” Do you thoughts sharing a few of your earliest ones?
Lena Farr-Morrissey: Good query. I grew up taking part in piano and classical piano. It is a dangerous musical reminiscence, however I went to hearken to a pipe organ on the cathedral in Seattle, and it was so loud and intense. It shook me to the core, and I ran out. [laughs] I simply couldn’t be in there. However I believe there’s one thing about the best way the sound bodily formed me and the place it was like, “Wow. Music will be actually highly effective in a whole lot of alternative ways.” That basically caught out as, “How may I wield this instrument into one thing that shakes me in a great way?” I really feel like music could be very movement-oriented to me. I grew up dancing and beloved listening to ABBA, that form of factor. I think about this document being listened to when individuals are shifting someplace, on a mission, going someplace.
Cam Hancock: I’ve been taking part in drums for some time. After I was younger, possibly 10 or 11, I went to rock music camp, my first massive massive music camp. I used to be slightly younger for this system, however this man named Bobby took me underneath his wing. Everybody would break up up into bands, and there’d be instructors for various bands or folks simply floating round. They put all types of younger newbie children within the reggae band – to not say that reggae music is straightforward, however there’s a groove that’s intuitive. I nonetheless take into consideration issues that Bobby advised me once I was that age – nearly listening to different musicians, so many clever phrases that possibly he didn’t assume have been gonna get by to a 10-year-old, however completely did. [laughs] His tip to me, as a result of I used to be clearly very nervous earlier than the efficiency on the finish of the week, was to search out somebody within the room that’s having a superb time. Discover somebody that’s smiling. And in the event you ever are feeling nervous or want a second, latch onto that individual – that’s your power supply there. And I nonetheless take into consideration that. I don’t like to take a look at the group an excessive amount of, and that’s form of the advantage of being the drummer, often, being again there. But when I can discover somebody having a superb time, it’s cool to have the ability to present that for that individual. It positively feels surreal each time.
Sam Fason: A bit in contrast to Lena and Cam, I didn’t begin taking part in music till I used to be 16 or 17, so I really feel like my first music reminiscences are related to both seeing a band reside or discovering a music or a document that simply actually pushed me extra from being an off-the-cuff music fan to truly eager to play music. I grew up in Austin, Texas, and I bear in mind seeing Deerhunter reside at a competition once I was 15 or 16. That was a second the place I used to be like, “I wanna do this.”
LFM: That’s a cool method to get impressed by music, after which it’s like, how do you cross that on to encourage different folks? It’s a cool trajectory of coming to music.
What was that second for you, Lena, of actually letting it’s a part of your world?
LFM: I additionally went to a rock camp, and we had this historical past lesson of all these totally different cool girls bassists and stuff, they usually all simply regarded so cool. Their bass traces have been all the good ones. I initially needed to play guitar within the camp, and now I’m like, “Who cares about that?” That is the instrument holding all of it down, and there’s an effortlessness about that instrument that I gravitated to. I really feel like if you’re lacking the bass in a music, it’s like one thing is deeply unsuitable, however nobody can determine it out. After which when the bass is there, you’re like, “Oh, that is tying all of it collectively.” It’s laborious to pinpoint one second. I really feel like music has been discovering its manner into my world in all corners.
Sam, when did you progress to Seattle?
SF: I moved to Seattle in 2019. Lena and I met once we went to high school in Colorado. After we have been by with that, we performed in bands in class and each moved out to again to Seattle. And we’ve been right here ever since.
Did you develop up there, Cam?
CH: I grew up in Vermont. I got here out this fashion for school after which moved to Seattle on the finish of 2017 for music. I used to be residing in a smaller city engaged on a farm, simply clearing my head after school and doing one thing totally different, however was at all times arising right here to see reveals and jam and play with people. I felt prefer it was a pure step.
Lena, you’ve talked about how your relationship to residence modifications even in the event you’ve lived largely in the identical place that you simply grew up in. And that final music can also be about seeing your private home change. What associations come to thoughts when you consider Seattle which might be possibly sophisticated by the town altering or by rising up, even when there’s nonetheless one thing youthful and pure about it?
LFM: Yeah, I get actually defensive of this place when folks wish to trash it. My good friend jokingly calls me the mayor of Seattle, and I’m like, “No, not that.” [laughs] I positively see its flaws, and I believe we must always proceed to enhance it for the higher. Or different individuals are making an attempt to alter it, and I wish to – properly, change, that’s inevitable, however how can we do it in a manner that’s higher for artists and everybody to reside right here and never be displacing folks? The gentrification strategy of the town, all of that that’s has been happening over the previous few many years – I believe it helps me that I’ve lived right here once I was youthful as a result of I can take a look at a time once I wasn’t so involved with these issues and it was simply extra of a playground of nature and surprise. I went to a ton of DIY reveals in highschool, and it’s like, how can we deliver that power again into the fold even in a metropolis the place most individuals are struggling to pay hire? It’s a dialog of how we are able to coexist with everybody versus simply accepting that it’s lame after which persevering with to reside right here. I don’t wanna reside in a spot that I don’t like, and I might think about most individuals don’t both. So it’s enjoyable to be part of one thing and attempt to work to alter it. This album isn’t essentially devoted to it, nevertheless it’s a method to attempt to determine it out for ourselves and contribute one thing into, like, “Right here’s what we’re making an attempt to do right here. I hope you be part of us.”
On a regular basis Music closed the identical month that you simply launched the self-titled Coral Grief EP, is that proper?
LFM: It was the identical month, yeah. I bear in mind we have been testing out the songs on the audio system earlier than the shop would open, however we have been closing it so nobody was coming in. I’m like, “I suppose I’ll simply play this in right here and see what occurs.” However yeah, I didn’t understand that.
How do you bear in mind the undertaking growing between that EP and the beginnings of this album?
LFM: There’s been a whole lot of change. The largest one is bringing Cam into the fold. We introduced him in to play our first reside present, after which he turned an even bigger a part of writing the songs. We wrote the primary EP in COVID with out in any respect excited about how one can do something reside, so it was like, “How can we make this a vibey little man that didn’t actually must be out on the earth that a lot?” We have been exploring how one can deliver these songs to life extra and complicate them and get our personal distinctive sound – we’re nonetheless trying to find that, however I believe the newer songs attempt to spotlight the extra particular person elements, however nonetheless create a tether of being a extra dreamy, lush sound.
SF: Neither of us are drummers, so the primary EP is all drum machine, and it was written inside that constraint of writing songs that sounded good with that because the rhythmic spine. As we’ve progressed, it’s been actually enjoyable to develop that horizon and open it up extra to extra numerous and playful rhythmic stuff, as a result of Cam and Lena are each such nice gamers. It’s enjoyable to see them bounce off of one another and get extra inventive with the rhythmic components of the songs.
Cam, what attracted you to the dynamic of the band within the first place?
CH: I used to be working downtown on the time, and I bear in mind listening to the document on the bus as I used to be happening. I may simply inform that there was one thing there. Truthfully, the vocal hooks – that’s what I noticed onn first cross. I’ve had the unlucky luck of turning down initiatives that ended up possibly going someplace, and who is aware of if that will have been a superb match. However after listening to these songs, I used to be like, “There’s one thing right here.” I additionally discovered that with the drum machine in there, it’s not precisely a clean canvas, however there’s a whole lot of room for me to deliver one thing to it – to take these drum machine elements and make them my very own, but in addition retain a few of that rhythmic construction, not simply going all jazz on one thing that doesn’t want that. And now all three of us are having rhythmic concepts and seeing the place they match type of in actual time, versus having to do it after the very fact. However each have been an incredible inventive train.
Lena, I’m curious to what extent your relationship to songwriting is affected by the local weather round you, particularly whereas penning this document. I used to be pondering of the opening line on ‘The Landfall’: “I can’t recite the anthem, a dream is rarely sung.”
LFM: Completely. I’m not good at being very direct with my songwriting a whole lot of the time, however I wish to put nods in like that as a result of it’s unavoidable and affecting everybody’s lives. That line particularly is fairly direct. I don’t wanna simply be worshiping nature and in my very own head and never tapping into what’s happening on this nation and the world usually. I wish to work on getting extra poignant when speaking about that, nevertheless it’s positively at all times on my thoughts in making an attempt to put in writing songs. I don’t wish to be completely oblivious to the higher environment.
It’s fascinating as a result of the music bleeds into ‘Paint By Numbers’, which is fairly anthemic.
LFM: I didn’t even take into consideration that. I like that rather a lot. That music was making an attempt to be like, “It’s dangerous out right here. How are we going to search out our personal voice and create our personal landscapes which might be filled with shade and never being depleted?”
What was it like recording the album on the Unknown?
SF: It was actually superb recording there. The area itself is de facto lovely and there’s a inventive power within the area that’s actually inspiring. We will’t say sufficient good issues about Nich, who helped run the area and was the engineer for the document. The dynamic was excellent as a result of Nich actually understood what we have been making an attempt to go for and would actually steer us in the best course. He actually was good about being like, “I don’t know if that’s gonna work,” but in addition nonetheless actually fostering a whole lot of experimentation and creativity. There’s so many nice organs and synths within the area – a whole lot of songs have that heat, glowing organ beneath every thing, which was one thing that we actually needed. It was an outdated church, after which it was a gross sales manufacturing facility, so there’s a whole lot of historical past within the constructing itself. Being in there at night time, it was by no means spooky, however I really feel like Nich jokes concerning the benevolent ghosts which might be in there.
LFM: Staying there made it so all-consuming in a great way.
CH: Having performed in just a few totally different rooms and recorded in just a few totally different rooms, it’s actually simply enjoyable to be in a giant area like that. Virtually every thing you hear that’s recorded there, there’s slightly little bit of room character. It’s why you go there – not many alternatives to document in an outdated church like that, a minimum of round right here. Numerous that’s utilizing the bodily area; you don’t must faux sure points of the document. Utilizing the enjoyable classic instruments and devices and the pure presence of that area is an actual advantage of working there.
Going again to listening to that organ within the cathedral…
Yeah, that is my church redemption. [laughs] It was by no means spooky, however there’s an air about it. It’s not that you simply’re not alone, however you’re feeling the historical past of all of the totally different bands which have performed there too as properly.
I really feel the songs on Air Between Us are in conversations with one another, not simply variations on a theme: the title monitor and ‘Mutual Want’, ‘Rockhounds’ and ‘Outback’. Was that how they flowed out of you?
LFM: The order wherein the songs have been created was so totally different. Such as you mentioned, they’re greater than variations on a theme, however they’re alternative ways of processing the second that we have been residing in. I believe a whole lot of the primary songs we wrote have been the extra upbeat ones, after which we needed to settle into steadiness of, what would you wish to hearken to on a rowboat versus what would you wish to hearken to on a speedboat?
SF: The unique inception of a whole lot of the songs was in little bursts, so some songs cropped up collectively, and one other group of songs kinda cropped up collectively, which lends a pure cohesion to them as properly.
Do you thoughts sharing one factor that conjures up you about every individual within the group?
LFM: I discover Cam’s drive and self-discipline and perseverance and humbleness actually inspiring. I believe he simply combines so many components of being a drummer that a whole lot of drummers don’t essentially possess. He’s such a uncommon gem in not solely his taking part in, however his presence. He grounds the band in so many various methods; Sam and I is usually a little extra chaotic. His quote about discovering somebody smiling within the viewers says all of it. After which Sam, I’m so impressed by his outlook on the world usually and a focus to element, and I believe that actually shines in all of his textural sonic soundscapes. It’s a world that I do know nothing about. It’s not how I write music in any respect; I’m extra about what I’m taking part in, not how I’m taking part in it, and I believe Sam can actually create a world along with his guitar in ways in which I can’t even dream of.
SF: I’m at all times actually impressed by how virtually virtuosic Cam is. We will deliver a brand new music to the desk, and inside two or three run throughs, Cam has simply received it locked down. I would nonetheless be struggling mightily to play a component that I wrote and have been engaged on for a month, however Cam is simply locked in. Like Lena was saying, he’s a really grounding power personality-wise, but in addition musically is de facto grounding the band, maintaining every thing tremendous regular and laying the muse for every thing. And Lena is such a inventive power, and it’s actually inspiring to look at how she works and the way she writes. It’s actually inspiring to see these little moments of brilliance proper as they crop up. I believe there’s some perfectionist tendencies with all of us, however Lena actually strives to get one thing nearly as good as it may be.
CH: It’s good to listen to issues about your self. [laughs] I’m impressed by any lyricist usually, however one thing that stands out about Lena is her means to take imagery and create one thing distinctive from it. Really witnessing issues out on the earth and saying, “That is how I can channel this.” I discover that lots of people simply cross these issues by or possibly take a photograph on their cellphone, or don’t even take it in. However Lena catalogs that stuff and makes one thing much more particular out of it. Having the ability to do this by lyric writing is at all times actually spectacular to me. One thing about Sam that I actually respect is his fixed attempt to raised himself, but in addition to widen his scope. He’s at all times excited about various things that he can get into. I see that looking out, adventurous mind working, and a part of that’s simply stepping into the shed and working towards and dealing on his personal taking part in, however there’s additionally this exploration that’s at all times taking place. It’s at all times reaching, and it makes it in order that this doesn’t ever really feel stagnant.
This interview has been edited and condensed for readability and size.
Coral Grief’s Air Between Us is out now by way of Suicide Squeeze.
