COW started gaining traction as a band shortly after their inception in 2017. Originally from North Wales but now based in Liverpool, the band released debut E.P All My Friends Are Dead in 2019; a collection of songs that took their ques as much from Neil Young as they did from 90s’ indie rock like Teenage Fanclub and Pavement. When the band had new material to go, they felt ready to take it to the next level – thankfully Chester based label Mai 68 Records agreed and snapped them up. Before their show at Focus Wales on Friday 6th May, we talked to lead singer and guitarist Kyle Lee about the new E.P When The Darkness Gets You Down and he guided us through it track-by-track.
Better Than I Am:
Opener “Better than I am” starts with the hopeful feeling of fading to nothing and then starting again. A breakup maybe? An end? Definitely. Having listened to a lot of DIIV during lockdown, I was intrigued by the thought of
someone being able to better themselves and come out the other end. ‘Better Than I Am’ is about just that, but not actually coming out the other end and feeling that
someone will always be better than I am. It’s the thoughts of a man who has so much on his chest he wants to get off and out into the world, but ultimately can’t.
On and On
‘On and On’ focuses in on the repetitive nature of relationships and how each side of
chooses to deal with the monotony. One side has chosen to barricade the doors
whilst the other person is on a completely different path choosing to stay out till all
hours destroying any hope of fixing this relationship.
“We should spend more of our free time together,
We should get more out of life with one another.
You should get out more they say.
I need to stay indoors these days.
But we should spend more of our free time together.”
This goes on and on until ultimately someone gets hurt, with neither party seeing that
what both of them are doing is ultimately killing the other person inside. I think this is
portrayed in the outro/drum solo to the song where everything builds and builds until
finally the relationship is over.
Notemakers:
‘Notemakers‘ hammers home the sense of goodbye. I got interested in famous
writers and musician’s suicide notes, its not all about wanting to top yourself, but
about the last goodbye or wanting to at least be able to say goodbye.
“I pray to a god, I don’t believe in, Am I allowed to give you up?”
This was written from the perspective of someone witnessing their loved one take
their very last breath. You don’t want them to go, and you don’t ever want to give
them up, but there comes a time when every single one of us will be asking the
same question: “How the fuck can I say goodbye to you?”
When The Darkness Gets You Down:
Title track ‘When The Darkness Gets You Down’ is an 8 and a half minute journey
through the thoughts of someone intent on taking their own life. The pain slips away
and you’ve never been more sober in your life. The clarity followed by the darkness
and ultimately the chaos that unravels afterwards.
“Its alright, I’m alright, It’s alright I won’t die”
Talking yourself down after an overdose, you’re still unsure as to what is going to
happen next. This gets us to the halfway mark of the song which still continues to
twist itself in and out of consciousness until we couldn’t go any further.
Photo: Glam Gig Pics
