Christian Cohle – Shares New Single ‘Queen of Ashes’

Art-rock artist Christian Cohle has released new single ‘Queen of Ashes’ – the powerful title track from his upcoming third studio album (out October 16th).

Described as one of Ireland’s best kept secrets (The Line of Best Fit), Christian Cohle has emerged as an artist with a distinctly accomplished sound, marked by an intensely immersive and raw quality. 

Sitting at the intersection of music and visual art, his work carries a cinematic and ambient flair, often grounded by the strength of his vocals. Peppered with influences such as LCD Soundsystem, David Bowie, Talking Heads, Talk Talk, Tears for Fears and Roxy Music, his lyrics hang partially obscured in dreamlike and poetic imagery, offering a sense of ambiguity that invites a deep, visceral connection.

Born out of a spontaneous session in Ten78 Studio, ‘Queen of Ashes’ was never originally planned for the upcoming record. As the session developed however, the track would ultimately become the album’s centrepiece.

The song’s central idea stems from the loss of oneself, after chasing something that you believed would give you fulfillment. It navigates a degradation of identity, which is a core theme of the forthcoming album. 

The ‘Queen’ becomes a personification of addiction, desire, seduction, dreams, loss and love – a powerful figure set on the backdrop of London City.

Cohle explains:

“There is an element of mythology to the song, which you will see a lot in this LP. ‘Spoke to Shiva on Northend Way’  is one of my favourite lines in this song, as it’s this collision of the mythic and the mundane. Shiva, the destroyer/recreator, appears on an ordinary London street. It’s stupid, but I love it. Also, after all the time I spent in India doing my yoga training, I had this sense that even as I was slipping back into bad old habits, feeling like I was back to square one, I did feel I had something over me, protecting me or rather pointing me to a different place. I gained something almost cosmological out there.”

Contributing to the song’s powerful  atmosphere and eccentricity is renowned Irish cellist Kate Ellis and English horn and saxophone player Ren Gabriel Pion, whose expressive performances complement Cohle’s distinctive vocals with dreamlike beauty.

A standout song from his upcoming third album, ‘Queen of Ashes’ offers the final immersive glimpse into what’s to expect from the highly anticipated LP.

Christian Cohle plays Whelan’s on Friday, November 13th, launching third album Queen of Ashes. Tickets are on sale now from whelanslive.com 

Cover art by Narayan Van Maele