With roots in Montreal, the band Cola was formed by ex-Ought members Tim Darcy and Ben Stidworthy. Evan Cartwright, an in-demand session musician and collaborator in Toronto’s vibrant jazz/experimental scene with acts such as U.S. Girls and The Weather Station, joined after their first practice in 2019.
In 2022, Cola released their debut LP Deep In View on Fire Talk Records. Earning praise from outlets like Pitchfork, Clash, NME, NPR, FADER, Stereogum, Paste and Rolling Stone who named the band an Artist You Need To Know and called their debut “one of the year’s most thrilling rock statements,” the album was one of the year’s most acclaimed debuts.
Today, the band are returning to announce their sophomore LP, an album called The Gloss, that will be out on Fire Talk on June 14th. To mark the announcement, they are sharing a new single called ‘Pallor Tricks’.
Darcy says of the track: “The title ‘Pallor Tricks’ is obviously a play on ‘parlor tricks.’ The lyrics feature imagery from film sets and such. I suppose I was thinking of the kind of self-consciousness that can arise when a camera is rolling. I’ve always been particularly affected by the performances I (rarely) see on so-called ‘reality tv.’ The type of performance where a person is compelled into a kind of ‘hyper-real’ state where they summon grotesque approximations of emotion that are exaggerated but not elevated, as they are in art. I’m sure there’s lots of compelling stuff that goes on in those programs and I don’t mean to cast aspersions, this idea of performance simply became a jumping off point when we were writing this one. The song also cycles to a more sincere open chorus, a kind of musical juxtaposition.
The video by Craig Scheihing is not only a brilliant piece of film, it also mirrors some of these themes by presenting an array of screens and refracted 16mm dreamscapes alongside this kind of direct connection of Evan and his girlfriend.”
1. Tracing Hallmarks
2. Pulling Quotes
3. Pallor Tricks
4. Albatross
5. Down to Size
6. Keys Down If You Stay
7. Reprise
8. Nice Try
9. Bell Wheel
10. Bitter Melon
2024 UK/EU/NA TOUR DATES:
TICKETS
8th May | Hanover, DE – Cafe Glocksee
9th May | Rotterdam, NL – Vessell 11
10th May | Eindhoven, NL – Altstadt
11th May | Luxembourg – Out of the Crowd Festival
13th May | Ramsgate, UK – Ramsgate Music Hall
14th May | Birkenhead, UK – Future Yard
15th May | Cardiff, UK – Clwb Ifor Bach
17th May | London, UK – The George Tavern
18th May | London, UK – The George Tavern
5th July | Toronto, ON – The Garrison
6th July | Cleveland, OH – Mahall’s
7th July | Detroit, MI – Lager House
8th July | Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle
11th July | Nashville, TN – Third Man Records
12th July | Atlanta, GA – 529
13th July | Asheville, NC – Eulogy
15th July | Washington, DC – Songbyrd +
16th July | Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s +
17th July | New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom +
18th July | Troy, NY – No Fun +
19th July | Boston, MA – The Rockwell +
20th July | Montreal, QC – Theatre Fairmount +
10th Oct | San Diego, CA – Soda Bar *
11th Oct | Los Angeles, CA – Zebulon *
12th Oct | San Francisco, CA – Bottom of the Hill *
14th Oct | Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios *
16th Oct | Vancouver, BC – Wise Hall
17th Oct | Seattle, WA – Madame Lou’s *
+ = w/ Mhaol
* = w/ Mind Shrine
Photo credit – Craig Scheihing