Here’s another great premiere. Seattle indie trio Cozy Slippers previously released a 7″ single (A Million Pieces, 2019) and two EPs (Late Night In Summertime, 2017, and Postcards, 2018), which left us wanting more. This Friday the trio – Barbara Barrilleaux, Sarah Engel and Steven Skelton – will finally release their self-titled debut album (pre-order here). In anticipation of this, you can already stream the record in full below, and the band members will talk you through the record track by track.
The LP features twelve strong and meticulously written indie pop songs with jangly guitars and crystal clear vocals. Although the pandemic and personal concerns are never distant in the lyrics, the slightly melancholic music leaves an uplifting feeling – it is more spring-like and frolic than autumnal and gloomy. Press play for a first listen.
Below, the band discusses the origin and theme(s) of each song:
Haunting Her
‘This song reflects the helpless feeling of watching someone you love make poor decisions. There aren’t always clear paths forward for those in abusive or unhappy situations. We’d all love to think we’d act differently, but love, fear, and regret are powerful human emotions.’
When Will When Come?
‘This song was actually a single that we put out in 2021. It’s about that friend or coworker who just needs to loosen up and live a little bit. Take that trip or take that leap of faith and not worry about what everyone else thinks. We are quite fond of the rocking ending.’
Unattended
‘This song is about realizing that everything we do in our lives will eventually be forgotten. It is a real upbeat number. The title comes from something Conan O’Brien said: “Eventually, all our graves go unattended.” In a way, it is an uplifting thought. Why not take a chance; why not do something you’d like to do? In the end, nobody will remember it.’
I Can’t Keep You Safe
‘Sarah works in healthcare. When Covid hit, she had to keep going to work, despite the uncertainty. In the beginning, she really struggled because she wanted to stay home with her family and stay safe, but she also had an obligation to patients and to be a role model for her children. We tried to match that feeling with eerie verses and big, catchy choruses.’
Nobody Knows Me, Anyhow
‘This song is based on a feeling of unease Barbara experienced with traveling alone. That manner of travel can be isolating and freeing at the same time. It’s liberating to be somewhere totally new, where no one knows you, and you suddenly don’t have the day-to-day obligations of life. One of the ways we tried to illustrate that feeling was to have Barbara’s lead vocals leave the song before it was over. The last few bars rely on the background vocals to carry the song.’
Underneath Us All the Time
‘This song came to life at the beginning of the pandemic, when the world was facing a terrifying death toll and uncertain future, and the United States was grappling with a major racial reckoning. The undercurrents of society felt as if they’d always been there – hidden (or ignored) by many of us. We wrote it before we had any idea how many would die from Covid (“12, 200, how many more people dead?”).’
Remi
‘This song is about a rescue dog that Sarah’s friend adopted. The dog, Remi, was really emotionally damaged, and Sarah became invested in her progress. Day after day Sarah would wait for the social media posts to see how Remi was doing. If you are curious, Remi is doing better and has the love of a new dog sibling. The song was originally more of a rocker, almost Ted Leo-ish. We couldn’t get that version recorded in a way we liked. We decided to try a gentler version, and that is what is on the album.’
Boat House
‘There is a beautiful lake in the middle of Seattle, with a running trail around the perimeter and swimming areas, boat launches, etc. It has always provided a means to get outside, breath the fresh air, and gain perspective. This song is about the confidence gained by some of these lifelong rituals that fill your soul and connect you to nature. The music is propulsive, almost willing the listener on as they circle the lake.’
Bee Sting
‘This was a fun, playful song to write. We tried to contrast the upbeat melody with lyrics that talked about that particular childhood experience of having a minor crisis at somebody else’s home. All of a sudden, all the differences between your friend’s house and your house become amplified.’
No Room for the Sun
‘This is the oldest song on the record. Barbara wrote the song before Steven even joined the band. We played it for a while, but it never felt finished. At the very end of recording the album, we made a few changes that helped the song finally “click”.’
Be Alone with Me
‘This is the only song on the album that we didn’t record ourselves. It was recorded in 2019. It shuffles and jangles, and the lyrics are about that feeling when you don’t want to see anybody else, but you also don’t want to be alone.’
First a Girl
‘This is the most experimental song we’ve ever done. It is in an unusual time signature, and we manipulated keyboard parts from some of our previously released songs to create a pasted-together feeling during parts of the song. Lyrically, the song is about trying to understand family members who lived generations ago. As they say, the past is a foreign country.’
Cozy Slippers’ self-titled debut album will be released this Friday (October 14th) on Kleine Underground Schallplatten (vinyl LP) and Subjangle (CD). The band largely recorded the tracks themselves, they were mixed by Dylan Wall (Versing, Great Grandpa, High Sunn) and mastered by Paul Gold (The Chills, Allah-Las).
Add to wantlist: Bandcamp