by mariah estran
photo courtesy of somewhat coy
On September 22nd, the alternative-pop duo Somewhat Coy released their debut single “Honest.” An exhilarating three-minute tune that explores a unique fusion of raw, alternative energy, with a modern-day pop kick. It is an introduction that leaves you wanting more while wondering what these two will release next.
After vocalist Connor McCoy and drummer Matt Browning met at a Boston college, they moved to LA to combine their similar interests and bring their musical vision to life. Now, they are sharing their creation with the world, proud of the final result, and excited to see how others will respond.
In honor of their debut, we spoke with the duo about “Honest,” their peculiar sound, timely ideas for upcoming visuals, and how their debut EP is shaping up for its release in 2021.
To start, I want to learn about both of your backgrounds. What inspired each of you to start making music together?
Connor: “My first experience with music was when I was nine years old. I attended a middle school that was also an intensive co-ed choir school program for the local cathedral in Salt Lake City. Over the years, I learned music theory and how to sing and harmonize in a choir setting. After learning the piano shortly after, I developed a passion for bands and music production, and ultimately started to want to learn how to create and write songs myself. I decided to attend music school in Boston, and that’s where I met Matt.”
Matt: “I started playing drums in middle school because I had this crush on a girl in band class. Someone told me it was the easiest instrument so I went for it at the time. I grew up at first listening to a lot of hip-hop and radio pop music, but after I took on drums I pivoted to metal and progressive music to see how far I could push my chops. I also spent a lot of time in high school competing in Winter Guard International and playing in a local band around town for extra cash. The bassist in my band told me I should audition for Berklee (which I had not heard of at that time) and that’s how I met Connor.
During our freshman year at college in Boston, we were placed in the same small dorm together. We wound up meeting each other in the basement of the dorm, playing random favorite songs of ours. Once we realized we were passionate about the same artists and type of music, we formed a band with three of our other friends. Over the next two years, band members dropped out and before we knew it, it was down to just the two of us. Shortly after, we both moved to LA.”
You just released your first single “Honest.” What was the creative process like while making this track?
Matt: “I remember coming into our makeshift studio after teaching music lessons for the day and Connor had this beat idea going but didn’t want to show me because it ‘wasn’t done.’ After a little bit of prodding, I got him to show me and we started putting more ideas into it and getting this chorus together. We really liked it but couldn’t figure out how we wanted the verse to sound. We spent weeks messing with it in our free time and eventually gave up on it. About a year or so later I was alone and found the project file and decided to spend three weeks totally polishing it out. I then sent [it to] Connor and we decided to finish the track totally.”
Are you two working on a visual element to go along with the single? If so, what can you tell us about it?
Both: “We will be putting out a music video and a lyric video for ‘Honest’ inspired by the technology that changes the world around us. We love the idea of using VR and animated scenery as a medium for visual information and would love to incorporate that into the videos. The plan is to make at least one of the next three music videos be in VR. We have been studying that platform and practicing making it into a reality, but if we can’t get it to look or feel how we want for ‘Honest,’ we will save it for a future video. Otherwise, we are huge fans of classic music videos featuring the band and want to be doing performance music videos with our instruments whenever possible.”
The song mixes these fantastic alternative rock elements with magnetic pop forces. It’s a perfect intro to what’s to come next, but why did both of you decide to choose this specific track as the debut?
Both: “We feel there was no other option. It sort of symbolizes, for us, the first time that both of our ideas came together in a way that felt authentic to us, so, yeah, there’s definitely a bit of nostalgia. We’re super excited about all the music that’s coming in the future, but we’re so proud of ‘Honest.’”
Discussing your sound, who have been some of your musical inspirations as you’ve been developing your songs?
Both: “That’s a pretty interesting question, because we truly find ourselves pulling from the strangest of places. For example, there might be a section that is totally inspired by Apex Twin for three seconds and then it dives into a guitar riff that draws from Coldplay or Radiohead. Sometimes a guitar feels like an Incubus line drenched in the angst of The Strokes or some vocal harmony that rides the line between SoundGarden and Panic! at the Disco. What’s funny is while I (Matt) pull from Linkin Park’s intensity, I know Connor pulls from Coldplay’s intensity and they somehow just blend together. We’ve spent so long walking that line and refining it. Lyrically, it’s all sort of up in the air. We write what feels good at the time.”
You two are working on your debut EP, what has it been like putting together on your first major body of work?
Both: “I think that at some point, maybe earlier this year, we came to this sudden realization that we had already made so much music. It felt like we were so focused on creating, that before we knew it, we were scrolling through all of our tracks and realized what a bed of music we were sitting on. I think in that way, we’ve been subconsciously putting together this EP for a while now. It feels good to be able to wrap up all of the hard work that we’ve done in a professional package, and we can’t wait to finally look at it when it’s released.”
Can we expect more singles over the next couple of months? Will they continue to show off this alternative pop sound?
Both: “Absolutely, yes! We are so excited to put out all the music that we’ve made, and we plan to follow up ‘Honest’ with more music as fast as humanly possible. ‘Honest’ was the first track we really thought showed off what we wanted to make, but we feel that the songs that come after ‘Honest’ will expand on those ideas even more. As we have been making newer songs, we find ourselves heading further down the ‘alt-pop’ road, pushing the limits of guitar, drum programming and analogue synthesis. We would also like to get into an actual studio sometime in the future and record our full drum set that we use in live shows, because up until now, everything we’ve done has been made in our bedroom.”