Ash In The Garden 🪴

9 new songs by Cough Cool

Art can be precious for some. For me, less so. I’m not right and you’re not wrong. But I like to think of anything I create as durable. Less sexy. More built to last. When I think about music and writing — whatever is keeping my attention at the moment — I think about my friends first. Because, most likely, they will be the only people to consume any of it.

I am making art for my friends to interact with, and to interact with my friends. I do it as a way to maintain and deepen those friendships. Trying to come up with a melody while singing in front of someone is more intimate than seeing someone naked for the first time. Trust me.

Jon and I have been doing this Cough Cool thing for awhile now. I started doing it alone but it was boring and honestly very bad. I really loved the Misfits. I needed to share the excitement with someone. Fifteen-ish years in a weird intimate partnership between two guys who get excited by the sounds they make. It’s a testament to love and the bonds we can build by letting our vulnerabilities show. We might as well be two toddlers in a playpen banging on pots and shaking maracas. Parents wishing for another life. But it works for us.

All I ever wanted out of music was to have fun and get it all out of me. Try to emulate bands I loved and the music I grew up idolizing. You know, shoot for the moon and land somewhere halfway. That old chestnut. It isn’t so bad.

I never understood why a band would breakup. Go take a second. Have some time. Start a family. Do you. But you can always come back. Jon and I have put in our 10,000 hours and this is where we’re at. We think this record is the best one we’ve put out into the world. Thanks for playing along. We will see you in a few years.

If you’ve ever streamed a Cough Cool song, made album art for us (thanks Bob), released a record or tape, watched us perform to a crowd of twenty people, or even sent us a note to let us know you liked a song or record. Thank you so much. We know exactly who you are. We love you!