Cola Return with "Mendicant" | Tour Runs May 28 - June 19
Cola — the trio of guitarist/vocalist Tim Darcy, bassist Ben Stidworthy, and drummer Evan J Cartwright — return with their new single/visualizer, “Mendicant.” Following the release of their “striking” (FADER) sophomore album, The Gloss, “Mendicant” sees Cola take a medieval turn. “Mendicant” is anchored by a whistle and uilleann pipes line, plus Darcy’s signature delivery. “Good god!” he exclaims at the jump, breaking into lyrics that wonder “what was that the pope just said?” and reflect on “breaking regs and breaking norms” — all from the perspective of a humble mendicant. The instrumentation that supplements Darcy’s character analysis is as reliable as ever. Woodwinds rise, guitars swell, and drums flit; Stidworthy and Cartwright’s contributions provide a kinetic launchpad for Cola’s next chapter.
“Mendicant” precedes Cola’s forthcoming European Tour, which includes stops in Italy, France and more, with various stops in between. Cola will be joined by M(h)aol and Junk Drawer on all Ireland shows, and Cola will return for a handful of North American tour dates later this summer. A full list of tour dates are below, and all tickets are on sale now.
Cola Tour Dates
05.28 - Belfast, IE @ The Black Box
05.29 - Derry, IE @ Sandinos
05.30 - Galway, IE @ Roisin Dubh
05.31 - Limerick, IE @ Dolan’s Kasbah
06.01 - Cork, IE @ Coughlans
06.02 - Cork, IE @ Coughlans
06.03 - Waterford, IE @ Luca Records
06.04 - Dublin, IE @ Whelan’s
06.06 - Milan, IT @ Arci Bellezza
06.07 - Bologna, IT @ Covo Club
06.10 - Paris, PR @ Le Point Ephemere
06.11 - Bruges, BE @ Cactus Cafe
06.12 - Lille, FR @ L’Aeonef
06.13 - Rennes, FR @ Pies Pala Pop Fest
06.14 - Bordeaux, FR @ Deus Ex Machina
06.17 - Lisbon, PT @ Ze Dos Bois
06. 18 - Madrid, ES @ Villanos
06.19 - Barcelona, ES @ La Nau
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The Gloss is the second album from Cola. From their inception Cola have expanded on the d.i.y. ethic of the Dischord and SST eras, creating potent sounds from a minimal palette of drums/bass/guitar and lacing their songs with winsome one-liners and societal commentary. What’s another word for commentary? Gloss, apparently. Never basic, the lyrics reward repeated listening for deeper meanings. David Berman’s poetry-via-garage light pennings are an inspiration, as equally so are the lighter side of UK first-wave New Wave and the Dunedin sound. The results are in the pudding: at times sparse and poetic, at others a thrilling, hook-laden good time, as with the cheeky romantic sketch of a one-night stand that is so overflowing with innuendo-cum-journalism talk that it almost teeters over into self-parody. But the results are the right combination of lightheartedness and sincerity. Romanticism is never far from laughter, and equally never far from righteous anger in the music of Cola: “Pulling quotes now in the dark/Our outlook is restrained/Your tongue might weaken to be-fit your smile/Til nothing ill remains.” ‘nuff said. It's an album bursting with energy and wit and ideas–filled to the margins. Out June 14th 2024 on Fire Talk.
Deep in View is the debut album from former Ought members Tim Darcy (vocals, guitar) and Ben Stidworthy (bass) alongside Evan Cartwright (drums). Titled after philosopher Alan Watts’ anthology of the same name, the record is built on a foundation of elegant guitar grooves and knotty rhythms, offering commentary on modern life and technology through curious lyrical vignettes, where quotidian objects and scenes are never just as they seem. Deep In View is equally a product of introspective songwriting as it is a consideration of the abstract landmarks of an increasingly media-mediated society. It also presents the most concise and melodic songs Darcy and Stidworthy have written to date.. The album sounds streamlined and intentional, as the rhythms of the punchy and exuberant guitar parts, urgent basslines, and unexpected drum patterns all tangle with each other in an elegant dance. At the center of all these elements is Darcy, whose characteristically wry voice shifts from detached to decisive to distressed, throughout the album’s course. Both enigmatically dense in meaning but precisely intricate in sound, Deep in View is an album that sparks novel interpretations with every listen, like an art object that takes on new shape with each angle from which you hold it.
The Gloss is the second album from Cola. From their inception Cola have expanded on the d.i.y. ethic of the Dischord and SST eras, creating potent sounds from a minimal palette of drums/bass/guitar and lacing their songs with winsome one-liners and societal commentary. What’s another word for commentary? Gloss, apparently. Never basic, the lyrics reward repeated listening for deeper meanings. David Berman’s poetry-via-garage light pennings are an inspiration, as equally so are the lighter side of UK first-wave New Wave and the Dunedin sound. The results are in the pudding: at times sparse and poetic, at others a thrilling, hook-laden good time, as with the cheeky romantic sketch of a one-night stand that is so overflowing with innuendo-cum-journalism talk that it almost teeters over into self-parody. But the results are the right combination of lightheartedness and sincerity. Romanticism is never far from laughter, and equally never far from righteous anger in the music of Cola: “Pulling quotes now in the dark/Our outlook is restrained/Your tongue might weaken to be-fit your smile/Til nothing ill remains.” ‘nuff said. It's an album bursting with energy and wit and ideas–filled to the margins. Out June 14th 2024 on Fire Talk.
Get both “The Gloss” and “Deep in View” on limited color vinyl.
*This is a pre order item, ships on or before the June 14th release date.