Catch up with singer/songwriter Eddie Cohn, listen to new single "Help Me Feel Something", and grab Guarantee Me Love from iTunes now.
What first got you interested in music?
Eddie Cohn: It's always been a huge passion of mine. I've been playing music since I was three, so the interest towards it has always been there, it's in my blood. There was a piano in my house and when I was three, I would sit down and jam out melodies for hours. I've never taken lessons, but it's just been a part of who I am. I've always been drawn to learn new instruments. At the age of ten I picked up the drums, at the age of twenty I picked up the guitar and after college I finally started singing and writing my own songs. Music has always been there for me as an outlet to express myself.
Did you play all the instruments on this album?
Well on my previous record, I played most everything. I really wanted to be hands on and do as much as the instrumentation myself as possible. But on Guarantee Me Love, I wanted to take a back seat and concern myself more with the producing and guiding the direction of the record. I played piano and keyboards and wrote all the songs but Dan Silver, who co-produced the record with me, played most of the instruments. He played the guitars and bass and a lot of keyboard; Adam [Gust] played drums, and Phil Peterson, a friend of mine and an amazing musician based in Seattle, did all of the strings.
How would you describe the sound to someone who had never heard it?
I'd say it's electronic rock. Or atmospheric rock. I was really influenced by Pearl Jam and the Verve and also electronic music, so while the record rocks, it also has a lot of synth and strings to add depth and dynamics making it moody and atmospheric.
What do you think has been most inspiring to your career?
Well it's an ongoing process really finding my voice, figuring out my "sound." I think every day, every moment I stay open I'm inspired and influenced. When I was younger, it was often my health that inspired me. I think now I'm always searching for more, questioning myself and questioning my path. My favorite artists inspire me, going to the movies and being outdoors inspires me. I just think every day there is an opportunity to be influenced by something.
I go to yoga class every day and I think that the yoga has also really been a great way to further connect with music and art, the two just seem to go hand in hand. A lot of my teachers play music in class and it helps me to stay open and vulnerable- physically, emotionally. And that really helps when it comes time to writing new songs.
What's the best compliment you've heard since releasing Guarantee Me Love?
I can just tell people are responding to the record and the music and the lyrics. We spent two years making this album so it feels incredible when people can connect with it. A music blog in L.A. compared the record to a lot of British bands like Coldplay and Travis and hearing that is just a huge compliment.
In one sentence, how would you sum up the album?
I think it's about being open to the ups and downs of life and love, not trying to judge each moment, but just try to embrace the moment and the process of finding our way without too much judgement. Easier said than done.
Any songs you're hooked on right now?
The new Ryan Adams album I dig a lot; I know it came out in October, but I'm still listening to it. I really like the new U2 record, the new Other Lives and Death Cab for Cutie songs are great and I'm digging the new TV on the Radio.
What do you keep in mind while writing?
I'm normally just trying to find my way with the song. The melody first, a catchy chorus and then lyrics that feel authentic. There isn't any sort of concrete intention other than trying to capture a real emotion. It's sort of that intangible thing that you can't really explain. We don't always have to know why we sit down and write a song or why we fall in love or why we connect with a certain song. Art shouldn't be spoon fed; hopefully it's a natural connection that happens.