By Brian Walker
Erin Cookman aka Erin Incoherent has released a new full length album titled Deja Vu. The record is a 12 song full length record that covers discussions on mental health, recovery, and Cookman’s life story. The record is full band leading with acoustic guitar throughout and pulls from the influences of bands such as Pup, Billy Bragg, Ekkaia, and The Strokes. The Philadelphia Globe is glad to have a conversation with Erin Incoherent about the album.
Brian: Can you tell us more about the album? What is it about? How did you record it?
Erin Incoherent: Déjà vu was written between 2018-2020. It is the story of the person I have become since I moved to Philadelphia. It is autobiographical, as my work tends to be. It asks us to break old habits that hold us back. It asks us to keep moving forward when we aren’t sure why we’re trying anymore. To push past barriers in the form of people, rhetoric, doubt, influence, etc. I created the actual album over the course of a year at House of Robot (Formerly Dirty Old Robot) in New Jersey. Working alongside my producer Flavine (Bill Nobes), we originally finished the album in 2 months.
Listening back to the mixes, I knew I was rushing the album. I really cared about this music so I wanted to do it justice. I had a vision one night, to move into the studio and start this album from scratch. I asked Bill if he would be on board and on December 31st 2019, I quit my jobs in Philadelphia and moved into the studio. 4 days into 2020, I found out I had vocal nodes, and couldn’t sing/rehearse for about 2 months. In that time, we finished drums for the entire album, bass for 3 of the 11 tracks on the album, and cello for 1 song on the album before the lockdown began.
Once we realized we were going to be there a while longer, we took 3 months renovating the studio and control room. Between renovations, I practiced bass. With Covid, hiring session musicians would no longer be an option for the project, so I would need to record bass for the remaining 8 tracks. In total, (without counting renovation hours) over 1,000 hours have gone into this project. In no way could this album have been possible without Flavine and House of Robot and I extend my warmest thanks to them as always.
The record takes a shift in tone and topic on track 6 , Of Roaches and Roomates what is that track about?
I wrote ‘Of Roaches & Roommates’ the day after my roommates’ memorial. I was staring at her shrine from the day before and the words poured out of me. She overdosed in Kensington, Philadelphia from a mixture of fentanyl, cocaine, and heroine. It was an accident. She was moving in 4 days and hanging out with some friends she’d met up there. Those same friends didn’t call an ambulance for her until the day after she overdosed. We had to explain to her mother that Kensington, Philadelphia is the epicenter of the nations opioid crisis, and police even attempting to find the person who sold her daughter the drugs that killed her was slim to none. After we mailed her things to her family, we kept her door shut for a month. It didn’t open again until the next roommate moved in.
Was track 8 COVID inspired?
Clever! Haha no, The end of the World (Again) is me being frustrated that I’m writing the same song. The song about losing friends and mental instability. This song ends with resolution, suggesting, ‘maybe it’s naïve to try to think that I should just keep giving, no, it’s my turn, give me time.’ I was at a point where people who had caused me pain wanted access to me again and this was my response. I can’t keep giving to you. Please stop asking me to and give me space and time to heal.
I felt the lyrics to this song were so poignant and painful that I wanted to do an alternate recording to showcase that. I teamed up with Ari Rubin of Philadelphia musical group Minka, to create a piano version that does a really good job capturing the emotional state of this song.
In your music video, what is the name of the person who starts the conversation on overdosing and do they represent a local organization?
I’m so happy you asked! Yes! That’s Brooke Deschenes, and she (among several others interviewed in the video) represents a harm reduction outreach group called Operation In My Backyard. On a weekly basis, this non-profit group goes to Ruth & Somerset (in the heart of Kensington, Philadelphia) to distribute food, clothes, harm reduction supplies, and safe use kits to street citizens, drug users, sex workers, and whoever else is hungry or needs resources. I’ve seen them get people into rehabilitation centers as well as pay for sober living expenses of those they’ve gotten off the street. They also partner with Prevention Point Philadelphia for Ladies Night every month, which is an outreach effort hosted specifically for women living on the street. I began doing outreach with founders Nicole and Wes Bixler in early 2018 and shortly thereafter, they booked me for their first fundraiser show. I’ve played every show since. That’s actually the last venue show I played before the lockdown took effect. I brought my video camera to interview people to use for this video. I’d like to sincerely thank everyone who donated their content or time for the music video. It’s heartwarming to see so many people creating dialogue that encourages compassion for people who use drugs.
How do you plan to promote this record? Any live streams planned? Any physical release pre orders?
Preorders can be purchased here via my big commerce link.
I have 4 live streams for November booked as well as some upcoming press for the album. I’m always looking for new reviews and virtual gigs, and can be reached for booking through my facebook, Instagram, and email. In addition to the ‘Of Roaches & Roommates’ video, I’ll be releasing a music video for ‘Déjà vu’, which is also being made by my incredibly talented friend Shad Rhoades. Oddly enough, the footage for the Déjà vu music video is the very first thing Flavine and I worked on together when we began this album last year. It’s exciting to see everything coming together and I think people will be really impressed with what we created out in the pinelands of New Jersey.
Given that your record addresses recovery as an artist how do you believe creatives can inspire and support those who are struggling?
Art is made to reach a person to their soul. It is something we are. We use it at mass gatherings of both joy and sorrow. It adorns our walls, bodies, minds. It’s in the eye of the beholder and created from infinite muses. It is an incredible force. And when yielded with intention, it is an unstoppable motherfucker. I believe harm reduction starts at compassion. Compassionate presence and dialogue is essential to dismembering the stigma that surrounds consumption. So you tell me, what happens at the crossroads of intentional compassion? I’ve seen powerful healing occur in artistic spaces. Hell, making this album was one of the only ways I survived the past few years of my life. I believe that kind of struggle can’t help but shout out for its own audience. May the people who need to hear this album, hear this album.
Catch Erin Incoherent on the Following Live Streams:
-Livestream for It’s Flaming Narcan: Operation In My Backyard Fundraising Show January 15th 2021
-Livestream at The Jewel Box Jan 17th 2021-Leestavall records recording session Jan 19th 2021 (people can preorder their record here)
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More About the Author: Brian Walker is a musician, writer, and podcaster. He is the songwriter behind A Day Without Love, podcaster for Dreams Not Memes and enjoys writing about Diversity and Inclusion, Food, Music and ways to make the community a better place. Twitter | Instagram
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