Feb 2020
The Cuckoos Highlight their Psychedelic Sound on ‘I Hate Love’
Hailing from Austin, Texas, four-piece band The Cuckoos are rooted in classic rock and 70’s funk sound that certainly goes against the grain from a traditional band coming out of the Texas town that is well known for producing some of the most talented musicians this country has to offer.
The bittersweet incandescent shimmer of The Cuckoos is deeply rooted in classic rock, dance club funk, and neo-psych art soul, earning the young Austin, Texas band a remarkable reputation in just a few short years. The swampy groove arising from the collision of New Wave romanticism, swirling experimentalism, and loud punky guitars is somehow as perfect as it was improbable, decisively demonstrated on record and stage.
I Hate Love, the band’s debut album, is a musical manifesto. The diverse ten-song outing crackles with the electricity of The Cuckoos coming into their own. It’s all a result of the combustible chemistry between Kenneth Frost, Dave North, Eric Ross, and Cole Koenning. The band’s first self-titled EP earned favorable comparisons to Tame Impala, Joy Division, and Pink Floyd from esteemed publications such as Classic Rock Magazine, Relix to name a few.
As described by one of the band members, they’re glad that their sound is different because they ultimately want to be real and “not lumped in with anyone else.” Fans can get a sense of their style with debut album ‘I Hate Love.’
‘I Hate Love’ has a mysterious feeling to it that almost sounds like something that would be in the soundtrack of ‘Stranger Things.’ It was produced by Chris “Frenchie” Smith at the Grammy-nominated studio The Bubble. Tracks like “Lady Boy” and “Heartbreak Paradise” will launch the album to prominence, something they are relieved to be doing.
“The pressure for us was the amount of time we took to complete it. It was our first release in 3-4 years so it relieved all the weight on our shoulders.” For a new band looking to make a good first impression, debut albums are essential in creating credibility. Another significant piece to note is the fact that this is the first time that the new members of The Cuckoos have recorded anything with the original core group.
A kaleidoscopic music video was also released to give their new music a visual representation which was actually happened to be a last-minute thing; “a lot of the videos were shot guerilla style with just the group.” Unlike a typical music video that’s 3-6 minutes long, The Cuckoos released a nearly hour-long masterpiece that highlights each song.
The Cuckoos will be exhibiting their new songs while out on tour as they continue to play shows in Austin at places like Waterloo Records and Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co. (ABGB). To get a complete list of tour dates and other news regarding The Cuckoos, visit them on TheCuckoosAustin.com.
Apr 2020
