In conversation with Corduroy County: “Growing up doesn’t mean losing the carefree parts of yourself”
Pictures: Lucy Mac Arthur
Blending glam, rock and nostalgia, Corduroy County bring together a mix of influences that reflects each member of the band.
From Fleetwood Mac and The Doors to Suki Waterhouse, EDM and darker aesthetics, their music brings together four different tastes and personalities to create something uniquely theirs. With their latest single ‘Summer ’23,’ the band explore friendship, good times and the bittersweet feeling of growing up.
With new music already in the works, the German rock band are also entering a new chapter of their own. We caught up with Tristan, Lottie, Elva and Sönke to talk about ‘Summer ’23’, their inspirations, creativity, live shows and what comes next.
What inspires your music and who influences you as an artist?
Since we’re a band, this is quite an interesting question – our music is shaped by four different people with four different musical tastes, and that diversity is a big part of our sound. We combine retro ‘70s/’80s vibes like Fleetwood Mac or The Doors with a Suki Waterhouse-inspired vocal style that Lottie loves to bring in, and then there’s also a danceable feel coming from (especially) Tristan & Sönke’s fondness for EDM music.
Another influence, especially for Tristan, is a fascination with darker aesthetics: films dealing with cultism, obscure themes and unsettling imagery, as well as bands like HIM. That darker, melancholic atmosphere definitely finds its way into our music and writing. Other artists we’d like to point out are Cage The Elephant, The Backseat Lovers and Måneskin. Most of our demos are written by one person, usually Tristan, then the rest of the band brings in their individual visions & ideas. This collaborative process allows the songs to evolve into something that feels like our sound rather than the vision of just one person.
We’re currently working on a lot of new music, and with it comes a new vision for the band. We’re taking a step away from that all-in-retro image and moving towards a more grown-up, modern style whilst still maintaining our signature style and staying true to us, of course. This new style is something that feels right to us and we’re all really stoked for future projects. We want to bring the danceable drums even further to the forefront while working in a more minimalist way, giving each individual instrument more space and making our overall band sound more distinctive. The new songs will be more straightforward, more mature and filled with emotion.
You just released your latest single, ‘Summer ‘23’. Was there a specific memory, moment, or image that sparked the song?
The song and main melodies actually came to life in a jam session, although some of the lyrics were written beforehand. All of us are in a friend group that’s very, very close and we all place high importance on that. We meet up very often and just drink wine and chill, or we visit festivals, bars or travel somewhere... We’re down and open to everything and that’s what makes it so special. So writing a song about this friend group feeling just happened intuitively. Especially now, when things are changing since some friends are moving, for example... And, to be honest, we’re all real nostalgic people.
©Lucy Mac Arthur
The track captures the feeling of wanting to return to a summer that seemed endless. Is there a real ‘Summer '23’ behind the song?
So, the exact imagery of the song is fiction, but we drew a lot of inspiration from our own friend group. Love, fireplaces, wine... We feel so blessed with our friend group. And Summer ’23 really was a good summer. These were also lyrics that we had written down before the song even came to life. Another thing that sparked this song was us all being confronted with the bitter-sweetness of growing up. In conclusion, the song might rather be an emotional snapshot, but it’s one that’s quite close to reality.
‘Summer ’23’ feels incredibly cinematic. If you could describe the song as a scene from a movie, what would we see?
Actually, we think our music video gives a perfect answer to this question. It captures two different vibes: on the one hand, there are the beach and roadtrip scenes, where we’re simply being carefree, enjoying each other’s company and living life to the fullest. On the other hand, there are nightlife scenes which feel more intense, showing the rush and emotional depth. It depicts sides of our lives as musicians that have drastically changed over the past year.
For us, these two sides aren’t necessarily opposites. Growing up doesn’t mean losing the carefree parts of yourself. It simply means that life becomes a little more complex, with more thoughts and responsibilities along the way. And that doesn’t have to be a bad thing - it’s just part of growing, changing and figuring out who you are, which is exactly what “Summer ’23” is about.
Has music always been part of your life?
It has! We all started at a very young age, but mostly just for fun. It became a serious thing for us shortly before we started the band, so just in time!
Are there any activities or interests you have aside from music that you feel help creatively?
Lottie: I really love painting! I feel like it’s directly connected to music in a way because both influence each other and really any form of art is a way of processing feelings for me! I also love sewing my own stage outfits and I think I can speak for all of us when I say that we love fashion!
Elva: Yes! For me it must be reading books on philosophy and stuff. I love educating myself in that direction and sometimes, if I find the time, I love sitting at my window and just letting my thoughts flow. To me, creativity and creating music is all about mindset. That’s why I love to learn more about the mind and thought patterns.
Sönke: I totally lose myself in everything hi-fi and audio-related. I live to tinker and build things. I also made our fully DMX-controllable Neon LED sign, you can see it when we play live. Besides that, I also enjoy nature walks and surfing trips.
Tristan: I think a lot of my creativity actually comes from human interaction. The people I meet, the things between us, and especially the emotions that come with those connections are a huge source of inspiration for me. Friendships, relationships, or undefined situations in between where you don’t quite know what something is yet. I find those emotional grey areas or feelings you’re not quite sure you’re supposed to have especially interesting to write about.
Beyond that, I get a lot of creative input from culture in general, whether that’s literature, films, or other forms of media. And sometimes I need to completely switch off to get my head clear again, so I really enjoy going for long drives or taking long walks. Somehow that always helps me process things and lets new ideas come in naturally.
©Lucy Mac Arthur
Does your overall aesthetic help fuel your creativity?
If we think about it, we find that for us it kind of happens the other way around. So first there is creativity, which is centered around certain vibes & aesthetics, and then automatically our fashion adapts. So, for example, currently we’re noticing our aesthetics all become a little bit darker, a little more modern, and even more individual. This also reflects the musical vision we’re working on right now.
You played a few live shows this year, what’s your favourite thing about being on stage?
The energy, 100%. The energy on stage is unmatched. There are people shouting, loud music playing, all band members giving all they’ve got... It’s the moment to finally share your art personally. And each one of us wants to use that opportunity to the fullest.
What can one expect from a Corduroy County’s gig?
At a Corduroy County concert, we welcome everyone into our world. We want to share our stories & emotions – and we do that with loud music, of course. We also feel like our songs get a certain new touch when being played live - it’s something you can’t really explain, it has to be experienced. And additionally, you should be ready to jump, shout and dance – we want our audience to go crazy!
If I interviewed you again in five years, what would you hope I identify as the first clue to where you were headed?
We think the first clue would be the way our sound continues to evolve. Even now, we’re becoming more confident in what we want our music to sound and feel like. We’d hope you could look back at the music we’re making now and recognize the beginning of that development. We don’t want to stay in one place or simply repeat what we’ve already done. We want to grow as musicians, but also as people, and let that naturally influence our music.
In the next five years, we want to spread our music all over the world and play huge concerts! We’re working hard every day to achieve this vision.
Corduroy County are clearly just getting started. While their sound continues to grow and change, the four-piece remain focused on making music that feels true to who they are. With new songs on the way and hopes of taking their music around the world, there’s plenty to look forward to from Corduroy County.
©Lucy Mac Arthur