A few weeks ago, I got to speak to Hana and JJ about their band, Overcoats…
Q: First off, I wanted to tell you how much I love your voices together, the harmonies are so beautiful. It’s like a whole lot of Lucius, some Joseph and a bit of Sleigh Bells mixed together…when did you first meet and how soon after did you decide to form the band?
A: We met in college, almost 9 years ago! We formed our band in 2015 after 4 years of singing covers together and being friends. We decided to try writing a song together and pretty soon after that, we decided to form Overcoats.
Q: I think I’ve read your music falls in the electro pop bluegrass infused folk genre. I love bands that just make good music whether it’s pop, folk, indie and not a certain “genre” that fans become accustomed to. … when you’re making music, is there any type of vibe you’re trying to convey?
A: We definitely subscribe to that same ethos. We love genre bending songs that are hard to define. To us, the songwriting is most important, and the sonic backdrop is often there to help the listener hear the words. We both have many different musical influences and we like to reflect that mixture in our work.
Q: One of my favorite things to do is shop at thrift stores (pre COVID), I haven’t done much of that lately. But I hear that both of you are big thrift store junkies. You can really find some awesome stuff. What have been some of your best finds?
A: We are so in love with thrift stores. We’ve had some really magical finds throughout the years. Amazing faux fur coats, some of our best black boots and all the comfy oversized t-shirts a girl could ask for.
Q: When not on the road, NYC/DC is your home base & obviously with COVID, it has been so tough on the music industry & smaller independent venues…cancelling tours & appearances… but the music industry has come up with some clever ways to bring music to the fans.. On your webpage,,, you have Fight Club. Give fans some info on what that is all about.
A: Yes! Fight Club is our Patreon page that allows fans to access lots of unreleased music, behind the scenes photos, song tutorials and more. We record special covers once a month for patrons and wish individual members happy birthday. It’s $5-$10 per month subscription and keeps our listeners endlessly entertained as we try survive quarantine, and provides an online community for all of us! Here’s the link: https://www.patreon.com/thisisovercoats
Q: The band has released 2 albums..YOUNG in 2017 & The Fight in 2020….both albums are great. I have Leave The Light On repeat & I’ll Be There reminds me of Imogen Heap’s vocoder sound on Hide & Seek..but my absolute favorite is Fire & Fury. I’ve been adding this on friends’ playlists I make for them.. how do you feel you’ve progressed lyrically and/or vocally from the album in ‘17 to this year’s release?
A: Thanks for your kind words. We believe that progression between albums is natural and also what we strive for; we want to evolve our sound and push the limits of our song writing each time we go to make a new project. Young, being our first album, was the first time we were writing music and lyrics for other people. We didn’t really have our own patterns to follow yet. The lyrics were honest and vulnerable. Going into making The Fight, we wanted to make something that was more about strength. This required us to stretch into more inspiring lyrics, maybe directed at some universal “You” rather than focused on ourselves. It also required more soaring melodies and more anger in our voices. Fire and Fury is one of our favorites too because it really embodies our strength.
Q: In less than 2 weeks, this country will be electing a President, what are your hopes for 2021?
A: We’re not incredibly hopeful for 2021. Whoever wins this election, Coronavirus is likely to rage on for some time, and structural changes that will make our country a better place will not happen overnight. That being said, we do hope this election and the current events that we’ve experienced in 2020 have woken people up to be more politically engaged and more aware of the necessity of our participation. We hope that people can stay engaged in creating a better future and themselves and those around them.
Q: Where can fans find your music?
A: All the usual spots! Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, etc.. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter at @thisisovercoats
You can also catch them on 11/19 on https://lpr.tv/ at 9pm EST.. this is a virtual show.. I already have my ticket.. So go check them out!
I have interviews coming up from Fulton Lee, Callum Lacey and many more.. if you have new music or would like an interview, please send me a message..
Until next time, I’m Your Music Stylist, Linda Dias
Music To Your Ears 