In the Chair is a regular feature on Eventalaide, highlighting artists from across Australia and occasionally overseas. Everyone gets the same questions. It is just meant to be a bit of fun so please treat it as such.
Questions by Geoff Jenke
Having first emerged onto Melbourne’s diverse music scene close to a decade ago, Ellery Cohen has continued to push the boundaries of artistry at every opportunity, crafting anthemic choruses that allow an accessible and relatable insight into the human condition. With a remarkable run of singles appearing throughout 2018 and 2020, and garnering support from the likes of Hit Network, KIIS Network, and Southern Cross Austereo, his gathering momentum was temporarily halted as Ellery was forced inside as part of the world’s most stringent lockdown. However, armed with a history of using music therapy in his line of disability support service work, creativity served as a much- needed saviour, with new music bubbling away all the while, resulting in the likes of 2021’s Waiting and the newly-released Demons.
Name: Ellery Cohen
In
less than 50 words describe your music, your band (if applicable) and yourself.
I’m a singer songwriter from Melbourne, I write honest and
relatable pop music. Outside of music I love being with my family and my nieces
and nephews, smoking meat and surfing.
What was the first record you bought with your own money and where from?
80’s
or 90’s Music:
80s for sure
What
music are currently listening to?
Just had my niece in the car so it was the Frozen Two soundtrack
The
Best live artist/band you’ve seen:
OneRepublic
Your
“In the mood for love” song:
Anything John Mayer
Your
favourite Saturday night party record?
Anything Charlie Puth
Your
favourite Sunday morning chill out record?
Ed Sheeran +
Which
song do you wish you had written?
Let It Be
Roger
Daltry once said “Rock N Roll has no future”. Do you agree with him?
I think there’ll always be a place for rock ‘n’ roll. We
need more music not less
Vinyl,
CD or Streaming?
I mean ideally vinyl but practically streaming.
If
you could record or play live with any artist (dead or alive), who would it be?
Would be Paul McCartney or Ryan Tedder
What
is the most useless talent you have?
Balloon art for sure
Who
is your musical hero and what one question would you ask them?
It would be Ryan Tater and I would ask him if we can do a song
together. Very straight forward I know!
Dying,
peacefully on your deathbed, what song would you like to hear?
Let It Be.
Stuck
on a desert island for a year and can only take three albums. What would they
be?
Native – OneRepublic
St Peppers – Beatles
Magic – Ben Rector
Favourite
all time movie:
Oceans 11
If
you drove an ice cream van, what music would you play?
AC/DC all day. Over the speakers
Best
show you have ever played in your career:
Every show I play is my favourite. I’m very lucky that I get to
do this crazy thing called music and people enjoy coming to see me.
Any
backstage incident that makes you laugh?
What happens backstage stays backstage. Let’s just say beer
is always involved
Neil Young or Paul McCartney?
Paul every day
Who
is the nicest person in Rock n Roll at the moment?
Although I haven’t met him, I’m gonna say Dave Grohl
What
do you hope the next 12 months holds for you?
I’m releasing a new A-P very soon and hopefully doing some
touring
Forever heartfelt and extraordinarily sincere, Melbourne alt-pop artist Ellery Cohen has continued his impressive rise to the top, pairing vulnerability with admirable earnestness on new track Demons, which is out. As captivating and catchy as it is effective, Demons is another victorious step in Ellery’s majestic career, serving as his first new single for the year, and arriving alongside a resonant video clip which contextualises the track’s message of facing the inner turmoils of life head-on.
Bathed in the nostalgic sheen of retro-inspired synths, and bolstered by Ellery’s syrupy smooth vocals, Demons is a standout moment for the Melbourne artist, showcasing a powerful and relatable message after some difficult years, while underlining his electric artistry that makes him stand out from the rest. With a compelling songwriting style reminiscent of musical icons John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and an enveloping approach to sonics that evokes names such as Ben Rector and OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder, Demons is a triumphant undertaking for Ellery, who has emerged from the “hell on earth” of Melbourne’s COVID lockdowns with not only a newfound approach to life, but to his music as well.
As Ellery explains, “Demons is a step above what I’ve released before, both musically and lyrically, and it’s more vulnerable than anything I’ve done previously. It’s a song about accepting the things in life we can’t change. We all face struggles and battle addictions and we wanted to write a song about there being comfort in knowing that all humans struggle and although we are different, we are all the same.”
Demons is out now!
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