We Say…
Based out of Brooklyn, No Kill is the musical project of the artist, Jamie Cogar. No Kill began life when Jamie moved from the, “rocky shores and bleak winters” of the Maine coast, which remain an audible influence on her take on dreamy, droning shoegaze. No Kill appeared on this site back in May, around the release of the brilliant ode to, “learning to live with loose ends”, Better, and this week will release her debut album, Gold Chorus via Fear Of Missing Out / Substitute Scene.
Although armed with some killer pop songs, it was the altogether more noisy world of grunge that first inspired Jamie’s songwriting, when she learned to play along by ear to the anthems of her teenage years. That influence is played out for all to hear on recent single, Eddie Vedder, a snarling wall-of-sound, Jamies describes as, “sweet but with teeth”. Elsewhere on the album, Hallelujah is a perfect soundtrack to our times, an open-armed celebration for the end of the world, that with hindsight becomes a celebration of the kind of noisy, sweaty, sticky, airless clubs that feel like beautiful, if oddly distant memories. At the heart of No Kill’s appeal is a sense of push and pull; each perfect vocal melody coaxed to the dark side by a wave of reverberating guitar, each 60’s Girl Group influenced chorus, wobbled out of focus by the crash of a snare drum. By the time closing track, A Place, stumbles into view with its drum-machine beat and woozy synth drone, No Kill will already have you reaching for the play button once more, a majestic, atmospheric record, don’t be surprised if No Kill is a name you’ll be hearing a lot more from in the year ahead.
They Say…
FTR: For those who don’t know who are No Kill?
I am a multi-instrumentalist based in Brooklyn and mainly write songs on guitar. No Kill draws on dreampop and shoegaze sounds, and I think the center of this project is how guitar texture and feedback can be layered inside a pop song.
FTR: What can you remember about your first show?
I remember the first show the band ever played was at a rooftop party one summer. It was fun — very hot and sweaty, and probably way too loud. We didn’t have a bass player at that time. We tuned down our guitars to bring in some low-end, but obviously everything sounds better with bass. I remember playing a Misfits cover and early version of Swooning, and having a great time.
FTR: Why do you make music? Why not another art form?
Music is the most direct line to my emotions. I’m generally a creative person and enjoy playing with different mediums, but with music I feel like it runs deep. I like writing a song and packaging up an emotional experience for the listener. The most rewarding thing after working on a song is sharing it live. It’s a powerful thing.
FTR: What can people expect from the No Kill live show?
I have been rehearsing with the band again after nearly a year off with the pandemic. It feels great to have everyone back together and it is exciting to bring the songs on Gold Chorus to life. We are really looking forward to playing live. My hope is that we will make the prettiest wall of sound.
FTR: What’s next for No Kill?
I am counting down the minutes until Gold Chorus is released on vinyl this August. Vinyl is such a milestone. I’m sure I’ll be working on the next record soon.
They Listen To…
The Courtneys – 90210
Xiu Xiu – A Bottle of Rum
Sasami – Not The Time
The Limiñanas – I’m Dead
Silver Jews – Night Society
Gold Chorus is out June 25th via Fear Of Missing Out/Substitute Scene Records with a vinyl release to follow on August 27th. For more information on No Kill visit https://nokill.bandcamp.com/.
For The Rabbits 