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Only a Dark Cocoon

by Caley Conway

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  • Cassette + Digital Album

    Limited-issue cassette tape of EP Only a Dark Cocoon with B-side Bliss or Bust. Featuring hand-printed art, labeling, and artist's signature. No 2 tapes in this series are exactly alike. Only 40 copies available. Brought to you by my fake label Sideboob Records.

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1.
He put a quarter in the wurlitzer He pushed 3 buttons and the thing began to whir And a barmaid came by in fishnet stockings in a bowtie and she said Drink up now It’s gettin on time for close Richard got married to a figure skater Bought her a dishwasher and a coffee percolator Drinks at home most nights with the TV on And all the house lights left up bright Now the last time I saw him It was detroit in 68 when he told me All romantics meet the same fate and he told me You’ll be cynical and drunk Some day And boring someone in some dark Boring someone in some dark cafe HA
2.
Pretty lies All those pretty lies you like You like roses and kisses and Pretty men to tell you all those pretty lies Richard you haven’t really changed i said Richard you haven’t really changed I said It’s just that now you’re romanticizing some pain That’s in your head, Richard You haven’t really changed You’ve got tombs in your eyes Pretty lies I’m gonna blow this damn candle out I’m gonna blow this damn candle out I don’t want nobody comin over to my table I ain’t got nothin to talk to anybody about I’m gonna blow this damn candle out You’ve got tombs in your eyes And fly away Only a phase, and then I’ll Fly away It’s only a dark cocoon Before I get my gorgeous wings and fly away You’ve got tombs in your eyes
3.
Only a phase Hidin’ behind bottles in dark cafes Dark cafes / Only a phase Only a dark cocoon before I get my gorgeous wings and fly away All good dreamers pass this way someday Hidin’ down bottles in dark cafes Dark cafes / Only a phase Only a dark cocoon before I get my gorgeous wings and fly away Love so sweet But the songs you punch are dreaming, listen They sing of love so sweet Love so sweet When ya gonna get yourself back on your feet? Only a dark cocoon before I get my wings

about

Caley Conway is a paradox, and “only a dark cocoon” finds her music at its most seductively paradoxical. Conway has always been at home in contrast— her music is orchestral yet minimal, full-sounding yet pared back. Her sound has been described as folk, but at the same time it has far too much bite. Conway’s vocals are comfortable yet haunting, and dissonant chords bubble underneath the band’s innocent patina.

At home in this world of contradictions, “Only a Dark Cocoon” evokes comparison yet stands out. This ekphrastic piece draws inspiration from Joni Mitchell’s song “The Last Time I Saw Richard," expanding lyrical snippets into full-concept songs. Conway approaches Mitchell’s work like a collage, a close reading, or a writing prompt.

The EP sees Conway’s signature smoky vocal acrobatics undercut by warm, gain-y electric guitar bordering on feedback, and supported with the vintage sound of organ. Conway musically conjures the times, places, and people that Mitchell narrated in “The Last Time I Saw Richard." Far from a cover, “Only a Dark Cocoon” is something inspired yet wholly singular – a concoction that Mitchell (walking into a bar where it plays on the jukebox), might turn her ear to as a half-remembered dream.

credits

released December 16, 2022

Words by Joni Mitchell

Caley Conway- vocals, guitars, synths, omnichord, keyboards, bass guitar on “Him”
Andres Crovetti- drum kit
Barry Clark- bass guitar
Devin Drobka- SPD on “Him”
John Larkin- trumpet on “Him”
D’Amato- vocals on “Tombs,” bari sax on “Tombs” and “Dreamers”
Treccy MT- vocals on “Tombs”
Ellie Jackson- flute on “Dreamers”
Cheston Van Huss- clarinet on “Dreamers”
Mike Noyce- guitar on “Dreamers”
Liam O’Brien- alto sax on “Dreamers”
Liam O’Brien & Josh Evert- assistant engineering

Recorded & mixed by Caley Conway
Drums tracked at Silver City Studios
Mastered by Justin Perkins of Mystery Room Mastering

Production design for cover art by Ehson Rad
Photo & polaroids by Kelly Bolter

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about

Caley Conway Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Rooted in folk but hardly bound to it, Caley Conway's inventive style ranges from jazz to post-rock, hints at the familiar, and embraces a dissonant beauty. The Milwaukeean's breezy voice and disarming wit belie a deep sonic complexity, bringing a new set of rules to the singer-songwriter paradigm. ... more

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