On the New Moon, the earth, moon, and sun align making us unaware of the moon’s presence in the sky. Without the visual presence and glow of the moon, other celestial bodies typically hidden now shine brighter. Our chances of seeing the sky clearly are heightened on this day, making it a day of clarity and new beginnings. Creatively it’s the perfect time to set intentions for a new cycle of dreams and goals, and ways of manifesting them.
To honor this monthly opportunity for fresh starts and creative beginnings, we’ve asked our friend and musician we admire, Chase McBride, to curate a monthly New Moon Spotify playlist.
For each playlist, we’ll feature a brief interview with a selected artist. This month, we’re thrilled to highlight Montreal songwriter Ora Cogan. Her hauntingly beautiful song “Darling” kicks off our February playlist. Read her interview below.
February Featured Artist: Ora Cogan
Ora Cogan is a musician based in Montreal, Canada. She combines the intricate guitar picking of Americana with Psychedelic dreamscapes, drawing comparisons to 70’s folk legend Karen Dalton. She has shared the stage with the likes of Grouper & Hope Sandoval while touring extensively in North America, Europe and the UK.
Q: Your song “Darling” leads off our first ‘New Moon’ playlist. It’s a hauntingly beautiful, understated composition. I read that you considered taking it off the album entirely. Where did that song come from?
Thank you! It is a song for people who are struggling with how absurd the world is right now. Nothing makes sense and I want to do something to make people feel alright for a minute. I felt shy and weird about it… but I’m so glad it worked out in the end.
Q: Can you remember the first song that made a serious impression on you?
That’s hard to say… I’d go with No Ordinary Love by Sade. I remember watching the music video and being completely sucked into the atmosphere.
Q: Many guests of our homes notice the eerie silence in the desert, especially at night. Do you find silence to be integral in the creation of sound?
Absolutely. The beginnings of this album, Crickets was in the desert in New Mexico. There is so much space out there. I was house sitting for a friend with my partner just a bit outside of Silver City… I miss being in the country so much. I think I write better songs when I’m alone for a while…
Q: The New Moon represents new beginnings. What is your instinct at the beginning of a new musical project, whether it’s a song or an album?
I’m learning to trust my intuition more… to really respect what feels right creatively and what doesn’t without questioning it so much. With Crickets, there was a specific moment where I knew what the ethos of the album would be. It was very intense… so from then on it was just about listening to that spark and letting it grow into reality, with the help of some fantastic people…
Q: What do you hope for the audience to take away from your songs?
Music keeps me feeling magical AND sane… so if the music I make has either of those effects on others… that would be cool!
Follow Ora Cogan on Spotify, Soundcloud, Apple Music, and her website.
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