Interview Cosmorat: “Even if something really bad is going on, it’s still okay to go out with your friends and forget it”

The genre-hopping transatlantic trio, gooping their way to the top of this year’s must-see new live acts.

Words: Sarah Jamieson
Photos: Emma Swann
15th March 2024

If you’ve been lucky enough to see Cosmorat live at any of their recent shows, one thing is immediately clear: the international trio are already fully-formed and ready to go. Take their recent set at DIY’s own Hello 2024 live series, where it felt like they could emerge onto just about any size stage and take it in their stride.

And while having a clear sense of identity might sound like an obvious sentiment, truthfully, it’s a skill that not many bands master so early on. “I dunno, I think it’s just honestly years of doing it wrong!” laughs frontwoman Taylor Pollock, when posed with the idea. “It’s like, ‘We’re gonna do it right this time’, you know!?

“It’s gonna sound gross but I like to call it gooping…” she continues, assuring us she’s thankfully not referencing anything related to Gwyneth Paltrow or jade eggs. “We’ve been gooping on this stuff for years. All of us have just gotten to this point of knowing exactly the art that we like, and I have such a strong vision for things musically and lyrically. We call it gooping because we’re in our chrysalis form and, eventually, we will emerge out of our chrysalis into a butterfly!”

Having met her bandmate Olly Liu back in college in Boston “many years before,” Cosmorat is the culmination of having grown up alongside one another, “being in loads of bands, together and apart” over the years. Having both pursued careers in sound engineering after leaving education, the pair soon relocated to London, before recruiting touring drummer Lorenzo Burgio to their ranks last spring. “He constantly says, ‘I feel like I’ve known you for twenty years and I’m sick of it’,” she laughs. “But we love him so much!”

Cosmorat on their debut single 'Backseat Baby', live shows, and their new EP 'Evil Adjacent'

“We’re in our chrysalis form and, eventually, we will emerge into a butterfly!” - Taylor Pollock

That gooping seems to be paying off. Across the singles they’ve released so far, the outfit’s maximalist, genre-hopping approach has set them apart, with each of their tracks painting a distinctly different picture of their kaleidoscopic world. Whether in the scorched, Sleigh Bells chanting of ‘Backseat Baby’ or the lo-fi guitars of ‘S.A.D.L.U.V’ (which feel like a younger, more hip cousin of The Front Bottoms’ early material), their boundaryless approach is invigorating.

Next, they’ll be building upon these foundations with the release of debut EP ‘Evil Adjacent’: a “fully-formed, fully-fledged document” that expands their sonic and lyrical horizons ever further, while trying to grapple with the tragedy that feels to be around every corner of modern life. “Since I can remember, I’ve had a depression and anxiety disorder, and I think I’ve always taken things in a very ‘the world is ending at all times and I don’t know how to handle it’ way,” Taylor shares.

“I think as I’ve gotten older, I’ve had to get to grips with the fact that I can’t fix everything all of the time, and that it is OK to be happy sometimes,” she nods, pointing towards the EP’s MO of striving to find light in the darkest of places. “Even if something really bad is going on, it’s still okay to go out and have a few drinks with your friends and forget it.”

'Evil Adjacent' is out tomorrow (15th March); read our review below.