Post-punk new romantics Candy Coffins present ‘Tangled Up In Teacups’, a superb single showcasing the third act crescendo of a relationship in a tailspin – the detachment, the anger, the self-absorption, the exhaustion. It is a waltz of protection via insulating flippancy and a voice that reveals one’s entire arc of emotions.
The accompanying video, which juxtaposes a pensive and inaccessible Jame Lathren with stunning ballet dancers Mira Lathren and Bella Leone in an urban landscape, was produced and directed by The Pierson Collective.
This song can be found on the band’s new album ‘Once Do It With Feeling’, a 10-track collection considered to be their best work to date. With Cure-esque textures and melody, as well as thematic elements and the visceral delivery of The Afghan Whigs, this record showcases solid songwriting, an approach and delivery that is confident and cohesive, as well as emotional and sonic saturation.
“The full album chronicles a relationship from the onset of the first crack to its complete crumbling dissolution. All the feelings and emotions of tumult are captured here, from both persons’ perspectives,” says frontman-songwriter Jame Lathren.
Earlier, the band released two singles – ‘Every Day A Fresh Atrocity’, exploring the dark corners and haunting suffocation of a broken relationship, and ‘Seaside Girls’, paying tribute to the playful abandon of youth with a healthy dose of indierock.
Vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Jame Lathren formed Candy Coffins in 2018 in Columbia, South Carolina. A cultural outcast, his resilience, sensitivity and hyper-awareness of his emotional state would ultimately permeate his own music, getting right to the heart of the emotions surrounding the human condition.
After disbanding his previous band Crown The Cake, he formed Candy Coffins with hometown guitar legend Tom Alewine (Bachelors of Art), followed by seasoned music scene veterans Alex Mabrey on bass and Justin Purdy on keys, and former Iron & Wine touring drummer Jonathan Bradley. With dynamic and textured approach, the band’s trademark lush sound bolsters Lathren’s emotive songwriting and delivery.
With tasteful nods to Joy Division, The Cure, The Psychedelic Furs, The Afghan Whigs and The Cult, as well as contemporaries like The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Spiritualized, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Interpol, Candy Coffins’ sound is dark and emotionally restless, but with elements of hope and elation. Defiantly unique, their sound is a welcome respite from musical mediocrity.
The ‘Once Do It With Feeling’ LP is out now and is available everywhere digitally, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp, where it can be ordered directly from the artist.
