Rising indie pop star Comfort Club returns to the scene with “Two Kids In A Trench Coat,” a bold first statement from his upcoming album. During previous interview cycles, he came off as friendly but incredibly reserved. In this chat, after a significant amount of time away from media in this format, he seemed comfortable and ready to talk about nearly anything and everything.
“Two Kids in a Trench Coat” – Comfort Club
“I don’t know how those things happen… like, I truly am not in the loop when it comes to stuff like that,” says Colin Tracey, aka Comfort Club, on getting invited to exclusive and often hush-hush music industry events.
“When friends get the opportunity to go to stuff like that, no one ever texts me.”
While most people would be genuinely salty about the lack of inclusion, he has a genuine sense of humor about it knowing that he has his fair share of interesting stories to tell. The Michigan born singer/songwriter moved out to LA several years ago (and has since moved again) to pursue his passion and has had run ins with locals like Justin Bieber and Alexander 23, the latter of whom he has developed a rapport with.
Comfort Club’s new song, “Two Kids In A Trench Coat,” is out now. It is his first release in over a year, and the first dose of his new album, coming out later this year.
“This is going to be an interesting year because I’ve put a lot more behind this,” he says. “I’ve done the string of singles, but I’ve never had my music professional mixed. I’m doing a lot more than I normally do.” He has backed that up as of late with consistent TikTok and Instagram content, promotional materials that, while still DIY, are of better quality than past work, and more live content, specifically from his recent sold-out show at Kansas City’s Kilby Court.
“I feel like I’ve definitely come into who I am as a person a little bit more over the last couple of years,” he reflects. “I’ve grown exponentially, both in my musical abilities and just interpretation of myself as a human.”
Comfort Club’s catalog thus far is highlighted by indie pop-leaning tracks such as “idk forever” and “love (a reason to hate you),” the latter with a bit more of an alt-rock tinge. His love of John Mayer, who inspired him to pick up the guitar in the first place, comes through in the music, with elements of The Search For Everything specifically present.
More pure pop tunes like “Not Over Falling For You Yet,” one of the best of his catalog, has failed to receive the same recognition, and Tracey has taken that into consideration when thinking about personal branding and his place within the pop scene.
I miss you every chance I get
can’t get you out of my head
Thought we’d burn out but now instead
I’m not over falling for you yet…
“I think it comes down to what is authentic to me,” he says. “I think people can tell that I’m not trying to be a pop star. First of all, I never want to pretend that I could do that, so I don’t want to pretend like that’s on the table and I’m turning it away. I just like making pop music and I’m a fan of it so certain songs lean that way.”
He harps on his vocal range, saying he isn’t able to do the “high, soaring pop thing,” but a self-orchestrated YouTube cover of The 1975’s “I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes),” in which he gloriously sits in his mixed belt during the climax of the tune, says otherwise.
“Two Kids in A Trench Coat,” his latest single, dives headfirst into his post-relationship thoughts in what may be his most direct and honest approach thus far.
“This song was written as the breakup was happening,” he explains. “In the phase of being like, ‘Well, we’re figuring it out.’ In hindsight, I was definitely on the wrong train of thought, thinking, ‘This could turn into something.’ So, I think I was writing from that place. It just felt like the start of this world of emotions I was going to explore. I lose myself in relationships… now I’m processing that whole time of emotion of what I’ve gone through, and how I missed parts of myself.”
I’ve been feeling off, not just a little bit
Like everything around me started feeling different
Maybe I’m depressed, or I just give a shit
But no amount of medicine is fixin’ it.
Tinges of country, particularly with the repetition of the first verse as a tag-on to the end of the track, could be interpreted here, but Comfort Club insists a strictly indie pop approach having been on a joan kick at the time (“drive all night,” “love somebody like you”). In terms of arrangement, even if some slightly more spontaneous elements would have been welcome, the clear and vibrant distinction between chorus one and two is well-executed. Subliminal yet effective add-ons to the instrumentation and gorgeous layered vocals seamlessly make their way in around the halfway point.
Forget why it fell through
but I still remember showing up
The day that I met you, you said
‘You don’t get to choose the ones you love.”
“The concept came from the movie The Little Rascals,” he says, referring to a scene in which one of the kid characters sits atop another’s shoulders under a trench coat. “I haven’t been in very many relationships… but for this one, I noticed that… I haven’t really, fully developed as an adult. We were in a relationship trying to role play as adults. Relationships have always been like a safety thing for me. I don’t know if that’s the healthiest thing, because it puts pressure on other individuals… but that’s the illusion I’m drawing in that song.”
Going off that, he expresses that his interpretation of the trench coat is rooted in coming to terms with living through prolific global events and generational trauma in the home.
“The world as a whole scares me. I can go on the internet and be terrified,” he shares. “This is stuff I’m just starting to dig into in my late 20s. Being in a relationship is a great way to turn off the world and just be completely involved with one person.”
You say you’ll stay forever
even though you know you won’t
’cause we’re just two kids in a trench coat
trying to both feel less alone…
During this conversation, which took place in early November, Tracey repeatedly references his upcoming album, hints at some tracklist details, and discusses “premeditated talking points.”
It’s a project he is proud of on a musical and creative level, and one he views as a challenge being his own boss. Promoting and selling on his own. Booking on his own. To celebrate the release of this song, he even enlisted indie pop mainstay Christian French to curate a “Two Kids…” themed playlist.
If the rollout for “Two Kids in a Trench Coat” means anything, Colin Tracey is seemingly dead set on making not just the release of his album, but this entire year, one to remember.
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“Two Kids in a Trench Coat” – Comfort Club
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