Eddie Cohn Releases “Stop Waving the Gun”
Eddie Cohn, a talented artist hailing from Los Angeles, is a true musical powerhouse. Not only does he write and produce his own songs, but he also showcases his skills as a multi- instrumentalist, handling lead and background vocals, acoustic guitar, synth, piano, and percussion. Collaborating with a stellar lineup of musicians, including Brett Farkas on electric guitars, Sean Hurley on bass guitar, Jake Reed on drums and percussion, and Philip Peterson on strings, Eddie Cohn's music is a blend of rock influences from legends like Pearl Jam, U2, and Tom Petty.
On the 8th of November 2024, Eddie Cohn released his poignant original single, "Stop Waving the Gun." This emotionally-charged track delves into the artist's frustration with the pervasive gun culture in America. Recorded in Los Angeles with remote contributions from Seattle, the song features a fusion of organic elements like drums, bass, and guitar. With a powerful message advocating for empathy and a deeper understanding of human life, "Stop Waving the Gun" offers a raw and thought-provoking perspective on the societal issues that plague our world today.
Is there a particular ethos behind the single or any particular music styles or events that inspired it?
I don't typically write about cultural events or political ideas, however, about 18 months ago, when this song was written, I found myself so incredibly angry and incensed by the gun culture in America. I don't even remember the school shooting that was ultimately the inspiration for this song. Sadly, there's so many of them here in the states. I've recently made a point to stop watching the news. I know it can be potentially ignorant or naive to ignore the news, but I think I remember I was watching the aftermath of ANOTHER school shooting, and I just had enough. I hit a wall and I couldn't take it anymore. The news is just this 24-7 cycle of catastrophic information that doesn't make anyone feel good about themselves. Especially when we're watching innocent children getting shot at school. I was in this emotional state where I was filled with so much anger. I couldn't take it anymore and what's even more upsetting is EVERY time we have a school shooting, nothing ever changes. Some political leader goes on television and tries to make us feel like they care, like they will do anything in their power to make these senseless shootings stop, but it doesn't matter. And that infuriates me. While I hope and pray we can ultimately fix this broken down culture that is obsessed with guns, I think we may be too far gone. I think it's ingrained in our DNA. I"d like to think we aren't born this way or maybe it's our natural impulse to be curious about the brokenness of society. It's as simple as the car crash on the freeway. We drive by and we can't look away. Or maybe the film and video game industry brings these violent tendencies out of us. I certainly feel the film and video game industry has blood on their hands as well. There's an almost pornographic nature in the way that violence is portrayed on screen With video games, there's this sense that a human life isn't something to value. It's complicated and deeply nuanced, but often when i feel confused or angry about something I see in the world, the best medicine is to write a song about it. This song really encapsulates all of my frustration with the gun culture in America.
Where was the single recorded and who was involved in its production?
Produced by Eddie Cohn Lyrics by Eddie Cohn Lead and BG Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Synth, Piano, Percussion by Eddie Cohn Electric Guitars by Brett Farkas Bass Guitar by Sean Hurley Drums and Percussion by Jake Reed Strings by Philip Peterson Mixed and Mastered by Kevin Penner The cool part of this song is while it was MOSTLY recorded in Los Angeles, I also had my friend from Seattle record the strings remotely and then it was also mixed remotely in Hawaii. I produced the track at home in my studio where I also recorded the vocals, acoustic guitars and keyboards. I went to Jake Reed's studio where we recorded the bass and drums and then I drove to Brett's home studio where we recorded all the electric guitars.
How and where did you get together?
I'm based in Los Angeles and have had the pleasure to meet some incredibly talented musicians since LA is truly a hub for creative powerhouses. Jake Reed and Sean Hurley are both LA based musicians. Kevin Penner was an LA based mixer and drummer who I met many years ago. He moved to Hawaii about ten years ago so we actually mix all of our records remotely. Phil Peterson is a Seattle based producer and musician and is also another example of how technology can be incredible. I'll email the track to him, and he'll record the strings in his studio up In Seattle and then email them back to me. As far as Brett, I met Brett close to ten years ago at a music supervisor event in LA. He was performing some of his songs at the event and I was really impressed by his unique style vocally as well as his guitar playing. We became FB friends but never really connected beyond that but then a couple years ago, when this new project of mine began, I was on the lookout for a new guitarist. I remember seeing a post of his on FB which reminded me of how great of a guitar player he is so we reconnected and talked about music for a bit and then we started jamming together on these new songs. Brett has this uncanny sense of knowing what sounds work the best with songs and he has a way of making all of these new songs sound unique and contemporary. And All of the musicians on this song have been so much fun to collaborate with. It's truly been a collaborative process in the best way.
What are the band's main influences?
I was heavily influenced by the grunge era which included Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Alice in Chains so I'm obviously a big fan of the vocal stylings of Eddie Vedder, Layne Staley and Chris Cornell. I'm also a HUGE fan of U2. I think Bono is also one of those all time great male vocalists and the guitar playing wizardry of the Edge is phenomenal. I'm also a huge Jane's Addiction fan and a big fan of rock songs that incorporate vocal harmonies like Alice in Chains and I also respect the way the Edge harmonizes on U2's songs. I'm also a big fan of Tom Petty and Beck. I think I'm most influenced by rock music. In the past, I've tried to incorporate more synth and drum loop elements, but for this song and the other songs I released this year, it was more about the core organic elements or drums, bass and guitar.
Please provide a one or two-line personal quote that can be attributed to a band member, about either the band themselves or the release. Obviously the more eye- catching this is the better.
I know it may seem like the world is this sort of scary place especially if you watch the news, but I've really been trying to distance myself from the non stop news cycle. My goal is to be more present and really live a life with less worry. There's a book, I just finished reading called "Don't Believe Everything you Think." While the world certainly has some bad perpetrators, and this song came from a pretty dark place, I have to believe and trust that the world and the people in my life, lead with the heart and lead with love. I also really resonate with the lyric from a Tom Petty song, "Most things I worry about, never happen anyway."