This Cold Night is one of those bands that I consistently go back to over and over and over again. Not just an album, or a song. There’s something I find special about their entire discography. The music is deep, it’s profound, it’s unapologetically intimate. This has surprisingly been one of the hardest interviews I’ve done because I’d that emotional connection as well. I’m immensely grateful for the opportunity to interview the musician behind the project.
TCN is the solo project of Austin, TX based musician Chase Morledge. Despite the band only being around for roughly half a decade (since 2014), TCN has produced a full length album, five EPs, and four compilation LPs/EPs. Just last December, four track EP Black Cherry released, as quietly as usual, but reception (at least in my circles) has been anything but quiet. Listen, you’ll understand why.
Chase is currently crowdfunding an anthology album The Divided Self, which you can support here. It’s limited to 200 copies, and not many are left, but the concept behind the project is amazing. In the words of the artist describing the anthology:
In addition to the record and digital bonus, all individual purchasers will receive a letter in the mail with a handwritten question. You can respond to the letter and start a correspondence. I will line my walls with our correspondence and use your words/drawings/photos as artistic, musical, and lyrical inspiration for a future release titled: Are We Immortal Yet?? All supporters will be credited on the cover of the future album. Perhaps via a word puzzle woven through an image.
My excitement is real. But enough of that, let Chase explain in his own words why this project is meaningful. And most importantly, listen to his work and find your own interpretations.
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Hi Chase. You’re (almost infamously) known for being the very private individual behind This Cold Night. Fans know very little about you beyond your work. Why now are you breaking your silence, so to speak?
Hi Azy,
Hah, I think that infamy may be a bit overstated—I appreciate the compliment though. Typically, I let music speak for itself. Every once in a while, out of necessity, I am forced to leave the comfort of my own neurosis. I’m trying to spread word of a vinyl release and associated art project that involves corresponding with like minds through the mail. The correspondence will become a pool of inspiration for my next album titled Are We Immortal Yet??
It’s a difficult thing to do when you have no social media presence.
Also, I feel like I have found a modicum of stability in my life, which I think is spurring TCN to enter a new chapter. Not necessarily a public chapter, but a chapter in which I can no longer pretend that other people don’t exist.
You are also, to our great surprise, in talks with Young & Cold records out of Germany. With very few exceptions, all of your previous works have been self released. Why sign with a label now?
Working with a label has to be mutually beneficial for both parties. In the past, I’ve found that labels couldn’t offer me much since I do all of my own audio production and digital distribution.
Young & Cold has established credibility and recognition, a roster of fantastic artists, and access to bookers and distros.
My close friend Sky Lesco of Tearful Moon connected me with the label owner, Marcel. He seems very genuine and is passionate about art and artists. He also has a business model that works—too many small labels can’t fairly compensate artists. In the past, I’ve been paid less to release hundreds of records than I paid the artist who designed the cover.
I still have complete control over my music and am on no deadlines. Y&C would be invaluable in helping arrange a European tour… if that were to happen.
Does this mean we can we expect you to play more shows or possibly tour in the near future?
In the future, yes—but not the near future. I’m focused at the moment on writing and The Divided Self anthology record release.
The associated art project will be rather time and labor intensive. Mailing dozens of letters and maintaining a correspondence with people around the world for an indefinite amount of time will be very involved.
I also need to find a person to play shows with, I haven’t played with a full band since 2016. It’s hard finding reliable people nearby who are interested in the music I make. Too many qualifiers.
You are currently doing crowdfunding for a vinyl curated anthology of your last few albums. Why an anthology, and why select the tracks you did?
I selected tracks that have never seen a physical release. They are my most recent work and are closely linked in my mind. Most of the songs were written in 2016 when I attempted to release a full length album, but instead chose to release several EP’s.
Completing a full length album is a marathon, and I am overly obsessive when it comes to mixing. The process became too destructive so I broke down and released what I had. Unfortunately, this is a common recurrence for me.
I have a paradoxical association with music. I turn to it to help me get through the day—and yet, the creation process tears me apart. It’s almost self-destructive… almost. Frustration adds a certain edge to my music, I think.
Your process for your upcoming album “Are We Immortal Yet??” leads me to wonder, your songs and your lyrics, given the experiences and emotions you’ve touched in previous works, has active listening and internalization of the lives of other people been a normal part of your writing process? Or is “Are We Immortal Yet??” new creative territory for you?
I won’t reveal any specific questions, but I want to keep them vague enough to be interpreted by the recipient in a number of ways. The question will be a conversation starter to learn something about the individual.
I purposely chose a difficult, yet practical, method of communication. I’m interested in people who take the time and energy to respond. Letters are personal—and for this project—I want to leave the digital world behind.
A large part of the purpose of the anthology seems to be making a human connection with your fans who support it through the physical, and almost anachronistic exchange of a single question via letter. Are you able to reveal the sort of questions you want to ask complete strangers and what you plan to do with all this correspondence?
In the past, I have mostly written from my own perspective. Even when I write specifically about someone or something else, there’s still a piece of me in that character or theme.
I’m searching for new ideas and new people to be inspired by. Since I haven’t found a music writing partner, I thought that collaboration with listeners was the next best thing.
Thematically, there’s also parallelism with my last and only full length album—We of Like Minds. With WoLM, my intent was to speak to the small amount of supportive people who reached out via email. Are We Immortal Yet?? is similar in that it is specifically written for a small group of individuals, but it’s on a more intimate scale. I think my brain is thematically linking the two albums in order to improve the odds that I’ll actually finish the project. Who knows though, brains are funny.
Your most recent EP “Black Cherry”, compositionally speaking, saw a marked change in your vocal style and overall polished production compared to “BODY EP” or “While I Disappear” that completely reinvents the emotional character of your work. Can you comment on these changes?
I think that listeners will be able to comment on changes better than I could, I’m too biased. All I can say is that every release is a reflection of where I am in life.
If there are changes, that is because I have changed. Sometimes those changes are physical—like the voice changing as I age or sing more or less frequently. Sometimes those changes are environmental—an apartment with thin walls, lack of money, too little time, or overwhelming dread from a terrible job. Changes in my life result in the music that I make sounding different. Each song is an imprint of a specific place and time.
I can’t think too deeply about previous work when creating new music. I don’t want the here and now to be tainted by the past.
You also very notably and very candidly deal with difficult and personal issues that resonate with LGBTQ+ goths everywhere, which is unusual in the dark alternative genres of music you make. My apologies if this is far too personal a question, but why have gay and trans issues been so important for you to write about? Who are these songs for?
These songs are for everyone. As Alan Vega concisely states “We’re all Frankies.” I write about identity, how we see ourselves, and how others see us. I also write about the blurry line between the body and the brain. My perspective is rooted in queer issues, but I think that these ideas are applicable to a wider audience.
Is there anything you would like to say to your fans?
Thank you (as always) for the support and for sharing my music. If you have any questions or just want to talk, feel free to reach out ~ thiscoldnight@gmail.com.
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DISCOGRAPHY
20?? - ???? [??]
2019 - Black Cherry [EP]
2017 - So That I Can Endure: PART II [EP]
2017 - So That I Can Endure: PART I [EP]
2016 - While I Disappear [EP]
2015 - Enigmatic Individual [Single]
2014 - That Which I Cannot Control [Bonus & Demos]
2014 - That Which I Cannot Control [EP]
2014 - Body † EP [EP]
2014 - We of Like Minds [LP]
2014 - This Cold Night [EP]
Bandcamp: https://thiscoldnight.bandcamp.com
Website: https://www.thiscoldnight.com