The shock felt by many by the election of Donald Trump is reflected in a new song by the Cowards Choir. Popdose is proud to premiere the video for the haunting ”I Took a Drive.” It’s the second installment of a new live series, following ”The Singing Tree,” which debuted at Atwood Magazine back in May.
In the song, Andy Zipf finds himself on the road, and winds at in a rest stop where ”a radio echoes some sad toupeed tycoon / His words reveal / He has never known unconquered love, purchased to prove.” The failure of Trump’s Atlantic City casinos is reflected in the next verse: ”His name is power / A neon sign on the boardwalk about to lose its flickering light / Attracting moths just hovering until his glory fades.“ It ends with Zipf and backup vocalists Maureen Andary and Sara Curtin singing, ”Oh darling, I know you are afraid.” Zipf is also joined on the song by Logan Lamons (drums), Alissa Moore (violin), Ryan Walker (piano) and Dayana Yochim (cello).
The audio was recorded live, with no overdubs, at the same time as the video, although a few extra takes were made for different camera angles. As Zipf tells us, ”We made the video in an old school in Arlington, VA. I enjoy using the space for this series not only for the gorgeous reverb, but also because there are certain choices I have to make regarding the arrangement so it will work within the room. I like the limitations. There are no pretensions. My hope is that it feels more present to the listener and viewer.”
”I Took a Drive” and ”The Singing Tree” are part of a larger collaborative piece that has yet to be announced. Zipf debuted the Cowards Choir name for his 2016 album Name the Fear. You can learn more about them at their website.
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