Marc M. Cogman

Australian Girls

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Written and first demoed in Carmel, California over a few days in May of 2007. The full-band version took shape with Giulio Carmassi and Brian Moskin and was demoed at the Fun-N-Only Room in Mar Vista in June/July of 2007 with Brian on drums, Giulio on bass and organ, and Kelli Noftle singing backing vox.  The song became a live staple during that summer and fall, and it was finally recorded with the Dead Messengers in the fall of 2008 at Radar! without backing vox. Giulio did his B3 track (like all the keys and organ on the album) at Black Truffle Sound. 

I had just returned from two months in Fiji when I wrote this song, and while the story is a fable of sorts (like much of Beneath a Balcony), as opposed to a direct-from-life true story, it’s obvious that it’s drawn from my time there.  This song represents a lot of specific things to me, on a more private level, but the over-arching themes are very dark – including a sense of hopelessness about one’s own failures as a human being, and the inability to evolve out of those flaws. Some people are surprised to hear me say it’s one of the most depressing songs I’ve ever written.

Waltz Beneath a Balcony

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Written in the fall of 2007, most likely in Studio City, California.  I remember having the idea for a big carnival-esque song after seeing a local band called Cat Hair Ensemble play at one of my favorite venues – Bordello in Downtown L.A.  This song was built from the ground up in rehearsals by the Dead Messengers and quickly became a staple at the live shows. It was first demoed at Dangerland in early 2008 with Matt Cooker playing cello and Giulio playing drums, bass, and organ.  This is also the recording where Steve McDonald originated his signature guitar line that in my opinion makes the song.  The album version, recorded with the rest of Beneath a Balcony in the fall of 2008 at Radar! features Emmy Rossum singing the lilting, twangy backing vocals.  She’s credited on the album as the Mouse Sisters, because she was signed to Interscope at the time and we didn’t have official permission.

This too falls under the idea of “fable.”  While at a party at Rob Leifer’s (of The Neon Calm) house in Hollywood, I was outside smoking a cigarette with Andrew Aherne, the artist who designed the Neon Calm’s album covers, when he pointed out a giant stuffed Teddy Bear that he’d seen thrown out of an apartment across the way, off the balcony and down into the shrubs below.  We joked about what could have provoked such an action, and after the party I picked up the bear and took him home.  The idea from the song came soon after. 

Passenger Seat

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Baby, I'm Okay

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One of the first songs written post-Danger Show, this was completed in February, 2007, in time to be performed as a kind of prologue to open the Danger Show CD-release party.  That early performance featured just myself on guitar/vocals and Giulio Carmassi on melodica.  The first band demo was done with Giulio and Brian Moskin at the Fun-N-Only Room in June/July of 2007, and the song entered the Dead Messengers’ live-show repertoire soon after.  Two versions were recorded at Radar! in the fall of 2008 – a “rock” version meant for Anthems, similar to the way the band played it live – and a “country” version that ended up on Beneath a Balcony with banjo, Emmy Rossum’s country backing vocals, and other roots music elements.  

Lyrically, the song acts as a sort of coda to Welcome to the Danger Show, with references to that album and its cover art, and is an example of the type of Ars Poetica song I like to write from time to time.  As opposed to many of the stories being told on Beneath a Balcony, this one is absolutely true-to-life, describing a conversation I had while on a romantic getaway to Ojai, California in January of 2007.  I still think of Ojai when I sing this song.  I’m currently mulling over whether to include the second version of it, (which I prefer out of the two) on Anthems.  

Love & the Line

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This song was written and demoed in my hotel rooms in Nadi and Pacific Harbor, in Fiji in April/May of 2007.  While I worked on several songs during my time in Fiji, this is the only one I actually completed while still there.  The finished album version recorded in the fall of 2008 at Radar! is nearly identical to the original demo.  

At the time, I thought it was one of the happiest songs I’d ever written, which means (of course) the happy situation that inspired it was doomed to fail almost immediately after the song was finished.   The lyrics touch upon the real-life relationship I was in at the time, as well as the themes of obtaining happiness (and its elusive nature) while being an artist.  The title was graciously given to me by my friend Joshua Cox, who was with me in Fiji.  A talented songwriter himself, he meant to write a song with that title, but allowed me to take it when I thought it would be perfect for this one. 

The Blue-Eyed King of Manhattan

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I was first inspired to write this song about a friend’s break-up right after it happened...way back in 2003, while I was still living in Boston.  For one reason or another, I could not get all the pieces together.  I assumed it would go on the second Neon Calm record as one of the more rootsy, lyric-driven songs like “Love Circle” or “Six Bullets”.  When I didn’t finish it on time for that record, I assumed it would make my first solo record.  When that came and went as well, I finally completed the lyrics, just in time for tracking on Beneath a Balcony in the fall of 2008, though I had begun to jam on the music with Brian Moskin and Giulio Carmassi at Dangerland as early as the fall of 2007.

Not to spoil it for anyone, but I have to admit this is probably my least favorite song that I’ve released as a solo artist.  The musical performances are awesome, particularly Giulio’s virtuosity in the solo section as he blasts away at the piano and then B3 organ, but the lyrics have never been as close to my heart as other tunes.  This is, perhaps, understandable, as this is one of the first romantic songs I wrote about somebody else’s romance.  For those of you interested in a bit of trivia – the two characters in the song were inspired by the relationship between my friend Shawn (of the NYC-based band Serial Obsession) and his then-girlfriend, model Elettra Rossellini.

Bullet

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Written in one night in December of 2006, at the behest of two filmmakers who were considering me for a movie role.  After performing it for them, I was cast and ended up performing the song in the film (which, as often happens in Hollywood, never actually came out.)  The first demos were done in early 2007.  While not a staple of the Dead Messengers’ live show, it was occasionally performed with the band.  We recorded two versions at Radar! in the fall of 2008 (similar to “Baby I’m Okay”, with a “rock” version for Anthems and “country” version for Beneath a Balcony) but as the tracks are extremely similar, the unused version won’t appear on Anthems. 

Due to the rushed nature of the song-writing, at first I didn’t think much of this song, but as time went on, I heard from more and more people who confessed a strong connection with it.  Over time, the meaning of the song spoke more and more sincerely to me as well, and it’s become one of my favorites.  At solo acoustic shows, it’s nearly always in the set.  

The Night I Swore I'd Leave You

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The last song written for Beneath a Balcony, tracking was already underway for the album and nearly complete when I finished this song.  This is one of the reasons for the unconventional instrumentation.  Due to its reliance on hand-percussion and other odd textural elements (such as the autoharp), it’s been performed live only a few times.  My good friend Buffy Hublebank provides the backing vocals.

Easily one of the saddest songs I’ve ever written, I considered scuttling the song for fear of it being just too depressing.  Considering the overall tone of my body of work, that’s saying something.  Now that my first marriage is well-behind me, it’s easier to admit what inspired these lyrics.  Looking at it now, I think of it as a sort of cautionary tale, an example of what I always find to be a compelling narrative element – the “near-epiphany” – in which a protagonist seems primed to turn an important corner but falls just short.

Me and My Friends

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This was written and first demoed in June/July of 2007.  The earliest version featured Brian Moskin on drums, Giulio Carmassi on bass and organ, and Kelli Noftle singing backup.  I’m not sure why, but it never really found a place in the Dead Messengers’ live repertoire, only being performed live a few times with the band.  For the album version recorded at Radar! in the fall of 2008, I invited Buffy Hublebank to sing the female harmonies and my big brother, Bryan to join Buffy and a few members of the band in the gang-land sing-along section of the outro. 

After making the decision to go solo in 2006, I found in 2007 that while I loved my new musical direction, I increasingly longed very much to be in a band again.  This led to a lot of demoing and preproduction work with Brian Moskin and Giulio Carmassi that would last throughout 2007 and beyond, as well as the formation of my backing band, The Dead Messengers.  This song was written very much in the spirit of those early days in the spring/summer of 2007 as the core group was taking shape, including Giulio, Brian, Kelli Noftle, Frogs, and Steve McDonald.

Ten Years Down the Road

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Written in February 2007, around the occasion of my ten-year anniversary of sobriety.  Always meant to be a solo song, the final album version was recorded live in Radar! with me performing the guitar, vocals and harmonica in one take.  For most of my solo shows from 2007 through 2009, this was my closer, and it remains a song that always appears in my solo performances, no matter what the length of the set.

The lyrics touch upon the well-visited theme of the artist experience, as well as my sobriety, and of course, the relationship that dominated much of my life from age 13.  The significance of this song in my life further increased when I finally worked things out with the girl who inspired it, and to whom I’m currently engaged.

Blessing in Disguise

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Written sometime in 2008, never demoed or performed by the band until the sessions for Beneath a Balcony.  It’s only been played live by the band two or three times, though it has appeared often in my solo acoustic set.  A rag-tag group of girls was thrown together last minute for the handclaps and choir vocals at the end.

Lyrically, it deals with the  passing through the anger phase of a bad breakup.  While I would never insinuate it’s this good, I like to think of it as a kiss-off song in the vein of some of my favorite Dylan tunes like “Positively Fourth Street” and “Like a Rolling Stone”.