The Chovies Put ‘Lili Taylor’ and ‘See Myself Out’ Out Front Ahead of ‘Chovy Supernovy’
New York’s own The Chovies are stepping out with their first full-length, ‘Chovy Supernovy’.
Two tracks just landed, ‘Lili Taylor’ and ‘See Myself Out,’ a quick glimpse at what they’ve been working on behind the scenes. At the center of it all is Brendan McLaughlin, writing, producing, and steering the whole thing. He pulled in a shifting group of friends and players to flesh the songs out. Some of it came together in Shane O’Connell’s basement setup in Brooklyn, knocking out a handful of tracks in these long sessions. The rest took shape at Studio G, where McLaughlin teamed up with Jeff Berner and brought in drummer Alex Russek, someone he’s known forever. After all the layering, vocals, mixing, and Scott Anthony handling the final polish, the record settled into its final form.
The two songs out now feel like a pretty honest introduction. There’s a clear love for classic power pop running through both, but it doesn’t feel studied or overly careful. The hooks land fast, guitars have that rough-edged crunch, and there’s a bit of that Guided by Voices spirit in how nothing hangs around longer than it should. Everything gets in, says its piece, and gets out.
‘Lili Taylor’ came from a strange place. McLaughlin has said the whole thing, chords, melody, even the words, showed up while he was asleep. He woke up and chased it down on guitar before it slipped away. You can hear that hazy, half-dream quality in the finished track. It circles around the idea of someone who sticks with you long after they’re gone, sparked in part by Lili Taylor and those roles that quietly take over a scene.
‘See Myself Out’ moves differently. It was the first piece that clicked into place for the album, the one that pushed everything else forward. There’s more motion to it, a kind of nervous energy, built around the perspective of someone dropping big news and then watching the fallout in real time. Colin McFadden adds some sharp guitar work that cuts through the track, and the rhythm section keeps it tight without smoothing out the edges. Vocals from Emma Jane Gonzalez and Zach DiLanzo help fill it out without crowding it.
McLaughlin’s path here isn’t exactly typical rock band lore either. He’s spent years in television, writing and producing for shows like Best Week Ever, Nikki & Sara Live, and The Daily Show. Before this, he played in Goodness Gracious, and even ran a parody account that somehow took on a life of its own online. All of that bleeds in a little, not in a gimmicky way, more in how the songs are paced and how they land their moments.
The Chovies Instagram / Bandcamp
