Coco Hames of The Ettes releases her solo debut

Coco's cover of Bash & Pop's Tiny Pieces is a highlight of her self-titled debut for Merge – have a listen below. 

There’s an old saying about how “you have your whole life to write your first record.” For Coco Hames, the songs on her self-titled debut poured out during a sustained burst of inspiration…but they took more than a decade to live out. A deeply personal record filled with poignant ruminations on love lost and found, dreams dashed then rediscovered, these ten songs manage to pinpoint exquisite light amid life’s darkness.

As the frontwoman and indomitable force behind beloved garage-pop combo The Ettes, Hames blazed a trail across the underground until quietly calling it quits following their 2011 tour. Last summer, Coco began work on her solo album at The Bomb Shelter in Nashville. “It was this massive leap of faith for me,” she admits. “After being in a band for so long, this time I was on my own—no gang to hide behind or fall back on.” Hames co-produced the album with Andrija Tokic, who’d helped record career-making albums for Alabama Shakes, Hurray for the Riff Raff, and others.

Playing guitar, piano, and electric harpsichord, Hames was aided in her effort by bassist Jack Lawrence (The Raconteurs, Dead Weather), drummer Julian Dorio (The Whigs, Eagles Of Death Metal), and lead guitarist Adam Meisterhans (The Weight, JP5). Other contributors include veteran keyboard/organ wizard Dave Amels of Reigning Sound and vocalists Carey Kotsionis (Clem Snide, Bobby Bare, Jr.) and Lillie Mae Rische (Jack White's band). 

“I grew up listening to ’60s pop like Dusty Springfield, but also classic country music, like Patsy Cline, and things that bridged both worlds, like Bobbie Gentry,” notes Hames. “With this record, the end result doesn’t fit into any one category. Which is an exciting thing to me.”  Along with the album's nine original compositions, Coco covers Tommy Stinson's Bash & Pop gem Tiny Pieces as a duet with Deer Tick's John McCauley. Have a listen to Coco's take on Tiny Pieces followed by Bash & Pop's original from 1993's Friday Night Is Killing Me.  

Coco Hames plays a free in-store at Grimey's (1604 8th Ave. South) in Nashville on Friday (March 31) at 6 pm.