Love keeps Scott Cook from exploding in his new single The Pin In My Grenade — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
Hazy, slow-burning and reflective, The Pin In My Grenade is first and foremost a love song, the Montreal artist admits. “But it’s also about perspective, understanding what is important to us, and knowing where to focus our energy,” he adds. “This song took very little time to write. As soon as I came up with the analogy that is the song’s title, I had a concept for the song and the lyrics just flowed quite easily. Then, I picked up my guitar, played the first progression that came to mind, and, within a half hour, the song was complete.
“The lyrics are a little intense,” he admits, “but meant to be tongue in cheek. The idea of contrasting something violent with something beautiful is not new, but I find it works. So, once I started recording the song, I wanted something to soften the overall feel, which is why the lap steel (performed by fellow Montreal musician Joe Grass) was used since it’s one of the most beautiful-sounding instruments.”
The indie musician from the heart of Quebec is a classically trained artist, holding a PhD in classical music theory. Taking a spin through rock and jazz over most of his extensive career, Cook turned his sights on a solo offering during the pandemic of 2020. This ultimately became his forthcoming eponymous six-song EP — set to drop later this month — with The Pin In My Grenade as its third preview.
Influenced by David Bowie and Pink Floyd, the stripped-back sound of his solo EP is a far cry from his post-hardcore band Colonel Sun. But for Cook, it was alabour of love — he recorded, mixed, engineered and produced all himself; even collaborations on the tracks were done with the luxury of technology, given the severity of the pandemic.
Listen to The Pin In My Grenade above, hear more from Scott Cook below, and catch up with him at his website, Facebook and Instagram.
