Samuel Okkosch comes clean on his nostalgic and endearing new EP I Brush My Teeth Like I’m Losing A Fight — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
On his latest release, the Swiss singer-songwriter serves up a throwback to the wowie-zowie glory days of ’90s slacker-rock and indie-pop. Casually tossed off but craftily rendered, this sweet six-pack arrives chock full of spindly snakefinger guitar lines, warm fuzzy-sweater chords, shambling ’n’ stumbling beats and dusty, hair-tousled vocals — all giving off the vibe of someone recording on a four-track in their bedroom after everyone else has gone to sleep (actually, he recorded it in his living room). There’s a little Pavement, some Beck, and a dash of Wilco — what more could you want?
Well, how about lyrics that blend autobiographical storytelling with daydream-like fantasies? Ask and you shall receive. Okkosch always imagined himself as a mysterious cowboy — loved, admired, with his dream person (man or woman – who knows?!) by his side. Instead, he grew up well-behaved in a middle-class family in safe, predictable Switzerland — no wild backstory, no drama. And when love still didn’t seem to fall into place by 2019, uncertainty grew: Who do I actually love? Am I even capable of love? Can I even be a cowboy in Switzerland? And what makes me special?
From this emotional turmoil, the songs on this EP were born — but they remained unfinished for years. It wasn’t until 2024 that Samuel returned to them. After three years of intense work on his indie-folk album Chloé (due in May), he craved distorted guitars, faster tempos, and ’90s-inspired choruses. The lyrics of 21-year-old Samuel remain melancholic, but his 25-year-old self now meets them with more lightness: Life isn’t as serious as it once felt. And the need to be unique has given way to the realization that contentment and health are worth more than a dramatic narrative.
A heartfelt retrospective on post-adolescent dreams, existential fears, and the constant feeling of being either too much or not enough — wrapped in self-ironic, honest songs. And the aggressive tooth-brushing? A metaphor for all of it — the constant inner tension and his lingering nightmare of one day having no gums left.
Okkosch spends his summers in Horgen by Lake Zurich — where he produces his music in his living room studio — and his winters in the Engadin as a ski instructor. His music is a colorful mix of alt-country, slacker-rock, folk revival and gentle melodies. His lyrics — whether in English, German, Swiss German, or French — tell playful, childlike stories from his life while never losing sight of the complexity of our peculiar existence.
Check out I Brush My Teeth Like I’m Losing A Fight below and brighten the corners of Samuel Okkosch’s website, Instagram and Facebook.
