Ora Cogan – Five Questions With

Ora Cogan Releases New Single, “Katie Cruel” Ahead Of Upcoming Album, Formless

Ora Cogan will release her new album Formless on August 25, an LP that finds beauty, absurdity, humor, and unlikely joy in the bleakest of times. Cogan’s smoky, psychedelic approach to gothic country and hazy folk merges with post-punk, groove, psych rock, and traditional balladry. 

Ora unveiled the single, “Katie Cruel” on August 9. “Katie Cruel” is a tragic ballad about a sex worker traveling with light infantry soldiers. “Once they called me the roving jewel, now they call me Katie Cruel.” The haunting track is a defiant, vindicating, feminist proclamation that flips the script on the way women are vilified.

Ethereal vocals and a shuffling brush snare lay over a sitar-like guitar pattern to underscore the strength of the lyrical message. “You can demean a woman and call her ‘Katie Cruel’,” said Cogan. “So what… Fuck if I care!”

Watch the video for “Katie Cruel” below and learn more about Ora via our Five Questions With segment.

Care to introduce yourself to our readers?

Hi Readers! My name is Ora.. which means absolutely NOBODY takes me seriously when we’re introduced… 

I play electric guitar, sing… and write… I play fiddle and piano and other things sometimes. I collaborate with a lot of artists and love improvising. I’m curious about music traditions and experimentation in general. I like almost any music that feels ethereal or in-between worlds and frenetic… especially if it tells a good story and/or makes you dance. Being human is weird… I like my music to reflect that truth. Not sure what else to say. 

Tell us a bit about your most recent release.

I put my soul into this record.. and in the words of Alabaster DePlume “Is it enough? Nooooo” 

I have a good feeling when I hear these songs. I fought pretty hard to climb my way out of a grief hole full of isolation and despair via music and it worked. I was angry and scared and depressed.. Music was my sword and my shield. I feel better now, thanks to this music.. So Hopefully that’s a good sign.. I’m grateful to have played with such fantastic musicians on this record. Working with Finn Smith, David Proctor, Liam Gibson, and David Parry was great. Having  Cormac Mac Diarmada from Lankum and Y La Bamba and others on as features is so special as well… This record was a mess to make but it doesn’t sound that way, I don’t think, So that’s nice… 

Where do you tend to pull inspiration from when writing? 

Anything and everything I guess.. It’s nice to feel free to write about anything and we live in a bizarre world full of ridiculous things to write about… but generally, it’s not a middle-of-the-day decision. What should I write about… It’s more of a compulsion that I’m way too sensitive and hold on to too much, so writing is my way of letting go or seeking to understand things. Lately, it’s mostly ruminations on love and death. 

Do you have any upcoming shows you’d like to tell us about?

Oct 25 – Vancouver, BC – Wise Hall 
Oct 26 – Victoria, BC – The Layaway
Oct 27 – Nanaimo, BC – The Vault
Nov 26 – Olympia, WA – The Crypt 
Nov 27 – Portland, OR – Old Church 
Nov 28 – Seattle, WA – Tractor Tavern 
Nov 30 – Salem, OR – Infinity Room 
Dec 01 – Arcata, CA – The Miniplex 
Dec 02 – Nevada City, CA –  Star 
Dec 03 – Sacramento,CA – Golden Bear 
Dec 06 – Los Angeles, CA – Zebulon – w/ Pink Trash Can & Laena  
Dec 07 – Tucson, AZ – Golden Saguaro 
Dec 09 – Silver City, NM – Whiskey Creek Zocalo
Dec 14 – Oakland, CA – The Stork Club
Dec 16 – Astoria, OR – Anita 

What’s your goal for 2023?

Mostly I want to play these new songs with my fantastic band as much as possible. I want to scream into the void in a sweaty bar with all my friends indefinitely. 

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