Coma Cinema, Elvis Depressedly, The Going Nowhere’s. These are just some of the past and present projects of Asheville, North Carolina’s Mathew Lee Cothran. An indie stalwart with an uncompromisingly DIY ethos, Cothran has created music under the name Coma Cinema since its inception in his high school days circa 2005, the first recorded material being released in the early early days of Bandcamp in 2009. Their last album, Lost Memory, was by all indications a final album.
Fast forward 8 years and here we are with a new single, “Thomas Kinkade’s Grand Delusion,” as well as an announcement of a new forthcoming album, Grand Delusion, still without a release date.
Cothran is the champion of truly independent music, having extremely influential ‘breakthrough’ albums with his multiple projects all with little to no press or outside financial support. Being somewhat of an enigma in today’s music landscape, Cothran has carved out a singular and evolutionary path to creating art.
“Thomas Kinkade’s Grand Delusion” expands on the Coma Cinema soundscape while being true to its lo-fi roots and utter songwriting sincerity. The track follows the story of artist Thomas Kinkade, known for idealized, subliminally Christian, commercially mass-produced works of popular kitschy art. The lyrics paint a controversial picture of Kinkade painting drunk and depressed, the refrain slightly tweaked each time, “Thomas Kinkade paints in his grand delusion / Canvasses grey and shows them to no one / And then to get paid he paints another ‘Thomas Kinkade.'”
Sonically, the track is slightly reminiscent of the last Elvis Depressedly album, adding elements of pop to the lo-fi indie rock of Coma Cinema, creating a more upbeat sound that wryly contrasts with Cothran’s narrative. Ecstatic electric guitars push the anthemic chorus to perfection under Cothran’s signature slacker vocals.
It seems much like a relief and a grateful return for such a beloved band to reactivate in a time where the business of music, marketing, and streaming is almost pushed to a breaking point. Coma Cinema and Elvis Depressedly were extremely important in providing a raw touchstone in times of depression and sadness and it makes me really happy to see the return of this project.
Stream “Thomas Kinkade’s Grand Delusion” and watch the music video below, only on Youtube. Look out for a release date on Coma Cinema’s new LP Grand Delusion by following Cothran on social media.
Keep up with Coma Cinema: Spotify // Instagram // YouTube // Bandcamp
