The Chordaes is a post-power pop band on the rise from New York City. They recently released their debut record, Touch the Ground, in May. They also released a video for their track, “Get the Feeling,” which we had the chance to watch at Impose.
Right off the bat, the video has a dreamy feel, with visuals overlaying one another. The video is somewhat romantic as well, with a couple at the center of it, and lots of roses incorporated into the video. Vibrant colors overlap each other, creating a modern pop art type effect. The song itself is a catchy tune that I’m definitely a fan of as well. At the end of the video, things seem to go south as the flowers are smashed on the ground, and things start breaking and people get smacked. A picture is lit on fire, and it tumbles to the ground. What a way to end a video.
I also had the opportunity to chat with The Chordaes, specifically Leo Sawikin.
Where did the moniker “The Chordaes” come from?
Well, although I am a big wildlife fan, we wanted to avoid any name that referenced bears, deer, or foxes! Seriously, it’s actually really hard to find a band name that hasn’t already been taken. The chordae tendinae are the tendons in your heart that help it to contract and expand as it pumps blood. They are also called heart strings, which we thought was appropriate given our often very emotional songwriting. And the name is also a play on the word “chord.”
Tell me about yourselves.
Ethan and I met in middle school and have been playing music together since 9th grade, so when I began writing the songs on Touch the Ground in my college dorm room a few years back, I knew I wanted him in on the project. Ethan is probably the most intuitive musician I know. Plus he looks pretty cool on the throne. We met Jesse through an Internet ad, and Max, whose background is in jazz, came on a bit later after he caught an early gig. Fun fact: Ethan is also a skateboard instructor and models sometimes.
What’s something you think everyone should know about your band?
It sounds crazily ambitious, but we have a mission: to bring back the kind of melodic songwriting that made the classic rock and pop artists of the 60’s and 70’s so great, and make it relevant to our own generation.
Tell me about the process behind your video for “Get The Feeling”.
We made the video for “Get the Feeling” with the directors Chris Antonelli and Tamino Castro over two days this spring. I’d say the band was only needed for around half of the shots. The rest of the video was composed of shots of balloons popping and glass breaking, filmed on a super slo-mo camera. It was truly exciting to be part of such a complex production!
What challenges, if any, have you had to overcome as a band so far?
Although we recorded “Touch the Ground” the old-fashioned way—playing real instruments on vintage gear at the great Shorefire Studios—it’s so easy now to record music and put it out on the Internet, that it’s a huge and continuing challenge to break through the noise of all the content out there.
What’s your favorite part of being The Chordaes?
Creating and sharing this music that we pour our hearts into and hope our audience really connects to.
If you were a food item, what would you be and why?
A chicken parm hero: The band’s favorite dish, which, like us, consists of 4 separate elements that maintain their integrity but come together to form a delicious whole.
What’s up next for you guys?
We’re resuming our residency at The Bitter End in NYC in September and working on booking Fall tour dates in the Northeast in support of “Touch the Ground,” so look out for us.
