Coco Goes Solo With a Classic Sound

Coco Hames, frontwoman for The Ettes, has recorded her self-titled debut solo album, which Merge Records will release on March 31st.

Recorded in Nashville last summer with co-producer Andrija Tokic, the deeply personal album features backup from fine folks such as bassist Jack Lawrence (The Greenhornes, The Raconteurs), drummer Julian Dorio (The Whigs) and guitarist Adam Meisterhaus (The Weight). Of the sound, Hames notes that “I grew up listening to ‘60s pop like Dusty Springfield, but also classic country, like Patsy Cline, and things that bridged both worlds, like Bobbie Gentry. With this record, the end result doesn’t fit into any one category. Which is an exciting thing for me.”

While we love The Ettes and hope this doesn’t necessarily signal the end for them, fans should note that in honor of its 10th anniversary, their label Fond Object Records (yep, they also run a store and venue by that name in Nashville), reissued their long out-of-print LP Shake The Dust in a limited-edition run in late September, along with a handful of rare digital-only bonus tracks.

Photo by Rachel Briggs.