Overcoats’ Hana Elion & JJ Mitchell on the Making of “The Fight”

Interview by Hana Elion and JJ Mitchell

Hana Elion and JJ Mitchell released their debut album, Young, as Overcoats three years ago to critical acclaim. Since 2017 the native New Yorkers have been working on their sophomore album, The Fight, which was released this past March on Loma Vista Recordings. Contrasting smart DIY pop with hi-fi sounds, the duo plays with the juxtaposition of opposites in the appropriately named LP. Within the delicately purposeful lyrics, the juxtaposition continues, with the artists asking the audience to continue their endeavor against whatever inner conflict they may be battling. Below, Hana and JJ talk about the creation of their sophomore LP and what lies beyond our current climate.

JJ: Which song on The Fight was your favorite to record? And why?

Hana: Drift. We had a bunch of players come in so we could play the whole thing live in one take - it was so fun to hear it with a live band. Also, recording the stomps and the claps and the gang vocals! Everyone just stands in a circle around a mic and sings their hearts out. I loved that. You really feel the power of music in a setting like that. 

What is your favorite part about the writing process?

JJ

JJ: I love the feeling when a song that we are working on is so fresh and exciting but fully formed enough to exist as a demo. At that moment in the process I usually binge listen to it and obsess over how much I love it. That sounds self-absorbed, but w/e. On average how many songs do you write in a given month?

Hana: It really depends on the month. I’ll usually start around 5-10 a month, and then maybe finish 3. If I pick up my guitar without an idea, usually something comes, which is cool. But I try to only write when I feel like I have something to say. 

If you could make music of a totally different genre, what would it be?

JJ: Probably some sort of Arabic Dabke music, or like traditional Touareg LOL. Does your boyfriend ever ask you if the songs are about him? What do you answer?

Hana: Oh man, yes. Exes also ask me if songs are about them (and they usually are). Usually I admit it - and if it’s a love song, I enjoy explaining it. But some of the songs about fights are harder to talk about. Especially because everything feels more dramatized in a song. Coincidentally, my boyfriend’s favorite song on the album is about our biggest fight. So I’ll keep you posted on if he reads this...LOL.

Did you envision what your second album would sound like when you were making your first? Can you envision what your third album, or even fourth album, will sound like?

JJ: I don’t think so! So much of what our second album sounds like is a result of touring for two years and craving playing rock songs. I guess I had sort of a vague dream, something that I was trying to approximate...but could not have predicted what The Fight looks like. I have a sense of what our third album might sound like. I think it will be an expansion of the classic rock sounds on The Fight, with more gritty guitars. But I also think it will pull in some new, perhaps alternative rhythms and drum sounds.

Do you wish any of the songs on The Fight sounded different than they do?

Hana: No. To me they are perfect. They really feel like a timestamp and all the imperfections are my favorite part. 

Where is your dream concert to play and why?

Hana

JJ: My dream is to headline Glastonbury Festival. I used to watch the headliners on TV in England every (other) year. And I remember seeing Ed Sheeran’s performance and so many hundreds of thousands of people were just singing the words to his songs. That’s a collective moment that I want to experience. And Glastonbury is a festival with integrity that welcomes different musical genres and has a wholesome approach to the world of festivals.

JJ: Where do you see yourself living in 5 years?

Hana: God, that’s a tough question. I’ve been in New York almost five years now, which I never would have expected. I think I want kids in the next five years (yikes), and I want to be living in a house, with a backyard and a dog and an art studio. So...probably somewhere cheap and in the middle of nowhere! 

What is the craziest stage look you want to try?

JJ: Over the knee thigh boots and chain mail… I feel like I’m gonna try it for The Fight tour, whenever we finally get to reschedule it.

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