Rumbling out of the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania, which is in the Philly area, Co. Spirals is a psych-country rock band that recently released a new record, Deep Dark Canyon of Nothing, on March 27th.
The band describes their sound as “twang in technicolor,” pulling from the Austin psych scene and the grit of outlaw country. They are recommended if you like The Black Angels, Allah Las, The Mystery Lights, Jack White, Kurt Vile, or Orville Peck.
The Third Eye got a chance to catch up with Joe Beblavy (lead Guitar, backup vocals) of the band, and he was kind enough to answer our questions in the Third Eye Artist Questionnaire. Check out the interview with Joe of Co. Spirals below, where he tells us about how the band started, the inspiration behind their latest release, and what has been influencing him lately.
(Note: If you’re an artist or band who would like to fill out The Third Eye Artist Questionnaire and be featured on the site, let me know. It’s a simple process, and it’s always great getting to know the bands we cover here).
Interview with Joe from Co. Spirals
Can you tell us a bit about your project/band and how it started?
We started playing as this group in 2023, but most of the band relocated from Philly, where we were active in bands and other music projects since 2012. The country-western sound came from a side project that Ryan Beach (Vox, guitar) and Joe Beblavy (Lead Guitar) started in 2020. When Joe relocated to the Lehigh Valley, we decided to fuse the garage psych sound we played previously with a touch of twang, along with recruiting the talents of Mike McDermott (Bass) and Mark Choquette (Drums). Co. Spirals is born.
What inspired your latest release?
There’s a lot of existential dread packed in there. Channeled through the music, it makes us all a little more comfortable staring out into the void. Turning inward, finding a path that’s beyond yourself, there’s a definite yearning for something more than the material.
Sonically, the album can be attributed to 2 eras of music, outlaw country from the 70’s and more currently, the psych movement in Austin, TX. Safe to say we’d love to play there one day.
How would you describe your sound?
‘Twang in technicolor’ is fun to say. Our music has a lot of traditional blues in it as well, with moments of dark and heavy rhythms with a lead that cuts through the noise.
What does your creative process usually look like?
One member will bring a progression, riff or full baked song to the band and we jam on it. It’s important for the idea-bringer to kind of let go of what their vision of the song is at the point and go with the bands flow. We’ve also taken 75% written songs to an open mic or some kind of low stakes scenario where we can gauge an audience reaction and finishing writing to that experience.
Where do you usually write or record your music?
Started in various home studio/DIY situations until we met Matt Molchany at Shards Studio. He has put together a real cozy spot in Bethlehem, and we decided to cut the album there. It’s an immersive experience, all of the art, instruments, trinkets. Helps you stay inspired.
Who or what has been influencing you lately?
There’s such an influx of ideas with the amount of music and art you can observe today. Beautiful, tragic, complex ideas are constantly born. We’ve been talking about the tragedy and degradation of war. Lives silenced because of a difference in ideas or consciousness. It’s important to speak your truth, no matter the circumstances or consequences. There’s a definite frustration with the lack of accountability and two-faced nature of people who are supposed to keep the community front of mind.
But people will be people. And I think some of this album talks about the importance of staying in the moment and trying to better yourself.
How do your live shows differ from your recordings?
We love to jam, so there’s a tendency to explore that avenue of our sound. Changing dynamically, rhythmically, just feeling it. Lately, there are noisy atonal sections where everything goes off the rails a bit. It’s a ‘Holy Ghost’ kind of moment, definitely cathartic to play.
Is there a particular track or piece of music you’ve made that you’re most proud of?
‘The Fool’ made it from the 2020 side project to the album. It’s long and winding. The full band picked it up, and we’ve just kept adding to it. It’s also been a through-line for the sound we’ve been going for all along.
What’s been the biggest challenge for you as an artist/band?
Managing our personal lives to make time for the music. We all have families and day jobs, so it’s a balancing act.
What are you working on next?
Switching it up a bit. We love the “no rules” attitude when it comes to genre. It feels more organic when we approach a project with that in mind. Thinking about stripping down a bit, listening to some classic country records. We’ll see what happens.
Where can people find your music and keep up with you?
Bandcamp, Instagram (@co.spirals), YouTube. We made CDs for those who want to stay off the algorithms.
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