Overcoats (duo)

Overcoats
Hana Elion (left) and JJ Mitchell of Overcoats
Background information
Origin	New York City, New York, U.S.
Genres	Indie pop
Years active	2015–present
Labels	Arts & Crafts, Loma Vista
Members	Hana Elion JJ Mitchell
Website	overcoatsmusic.com

Overcoats is a New York based indie pop duo consisting of singer-songwriters Hana Elion and JJ Mitchell. Their debut album, YOUNG, was released on April 21, 2017, through Arts & Crafts Productions. ^[1] Their second full length record, The Fight, came out March 6th, 2020 on Loma Vista Recordings. On June 4, 2021, they released an EP, Used To Be Scared Of The Dark, featuring collaborations with Middle Kids and Tennis (also out on Loma Vista Recordings).

Biography

Background

Elion was born in New York but grew up in Washington, D.C., spending time in Jamaica, Uganda, and Belize in her younger years. Mitchell was born in London but grew up in New York, England, and Egypt. The two ended up crossing paths in 2011 at Wesleyan University, a liberal arts college in Middletown, Connecticut. Elion and Mitchell were immediately drawn to each other when they first met, finding connection in their, "diverse love of music". Both halves of Overcoats describe the first time hearing each other sing as an, "epiphany, with the harmony of their combined voices leading to personal and individual discoveries." ^[2]

Musical style and influences

Overcoats list The Chicks, Simon & Garfunkel and Kacey Musgraves as some of their influences. They take inspiration from the harmonies of folk music while melding sonic backdrops of electronic, pop, and americana.” ^{[3] [4]}

YOUNG

After releasing their self-titled EP Overcoats in 2015, Elion and Mitchell began working on a follow-up project and enlisted producers such as Nicolas Vernhes (Daughter, The War On Drugs, Dirty Projectors) and experimental R&B artist Autre Ne Veut. ^[5] Released on April 21, 2017, YOUNG has received favorable reviews. NPR called YOUNG, "One of the best albums of 2017" and praised the duo's passion and ambition, stating, "Overcoats' Young is a record driven by ambition and passion, not craft. That's not to say Hana Elion and JJ Mitchell aren't terrifically talented singers and songwriters: What sets them apart is that I believe them. That the emotion in their harmonies and the space they give each other is filled with compassion. I believe their songs of loneliness and doubt." ^[6]

The Fool

On September 4, 2019, the duo released a new single called ‘The Fool.’ In the accompanying promotional video, the duo shave their heads. Hana and JJ provided the accompanying statement with the video:

“We wrote it based on ‘The Fool’ tarot card,” says JJ. “It signifies taking a leap of faith and jumping into the unknown. Conceptually, it felt like the beginning of the project. We wiped the slate clean and decided to jump. That’s why the video includes the footage of us shaving our heads. We’re ‘The Fool’, and we’re taking our leap.” “It’s an empowering message,” continues Hana. “I don’t need to be defined by the opinions of others or go with the status quo; I can fucking be myself.” ^[7]

Produced by Justin Raisen and Yves Rothman, The Fight has been described as a “ten-song battle cry.” Despite more of a rock & roll grittiness to the sound, two voices singing in harmony is still at the core of The Fight. ^[8]

Used To Be Scared Of The Dark

Enlisting the help of their friends, Overcoats made a 4 track EP consisting of collaborations with Tennis, Middle Kids, Lawrence Rothman, and Local Natives.

Horsegirl

In November of 2022, Overcoats released “Horsegirl,” a country-tinged indie pop song, their first with distribution company Thirty Tigers.

Touring history

The band toured their first album in North America and parts of Europe from 2017-2018. In addition to headline touring, Overcoats has toured opening for Mitski, Maggie Rogers, Cold War Kids, Tennis and Japanese House.

Discography

Albums

• Young (2017)
• The Fight (2020)
• Winner (2023)

References

1. "Overcoats". Overcoats Music. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
2. Adams, Jordan. "Overcoats' Hana Elion and JJ Mitchell on Friendship, College and Their New Album, 'Young'". Seven Days. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
3. "OVERCOATS". Issue Magazine. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
4. Live Sessions: Overcoats. NPR https://livesessions.npr.org/artists/overcoats . Retrieved 18 November 2022.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
5. Gardner, Alex. "NY Duo Overcoats Mix Modern Production With Classic Songwriting on "Kai's Song"". Pigeons and Planes. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
6. Boilen, Bob. "Review: Overcoats, 'Young'". NPR Music. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
7. "Review: Overcoats, 'The Fool'". Atwood Music. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
8. "FINDING CONNECTION IN ISOLATION: OVERCOATS' HOPEFUL & EMPOWERING ALBUM 'THE FIGHT'". Atwood Magazine. Retrieved 18 November 2022.