Despite its whimsical name, Cosmic Sans, a five-piece band based in Missoula, is driven by big goals and a commitment to professionalism in their craft.
This May, the group will release its second full-length album, “Psychedelicatessen,” via the small Missoula label Drag Bunt Records. The label was founded by John Fleming, who also owns the long-running Missoula record store Ear Candy.
The project is aptly titled as it encompasses a diverse range of musical styles across its 9 tracks. The group delves into various genres, including scuzzy garage punk, uplifting classic rock, and guitar-driven prog.
The band will have the opportunity to perform songs from “Psychedelicatessen” next week when they appear at Boise’s long-running Treefort Festival. Headliners for the festival include iconic singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco, veteran indie rock group Dinosaur Jr. and country-rock star Margo Price. (Billings’ power-pop group Hey, ily! will also perform.)
Treefort received three applications from Cosmic Sans before finally accepting their application for this year’s festival.
Jake Howell, the lead vocalist and co-songwriter of the group, vividly remembered losing his composure upon receiving the highly anticipated acceptance email.
Hello! by Cosmic Sans
In regards to their latest album, “Psychedelicatessen,” the group takes a daring leap away from their previous body of work.
The band met in 2019 while attending the University of Montana, and released their eponymous debut two years later. While that album tended to veer toward noodly jams and loose song structures, the new material is loaded with catchy hooks and dramatic guitar work. Lead single “Hello!” and the Stones-esque “Late Summer,” for instance, lean into earworm vocal melodies, while “Dogman” and “11” showcase spiraling guitar figures.
“The ideas are more concrete,” multi-instrumentalist Will Stoskopf told Montana Free Press of the album during a recent interview at Missoula’s Union Club.
Howell added that the performances on the previous album were not as good as the ones on this album. He also noted that the compositions have significantly improved.
The group mentioned various sources of inspiration for their music, including the legendary rock musician Todd Rundgren and modern artists like Jack White. Stoskopf draws a comparison between the diverse sounds present in their album and those found in Wilco’s 2001 record “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.”
The album “Psychedelicatessen” by Cosmic Sans was recorded at different locations including their home studio, multi-instrumentalist Seamus Jennings’ grandparents’ cabin in Monarch, and Attack and Release Sound in Missoula.
The performances have improved compared to the previous album, and the compositions have also shown improvement.
Cosmic Sans’ Jake Howell
Once more, Jennings takes on the role of the project’s chief engineer, demonstrating his growing expertise in the studio. The album highlights his skills as Cole Bronson’s agile drums resound with precision, and vocalist Howell’s alternating howls and croons soar above the captivating compositions.
In addition to the album release, which is tentatively set for May 6, and their upcoming performance at Treefort, Cosmic Sans has also submitted applications to eight additional summer festivals. Furthermore, they are currently strategizing a tour across the southwest region.
However, the band is still heavily invested in their hometown of Missoula. They are encouraged by the recent emergence of new bands in the area and are eager to witness the establishment of additional DIY performance venues. Unfortunately, just a few days prior to our interview, the band’s planned record release show at the DIY space Squish had to be canceled due to its closure.
Howell expressed his observation, stating that it seems like there is a resurgence of bands in the area. He mentioned that he no longer sees the same few individuals and believes that this increase in bands will lead to more complaints about the scarcity of venues, as it has been in the past.
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