In Conversation with Cola: New Album Out May 8, Lead Single Debuts, and Australian Tour Set for June

We spoke with Montreal trio Cola—the collaborative force of Tim Darcy, Ben Stidworthy, and Evan Cartwright—has announced their third record, The Cost of Living Adjustment (C.O.L.A.), arriving May 8 via Fire Talk Records. Functioning as a quasi-self-titled manifesto, the album explores the friction between socialism and "hell," the high stakes of existence, and the sharp, eerie pangs of nostalgia.

While the band is defined by Darcy’s "tasteful minimalism," C.O.L.A. marks their most maximalist venture to date. This shift is perfectly captured in the lead single, "Hedgesitting," a track that pairs live percussion with sampled loops to create a lush, deconstructed sound reminiscent of a Disintegration-era Cure B-side. Directed by Kristina Pedersen, the accompanying video mirrors the track’s blend of abstraction and emotional precision, proving that even in their most refined hour, Cola remains deceptively intense.

Hey Cola, Who do we have writing to us today, and where are you currently?

Ev: this is Evan, and i’m in Brooklyn right now

Ben: Ben I’m in Montreal 

Your upcoming album, Cost of Living Adjustment, is essentially a self-titled record disguised as an acronym; how did you land on this specific economic term as the conceptual anchor for your third outing?

Ev: we’ve had this acronym in mind since naming the band in 2021, but it feels most relevant today, not because of the inflation we’ve seen over the last handful of years, but because of the divisive political discourse that it has justified / normalized.

In the lead single 'Hedgesitting,' you’ve blended live percussion with sample loops to create something reminiscent of a deconstructed Cure track; what was the specific 'mood board' for this song, and how did the influence of Sarah Records find its way into the mix?

Ben: Yeah the Cure for sure, I adore the In Between Days (RS Home Demo 12/84) (Instrumental). I was also imaging the “baggy” sound of Stone Roses and early Blur

Coming from the creative community in Montreal, do you find that the city’s specific atmosphere still informs the 'socialism vs. hell' themes you're exploring on this album?

Ben: Yeah definitely, in as much as Tim and I came up there and it’s one of the cities in North America where solidarity and cohesion feel present, along with a social democratic consensus that is increasingly rare in a post-neoliberal world of right-wing mind fracking. Are there any creatives, artists and bands back home that we should be keeping tabs on? We love hearing about things within your community back home

Ev: the band Potions out of Toronto. And the filmmaker Grace Glowicki.

Ben: the band Truck Violence in Montreal and OK Pederson, a visual artist in Montreal who is a close friend and has made some great videos for us…Hedgesitting, for example.

You’re about to head to Australia for a run of dates and the Against the Grain festival; beyond the shows themselves, what are you most curious to experience in the Australian landscape?

Ev: kangaroos, koalas, platypus, gosh…. So many animals I want to set eyes on.

Ben: I’m most curious about the plant life, I stare at maple trees all day long in Montreal so I’m looking forward to some Wattles and Gum Trees

The Brisbane lineup is incredibly dense, featuring the likes of Stereolab and Protomartyr; are there any specific acts on that bill that you’ve been following or are particularly desperate to side-stage during the tour?

Ev: Stereolab for me. But I’m gunna try to catch them from crowd-side. Sounds better!

Ben: Good Boy have a really nice sense of harmony so I wanna see them for sure

With Cost of Living Adjustment being described as your most 'refined' offering, how are you approaching the challenge of translating these intricate, layered studio arrangements into a high-energy live setting for the Australian crowds?

Ev: we’re staying true to our usual trio set-up and letting the energy speak for itself. There’ll be parts missing for sure, but we think the vibe is right.

With the album out on May 8th and the tour following immediately after, how are you finding the "adjustment" from the isolated writing phase to the public-facing, high-intensity reality of an international tour?

Ben: Good question, it seems so distant and daunting until the first day of tour arrives and we reemerge as travelling musicians, performing our tunes and hawking our wares. Back to normal!

Which record is everyone in the band listening to at the moment, the one’s on heavy rotation?

Ev: an album of Tsapiky music out on Sublime Frequencies called “Tsapiky! Modern Music from Southwest Madagascar”

Ben: Australienation by Punter to get me into the Australian punk lore. 

Any final words?

Ben: We can’t wait to be there. Come to a show, we are a strong live band and honestly just watching Evan drum would be reason alone.