Corook (Interview)

Like many of their fans, I discovered Corook’s music on TikTok, and I was immediately charmed by the sweetness and humor and directness of their songs. Honestly, as someone who is newer to using TikTok — I only set up my page about a year ago — I’ve been surprised that many artists who are hugely popular there, with viral videos amassing millions of views, have relatively little exposure in more traditional music media. Which is silly, because there’s some awesome shit on there, and as if music needs more arbitrary silos than it already has. Anyway, Corook has been one of my favorite TikTok discoveries and I was delighted when they agreed to get together over Zoom for this interview. Last week, Corook released a great new EP called “How Do I Relate To You?” that includes their latest viral hit “Scooby,” so look for that online now. In the interview we delve into the making of the EP and, as usual, all the important creative milestones leading up to it. We talk about the impact of a Linkin Park DVD their dad brought home, relating to Britney Spears, teaching themself guitar with help from YouTube, obsessing over Sara Bareilles, the piano as a tool for exploratory songwriting, going back to cowboy chords, learning how to go viral and then learning that going viral isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, collaborating like dads in a garage for their new EP, and more.