Produced by Alex Newport, Yellow Coat is a masterpiece of heartbreak, equal parts lost Sixties AM radio hits, folk-pop beauty and dark night of the soul music. Taking inspiration from Van Gogh’s Dear Theo along with John Steinbeck’s A Life in Letters, and stamped with the honesty and intimacy of something not meant to be heard, Yellow Coat is the product of Costa penning letters to himself about the end of a relationship that had lasted almost a decade.
As his second LP for Dangerbird Records and the follow-up to his well-received concept record Santa Rosa Fangs – an album that revealed similar storytelling qualities present in the work of other likeminded American songwriters such as Kurt Vile and Damien Jurado – Yellow Coat channels Costa’s raw emotion into a collection of hooky love songs, most of them awash in strings, Mellotron, harmonies and groove.
After connecting with Newport (Death Cab for Cutie, At the Drive-In), the songs of Yellow Coat took shape with Costa enlisting the help of touring musicians and friends from afar. From the insinuating acoustic riffs and lo-fi beats of the album’s lead single “Avenal” and the snappy fatalism of “Slow” to the almost church-like fragility of “Last Love Song,” Yellow Coat is brimming with bittersweet narratives of love’s power to both soothe and devastate. For instance, when Costa first wrote what became “Last Love Song,” it had a different title and was meant to be an anniversary gift. A true testament to the concept that songs evolve and can change meaning over time, the track turned into a break-up song, its sadness as palpable as the sound of Costa’s fingers on his guitar strings.
Matt Costa will be making the following appearances this fall. Dates below with more to be added soon.
9/25 – Nashville, TN @ City Winery Lounge
9/30 – San Juan Capistrano, CA @ Coach House
10/08 – Los Angeles, CA @ Venice West
10/13 – Lubbock, TX @ Blue Light **
10/14 – Tusla, OK @ Vanguard **
10/16 – St. Louis, MO @ Del Mar Hall **
10/17 – Newport, KY @ Southgate House Revival **
10/19 – Ann Arbor, MI @ The Ark **
10/21 - Aurora, IL @ The Venue **
10/22 – Chicago, IL @ Martyr’s **
10/24 – Milwaukee, WI @ Shank Hall **
10/25 – Madison, WI @ High Noon **
10/26 – St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club **
10/27 – Davenport, IA @ Racoon Motel **
10/29 – Pueblo, CO @ Brules Ale House **
10/31 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge **
11/04 - Petaluma CA @ Mystic Theatre **
11/05 – Santa Cruz, CA @ Atrium at Catalyst **
11/06 – Sutter Creek, CA @ Sutter Creek Theatre **
11/07 – Berkeley, CA @ Cornerstone **
11/08 - Morro Bay, CA @ The Siren **
11/09 - San Diego, CA @ Casbah **
**with David Ramirez
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