The Corner Laughers
THE CORNER LAUGHERS release “Rainbow Cardigan” off of their upcoming album Concerns of Wasp and Willow.
Beloved indie pop combo The Corner Laughers return to make good on the promise of a long-awaited new album –their first since 2020 –with the new single “Rainbow Cardigan.” The follow-up to the delightful surprise of their 2025 single (and contribution to Big Stir Records' Halloween celebration) “Dark Matter,” the new track is a blend of melancholy and exuberance that's a thrilling sign of things to come. For longtime fans of The Corner Laughers, the sound will be instantly recognizable, kicking off in a minor key with the solo vocals and jangly ukulele of Karla Kane (both distinctive calling cards of the band), spinning a tale where the title garment is the only splash of color in a graveyard on a grey British morning. When the chorus hits, though, it's positively jubilant, all major chords, driving rhythms, and interlocking harmonies. Still, there's a dichotomy at the core: “We were old, yes, we were ancient; we were young, yes, we were barely conceived.” For all that depth and intrigue, it's also flat-out catchy, with intricate acoustic guitar by KHOI HUYNH, spaghetti western bass and electric guitar by KC Bowman (both also supplying those harmonies), and propelled over the edge by a folk-punk explosion of drums by Charlie Crabtree and, coming in with a burst of electric guitar distortion for the grand finale, an exciting cameo by original band co-founder Angela Rhoades(nee Silletto), her first reunion on record since leaving the band more than a decade ago.
Karla offers some insight into the song's inspiration.“Often when I write a song, it starts with a little scrap of something, and only after it’s all stitched together is the pattern unveiled. Here, the concept seems to be of a woven textile piece representing the knitting together of time and space –a kind of cosmic map or web. The song is a bit of a microcosm of the upcoming album Concerns of Wasp and Willow as a whole, with its imagery of colors and shades, its distinctive blend of sadness and joy, anxiety and wonder.” For all its fanciful imagery, the song is rooted in reality: “There is, in fact, a real rainbow cardigan, which I fell in love with and bought from a little shop with a wonderful owner in the town of Kendal, England. The opening lines talk literally about climbing up to Kendal Castle on a cold and rainy day.
”Kane continues: “Looking around at the ruins, I realized that old as they were, in the grand, universal scheme of things, they –and all of humankind’s civilizations and buildings –really aren’t old at all. And that leads into how it feels to me, heading into my own 'middle ages,' sometimes unspeakably ancient and sometimes like a little child. Perhaps you’ve felt the same? We then move to one of my favorite places on Earth – Lake Lagunitas, in Fairfax, California, where I grew up – and to the way reliving past mistakes can seem to replay endlessly. I was thinking of earthquake faults and topographic maps, which led me back to textiles. All the good and bad and colors and textures of lifewoven and wrapped up together, I suppose.
With “Rainbow Cardigan,” The Corner Laughers present one more panel in the quilt of their forthcoming album, a miniature masterpiece of form mirroring content that's as heartfelt as it is melodically rich. There's much more to be unraveled, and we'll be thrilled to bring it to you very soon.
PRESS QUOTES:
“The most British sounding American band you could ever wish to enjoy … a delicious cup of folk-pop Earl Grey “ - Uke Magazine
“The Corner Laughers craft a brand of pop that’s sophisticated, clever, erudite and memorable — one that follows in the proud tradition of great songwriting artists like Carole King and Paul McCartney.” - SF Weekly
“Songwriting at its best ... what great Pop music is all about.” - Trust the Doc
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Bandcamp: https://cornerlaughers.bandcamp.com
