Overcoats is a

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

based

indie pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and sub ...

duo consisting of singer-songwriters Hana Elion and JJ Mitchell. Their debut album, ''YOUNG'', was released on April 21, 2017, through

Arts & Crafts Productions Arts & Crafts Productions is a music-focused media and artist services company that offers information as an independent record label, management firm, merchandiser, and publisher worldwide. It has earned 21 Juno Awards. Arts & Crafts has been ...

. Their second full length record, ''The Fight'', came out March 6th, 2020 on Loma Vista Recordings. On June 4, 2021, they released an EP, ''Used To Be Scared Of The Dark'', featuring collaborations with Middle Kids and Tennis (also out on Loma Vista Recordings).

Biography

Background

Elion was born in New York but grew up in

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, spending time in

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

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, and

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in her younger years. Mitchell was born in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

but grew up in New York,

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, and

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. The two ended up crossing paths in 2011 at

Wesleyan University Wesleyan University ( ) is a Private university, private liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut. Founded in 1831 as a Men's colleges in the United States, men's college under the auspices of the Methodist Epis ...

, a liberal arts college in

Middletown, Connecticut Middletown is a city located in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States, Located along the Connecticut River, in the central part of the state, it is south of Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford. In 1650, it was incorporated by English settler ...

. Elion and Mitchell were immediately drawn to each other when they first met, finding connection in their, "diverse love of music". Both halves of Overcoats describe the first time hearing each other sing as an, "epiphany, with the harmony of their combined voices leading to personal and individual discoveries."

Musical style and influences

Overcoats list The Chicks, Simon & Garfunkel and Kacey Musgraves as some of their influences. They take inspiration from the harmonies of folk music while melding sonic backdrops of electronic, pop, and americana.”

''YOUNG''

After releasing their self-titled EP ''Overcoats'' in 2015, Elion and Mitchell began working on a follow-up project and enlisted producers such as

Nicolas Vernhes Nicolas Vernhes is a French record producer, recording engineer and record label owner. He is best known for his work with the American indie rock acts Animal Collective, Deerhunter, The Fiery Furnaces, Dirty Projectors, Wild Nothing and The War ...

(Daughter, The War On Drugs, Dirty Projectors) and experimental R&B artist

Autre Ne Veut Arthur Ashin (born 20 April 1982), better known by his stage name Autre Ne Veut, is an American singer-songwriter and musician from New York City. The name Autre Ne Veut is taken from an inscription in French on a 15th-century British dress orna ...

. Released on April 21, 2017, ''YOUNG'' has received favorable reviews.

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called ''YOUNG'', "One of the best albums of 2017" and praised the duo's passion and ambition, stating, "Overcoats' ''Young'' is a record driven by ambition and passion, not craft. That's not to say Hana Elion and JJ Mitchell aren't terrifically talented singers and songwriters: What sets them apart is that I believe them. That the emotion in their harmonies and the space they give each other is filled with compassion. I believe their songs of loneliness and doubt."

''The Fool''

On September 4, 2019, the duo released a new single called ‘The Fool.’ In the accompanyin
promotional video
the duo shave their heads. Hana and JJ provided the accompanying statement with the video: Produced by Justin Raisen and Yves Rothman, The Fight has been described as a “ten-song battle cry.” Despite more of a rock & roll grittiness to the sound, two voices singing in harmony is still at the core of The Fight.

Used To Be Scared Of The Dark

Enlisting the help of their friends, Overcoats made a 4 track EP consisting of collaborations with Tennis, Middle Kids, Lawrence Rothman, and Local Natives.

Horsegirl

In November of 2022, Overcoats released “Horsegirl,” a country-tinged indie pop song, their first with distribution company Thirty Tigers.

Touring history

The band toured their first album in North America and parts of Europe from 2017-2018. In addition to headline touring, Overcoats has toured opening for Mitski, Maggie Rogers, Cold War Kids, Tennis and Japanese House.

Discography

Albums

* ''Young'' (2017) * ''The Fight'' (2020) * ''Winner'' (2023)

References

{{Authority control American pop music groups Female musical duos Electronic music duos