Corey Flood

photos by Pamela Ayala

words by Jaycee Rockhold

Corey Flood is a Ween-cover-band-turned-rock-trio. The three of them - Ivy GrayKlein, Em Boltz, and Juliette Rando, capture the uncanny. Their debut EP, “Wish You Hadn’t,” released in 2018 via Fire Talk Records, reminds me of the dark movement you see in the corner of your eye late at night. It’s brooding and dark, and smolders with a subdued intensity as they navigate through emotions that are difficult to put into words, like the disappointment from a toxic friendship or feeling empty.

How would you describe the DIY scene and your involvement in Philadelphia?

Juliette: It’s so nice. There are a lot of different scenes going on, but everyone is super supportive of each other. DIY has been good to us.

Are there people/places in Philadelphia that you think specifically encouraged your music career / helped it along (DIY spaces, venues, etc)?

Em: Planet Phitness.It was our first practice space, where we played our first show, and recorded our EP.

Ivy: DIY spaces are constantly evolving and changing so a lot of the ones that helped us early on don’t exist anymore, like All Nite Diner and No Face Studios. My perennial fave is Everybody Hits. Dave, the founder, is a primo human, and Scott, who does the baseball cards, is a mensch. It feels like summer camp there.

What other Philly-area bands are you listening to?

I: Puppy Angst, Lunch, Blowdryer, Mannequin Pussy, Empath, Tact

E: Sour Spirit, Boothe, Empath, Drill, Olivia Neutron-John.

What non-Philly bands are on your radar?

I: Emily Reo, Patio, the Funs, Dehd, Privacy Issues.

E: Marbled Eye, Wand, Gauche.

J: Giveaway, Dump Him.

A few of you were previously in a Ween cover band. What was the catalyst to make your own music?

I: Juliette and I did a Ween cover set for a benefit show and that was the first time we’d played together. The band I’d been in was on hiatus, so It was a good excuse to play with other people and see if that part of my life could be sustained in a different way. I booked shows in college with Juliette and knew she was a great person to collaborate with, so playing music together felt like a natural progression!

J: I hadn’t been in a band before, and I remember taking the Ween cover band so seriously. I wrote out all my drum parts by hand and would practice all the time (and it was only 3 songs!). I really wanted to play music in Philly, but didn’t know how to make that happen, so I was always hoping the cover band would turn into a real band. I’m so grateful Ivy wanted that, too!

Your first EP, “Wish You Hadn’t,” came out last year and you are now in the works of making a full-length. What have you learned in the process so far? E: The first EP came together so nicely, but it also felt so rushed! It has felt nice to spend the last two years intentionally cultivating a sound. We had only played maybe two shows when we recorded the EP and I had only been in the band for about a month. I feel I’ve learned more about what kind of guitar tones I want and what kind of shows I’m interested in playing.

J: Yes, it’s really interesting to compare the experience of making something when we were just getting to know each other vs. having played together for 1.5 years. When we recorded that EP, it was all songs Ivy had written, but this album is much more collaborative.

If you can speak on the fulllength, how do you think it’ll change sound wise and thematically?

I: Well we recorded them in an actual studio instead of a basement, so that’s a big upgrade in terms of production! We also wrote the songs more collaboratively, whereas the EP stemmed from the first songs I ever wrote and demoed in my room. The new album is much more reflective of us writing and experimenting as a group. I think the record plays a lot with the uncanny, like at surface level the songs may seem brighter, but the content is still dark and full of discordant emotions.

What do you all do outside of making music as Corey Flood? I: I work in academic publishing and spend a lot of time with my black pomeranian, Zelda.

E: I’m working on starting up a new musical project currently!

J: I work in HIV research and am finishing up a Master’s in public health.

What have you been inspired by recently?

I: This summer I read all of Ottessa Moshfegh’s books and that felt very immersive and unsettling in the best way.

E: Simone Weil and Nine Inch Nails, the production is just so incredible.

J: I moved recently and now I can hear church bells from my bedroom and cicadas when I ride my bike every morning and it’s been making me feel very romantic.

What are your goals for the remainder of the year?

E: To get out on the road and play the record and to build a guitar pedal.

J: I want to learn how to use my drum machine.

I: Play some shows again after our summer hiatus, drink more water.