Taylor Cochrane of 36? is Still Trying Not to Lose His Mind

Photos By Nikki Celis

Taylor Cochrane, frontman of 36?, has been reaching for the sun for quite some time. His sound—an eclectic mix of bright fuzz-pop and sunny alt-rock anthems— offer listeners a frantic bout of indie-rock psychedelia reminiscent of artists like Mikal Cronin and the late Jay Reatard. Initially founded as a “basement recording project” in 2006, Cochrane has only recently taken this project seriously within the past three years adding friends Ryan Kusz, Mike Malkin and Scott White to the ensemble.

To call these Calgary indie-rockers busy would be an understatement. Within the span of a year, they’ve released their previous 2014 LP, Where Do We Go From Here? then reworked the album releasing it as Reprise in the same year and most recently debuted their new EP Tiger Tail. Currently, 36? are working on releasing a split LP with Calgary experimental folk band the Ashley Hundred. Cochrane says the new release will be “a lot darker than Tiger Tail. I mean, I named Tiger Tail off of my favourite ice cream,” Cochrane laughs. “It’s like orange and black licorice—it’s a polarizing flavour of ice cream." Not surprisingly, the album may stir the same effect as the lighthearted EP veers from lighthearted ramblings to exploring themes on existentialism. “One of the songs on upcoming the split LP talks about seeking constant stimulus to the point where life kind of passes you by,” Cochrane says.

On the album's second track “[" target="_blank">Paperback](http://<iframe width=),” the narrator is disillusioned with real life as Cochrane opens with the lines “I took my paperback and read cover to cover / I love the characters for their flaws/… I had to open it again.” And while the themes are inherently dark, much of it is impersonal. “Much of my songwriting comes from ideas,” he laments. “With ‘Paperback,’ it’s kind of weird. I don’t actually read a lot of books. My ADD is so bad that my reading is terrible,” he laughs. “I’ll be re-reading the same sentence over and over again after, like, ten pages. It’s kind of ironic.”

Delving into his struggle with ADD, Cochrane attributes his ability to create music in such a short time span to his former reliance on medication. “The medication that I was on caused me to not sleep because I was always so stimulated,” he explains. “It would supercharge my emotions while also making me incredibly efficient.” The medication helped Cochrane hone his creativity, allowing him to record the band's first three 36? albums (love.hate.bondage, YOUR PROTEST SUCKS, FISTU INAF!) within a year. “As soon as high school was over I went off ADD medication and I kind of had a slump—I didn’t have that really intense muse because I was actually happy and not going through really intense psychosis all the time.”

It took some time until Cochrane was able to find a means to delve into music without the reliance on stimulants. Although, he says coffee really helps the writing process, which he finds is a lot better than what he experienced before. “I would be getting attacked by my own hallucinations; reality would be distorted to the point where I wouldn’t know what was actually happening. That whole experience, the trauma, pushed me to where I am now. I feel like I can access that creative spark without losing my mind,” he says. “I flew super close to the sun—on the brink of disaster—and came away with an interesting story to tell.”

Although he’s stopped using medication, he’s found catharsis through touring. For Cochrane, the interaction between his band and the audience is stimulating. “I’m in my element,” he says. “It’s a very surreal experience where I experience a very intense, euphoric moment that lasts anywhere between 30-45 minutes.” Having recently finished his tour in the UK, playing a few shows here and there with Calgary rockers Fist City and Viet Cong, Cochrane says he hasn’t really attempted to establish much of a following until recently. But with the tour’s positive reception, he remains hopeful, “Things are slowly falling into place and it feels like we’re making waves in a small way, at least.”

Nikki Celis is a writer based in Calgary. Follow Him on Twitter - @celisnikki