The DRIVE Issue: Your Arms Are My Cocoon
WORDS BY MADELINE SCHULTZ, PHOTOS BY ELLIOT NOVAK
It’s safe to say that no one has thought to mix Bedroom Pop and Screamo in the same way as Your Arms Are My Cocoon. They meld together delicate, lo-fi tones with powerful, emotional lyricism and intense Screamo vocals. Before showcasing this unique sound at Memorial Union’s Der Rathskeller, I got a chance to get to know the inspirations and origins behind their music.
Your Arms Are My Cocoon originated as a solo project and has now evolved into a four-piece band: Tyler, DK, Lobo and Alyssa. After Tyler completed his first solo tour as Your Arms Are My Cocoon, he couldn’t shake the vision of how a full band could elevate the sound and performance. “In March 2023, I opened interviews for band members. There I met DK and we connected immediately.” After posting an open call on Instagram, he met the talented Alyssa. Alyssa remarked that her “high school jazz band audition secured [her] spot as a band member, playing the flute and saxophone.” Tyler originally met Lobo a year earlier at an awakebutstillinbed show, but the timing wasn’t right. Lobo said, “I unfortunately had to decline Tyler’s initial offer due to my commitment to teaching but now I see myself committing to YAAMC and awakebutstillinbed as a full-time drummer.” Finally having a full team together, everyone then had to navigate what being a full band with different backgrounds and experiences meant for their sound.
Location is a heavy influence for YAAMC. When writing the first EP, Tyler was attending high school in Houston, Texas. There he couldn’t find a community that enjoyed emo or screamo genres. “I had this idea to combine screamo and bedroom pop, the genre basis for YAAMC, but had to rely on nontraditional means to make this idea a reality. With only a few instruments, GarageBand and a laptop drum program, I developed my self-titled EP,” Tyler explained. Influenced by positive change and growing into a happier person, the EP focused on metamorphosis as a person within an evolving environment.
Change continues to play a strong role in YAAMC’s sound. After moving to Chicago, Tyler experienced a breakup while recording the second split EP, The Battle at Kiganjima Island. This change continues to impact YAAMC’s music. Tyler revealed the upcoming album explores his life. Tyler said, “The album is based on my personal growth from leaving a relationship and is in part influenced by the culture shift from my move to the Midwest.” When asked what two words would describe the upcoming album, Lobo and Tyler chose “gnarly and traumatic.”
With more screamo and emo influences in the Chicago-Milwaukee area, YAAMC establishes a community with other artists and draws inspiration from local acts.“I’m really inspired by performances in the punk-hardcore scene, and take that on in my own bass playing,” DK said. Alyssa on the other hand focuses on local and traditional jazz performances. Boston bands, the Brave Little Abacus, Bed Bug, Algae Bloom and early 2010s South California screamo bands influence the overall current sound of the band.
Tyler shared that “Becoming a full band, especially with members that don’t have prior experience, has led to them learning with each other day by day what being a full band means for performances. We all go to shows together to support and grow our community, but also to draw together what makes a great performance.” Connecting their work back to the now-booming Texas music scene, they take influence from the band Homewrecker.
Looking forward to this year, all the members of Your Arms Are My Cocoon are motivated to do the most they’ve ever attempted to accomplish. Tyler has filled their calendar already with tour dates and shows to put their band out there. While all are excited to play more shows, Lobo is focused on beating his personal shows-played record this year. DK and Alyssa are excited to explore their own performing style and improving their stage presence. Without a doubt, 2024 will be a year to remember for Your Arms Are My Cocoon.
