What is your name and where are you currently?
Chase Cohl. I am in Laurel Canyon, in Los Angeles.
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Are you where you normally live?
I normally split my time between Los Angeles, New York City & upstate New york.
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What are you currently reading?
I usually have a few books on the go at once. Currently it’s Mating in captivity, by Esther Perel, which has been on my list forever, and a collection of Federico Garcia Lorca poems.
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What are you currently watching?
I’m finding that I hardly have the attention span to watch much of much, honestly, but I binged the entire season of Normal People in one night like a lunatic. Also, Mrs. America is fantastic.
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What are you currently listening to?
Depends on the day. Bobby Charles or Augustus Pablo in the morning, The Band, Dolly Parton or Alton Ellis at night.
I don’t like to listen to a lot of modern stuff while I’m working on my own music, either it influences me too much, or brings up feelings of defeat & inadequacy. Both are shit.
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What have you been eating the most? Do you have a recipe to share?
A comical amount of fresh fruit, variations of oats, spicy pickles, labneh on everything, about 85 cups of Earl Grey per day.
I spent the first month or so adapting "healthy versions" of all my Mum’s baked goods recipes, but had to cool it on that before my trousers stopped doing up completely.
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How are you moving your body/exercising?
I hike through the canyon every morning with my dog, Papa, & do zoom pilates classes with my favourite teacher here & a group of friends 5-6 days a week. It helps me to be held accountable.
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If you’re buying anything, what is it?
Fancy cheeses, weird pottery from the craft section of Etsy, tiny slices of recording gear as I’ve been building a makeshift home studio.
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What’s one new thing you started doing big or small since this all happened? (Like a new skill/a hobby or even habit)
I’ve become embarrassingly obsessed with researching the history of houses in my neighbourhood. I’ll pick one I like on a hike, write down the address & learn everything about it that night.
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Tell me about your evening routine! And your morning one too!
I eat dinner most nights at 530pm like a senior citizen. I find I don’t sleep as well if I eat late. So I’ll cook, mostly veg or salmon & usually catch up with a friend over facetime while I eat, then I run a bath & sit in it until I prune & the water goes cold. Ridiculously long. Occasionally I'll have a whiskey or a glass of wine, but less and less these days. I get into bed early & watch a movie or write or listen to music. Honestly, it’s pretty quiet, but on the days I can keep anxieties at bay, I’m finding it to be a fairly peaceful time.
In the mornings, I wake up, do my TM practice, chug a litre of water, make a cup of tea & head on a hike. I find silence to be highly underrated so I try not to crowd my morning with sound too much.
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What’s one way big or small that you’ve been helping others?
I’ve been dropping off tons of baked goods to neighbours & sponsoring shelter dogs.
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Do you know of any good charities or causes people could donate to?
So many! Midnight Mission, The Centre in Hollywood, Gimme Shelter Animal Rescue in NY & the Labelle Foundation in LA.
The David Lynch foundation also does incredible work teaching underprivileged children & frontline Covid workers meditation to help manage anxiety.
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What keeps you sane?
Writing, making music & being able to check in with my family & friends. I *try* to do all three every day. Most days I miss at least one, but the effort is there.
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What one thing can’t you wait to do?
Make a record with a full band live off the floor. Get dressed up. Put on makeup for a reason. Put on shoes for a reason. Fly to Canada, where I’m from. Jump in a lake. Order a cocktail. Play a show.
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Who has been the most interesting/unexpected person you’ve spoken with since this started?
I’ve been talking to old friends from Canada who I don’t often have the chance to keep up with consistently, which has been so refreshing & grounding & incredibly funny.
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What’s one thing you’re grateful for?
Having learned long ago to be someone who enjoys my own company. Also great music, having my family to talk with & the privilege of being able to take a walk in my neighbourhood without fear.
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Anything else to share?
I’ve learned that it’s okay if some days all you do is take a walk & stare at the ceiling for 12 hours. It’s also more than okay to feel happiness & to laugh. Being kind & patient with ourselves is absolutely crucial right now.
Laughter & joy are absolutely crucial right now. Joy is good for the immune system. Last week I spent two whole days in my robe, why not take advantage of the fact that nobody is judging you right now?!