Your Arms Are My Cocoon Live
In 2020, I was 17 and emo. Your Arms Are My Cocoon, a band from Chicago described as “bedroom screamo” came out with their first and only EP. On September 19th of this year I saw them open for awakebutstillinbed and Home Is Where, both really great projects as well, at the Holocene in Portland OR. They gave a heartbreaking and passionate performance, bringing fresh dynamics and intimate meaning to their EP. Tyler Odom, the guitar player and vocalist of the band wrote and produced these tracks in his room, his car, wherever he felt the urge to. This tour is the first tour where he had a full live band playing with him. A bassist, drummer, and Sax player. It wasn’t a solo project anymore and yet, all the songs performed the night at the Holocene were made by Tyler. I was nervous to approach Your Arms Are My Cocoon as a group project, but the band was striking and you could feel all of their emotions bouncing off the walls.
The sax player Lydia (last name), took the role of playing the sweet melodies from the recorded songs that are originally played on a melodica. A live drummer (name) took over for the MIDI drums which took up a whole new kind of sound in the recorded versions, “dancey” tracks. A bassist (name) adding movement and another voice to the songs. Tyler's voice didn’t even need a microphone, half the time he screamed the words without it, whether he was on his knees, or getting closer to the crowd. It felt as if his screams were finally set free from his bedroom (screamo) closet.
When they played “Metamorphosis”, one of their top tracks, I was struck with a tight feeling in my chest. The sorrowful song reminds me of growth and change, just like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly. The minute Tyler started strumming the guitar the whole band sat down on the stage. I was in the back. I couldn't see them anymore, but it didn’t matter because I was watching everyone in the crowd swaying along to the song, holding their hearts, putting their arms around one another, even shedding a few tears. The music picked up and Tyler began to sing, “If I could be a river I'd sweep you away/Deposit all my creatures at the grave where you lay/So I could sleep with you again.”(I was not crying ok!)
Whether listening to this song when it first came out or hearing it live at this show, everyone was moved by this song. In the recorded version he layers his voice and makes it sound like a choir. The project being just Tyler, then a band, then an audience, then a stage is compelling and I’m sure takes a lot of dedication and hard work. Your Arms Are My Cocoon was able to transfer their sound and feelings so well by engaging with the audience, being there for one another, and owning the vulnerability on stage. Everyone in the space was singing and screaming along with “Metamorphosis”, just like Tyler sings it on the recorded version, and just like I did in my room three years ago.
