Coves

Coves takes its name from an antiquated expression for a close companion. The psychedelic garage pop duo comprises vocalist Rebekah Wood and multi-instrumentalist John Ridgard. The pair first encountered each other while working at a music venue in Leamington Spa, England, and chose to create music together after an evening of heavy drinking. Drawing from 1960s garage rock and innovative producers such as Joe Meek, Phil Spector, and Martin Hannett, they tracked a self-titled EP at Ridgard’s studio and issued it independently in August 2011. Those recordings drew interest from A&R executive and 1965 label founder James Endeacott, who later joined their management, and from Echo & the Bunnymen, who brought the duo on tour in early 2012. After signing with Cross Keys, Coves issued their proper debut EP, Cast a Shadow, in May 2012, followed by the single “Last Desire” on 1965 in March 2013. Later that year their version of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game” attracted further online notice, and the single “Beatings” surfaced in October. Another single, “Cast a Shadow,” preceded the March 2014 arrival of the band’s first album, Soft Friday. After relocating to London the pair began work on a second album, collaborating with producer Cam Blackwood on the swaggering, harder-edged Peel, released in 2016.