As Cohen Hartman, lead singer of Baton Rouge’s own Cohen & the Ghost, spoke with nostalgia about a recent Arcade Fire show, his guitarist, Neal Bonham, noodled the neck of an acoustic guitar, playing the “Imperial March” from the movie “Star Wars.” Unlike Darth Vader, Hartman and his eight-piece band don’t have any plans to destroy the world, but they have become an integral part of the Baton Rouge music scene. Before an upcoming East Coast tour, Cohen & the Ghost will play some spring dates in Baton Rouge, including one Friday night at Northgate Tavern and another April 19 at the LSU Amphitheater for the O’Brien House. “Paper Moon,” the band’s latest album, took five years to make. Hartman sings husky metaphors, weaving dim tales against the backdrop of multi-tracked stringed instruments and rattles of percussion. “Moon” is his seventh album. “I wrote my first album when I was 14,” Hartman, 19, said. “But I don’t count the first two because they are terrible.” Those first two albums were written during school breaks and recorded in Lockport, La. in a studio his grandfather owns. Hartman’s first albums featured guest musicians who played various parts. On his most recent disc, he utilized a core band of four members. Now, the band has expanded to eight members. Hartman provides vocals, acoustic guitars and other string instruments. Andre Dantin also plays guitars and other string instruments. Neal Bonham, distant relative to Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham, also plays guitar. Philip Gaudet plays bass, and Corie Ledet plays drums. Scottie Thomas plays violins with Dorothy Brignac and Sarah Daughtery on backup vocals. All members are 19 to 22 years old.
The transition from high-school singer/songwriter to a Broken Social Scene-esque collective of band members was lined with shows and albums. “At 15, I played almost every single YMCA I could,” Hartman said. “I never took a break and put albums out consistently.” The response has caused Hartman to grow from youth centers to headline slots at Spanish Moon and Northgate Tavern, playing for “what seemed like 200 people on a weeknight.” But even when he was in high school, Hartman’s talent caught the attention of Rob Mulhearn, lead singer/guitarist of Baton Rouge’s Secret Annexe. “The first time I heard him play I realized what a great singer/ songwriter he was,” Mulhearn said. “I asked him if he could open some shows for my band, but he couldn’t at that time.” Mulhearn was humbled, comparing his own songs that he wrote in high school to Hartmans.’ Over the years, they kept in contact. Hartman noted that the latest album couldn’t have been done without the help of Mulhearn and his band. “Rob helped out a lot with designing the album layout,” Hartman said. “He and Secret Annexe gave us advice on promotion and manufacturing the album.” Mulhearn said he is glad that Hartman found a group of talented musicians. “They recorded a CD on par with any CD to come out of Baton Rouge,” he said. Cohen & the Ghost also managed to get an impressive play count and number of requests at KLSU, leading to an acoustic half-hour special and interview earlier this year. So far, the albums have been written entirely by Hartman, but he looks forward to collaborating with his new band. “We’re looking to expand musically and use new instruments. We have most the next albums written.” The band is planning to release a split album – one folk, one rock – complete with a DVD, featuring five music videos and a documentary. Their East Coast tour is scheduled this summer with indie folk-pop band Fernandina.
—-Contact Matthew Sigur at [email protected]