SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: WOODEN OVERCOAT – “HOME”

WOODEN OVERCOAT – “HOME”

A SPILL EXCLUSIVE VIDEO PREMIERE

Over the past decade, Portland has quietly cemented itself as one of America’s most vital music capitals, fostering a lineage of artists rooted in a laid-back West Coast sensibility. There’s a distinct sound that’s emerged from the city—sun-warped jangle-pop fused with psychedelia, where warmth, texture, and melody take precedence over gloss. It’s a scene defined as much by its positive, communal energy as its hazy, reverb-drenched aesthetic.

Today we bring you a case in point with “Home”, the debut single from Wooden Overcoat. Drifting in on a tide of tape echo and soft-focus distortion, “Home” immediately situates itself in that sweet, narcotic space between dream-pop and blissed-out psych. There’s an unmistakable kinship with the blurred, oceanic textures of DIIV, but rather than leaning into cool detachment, Wooden Overcoat’s music feels warmer—almost glowing from within. The guitars shimmer and smear into each other in a way that recalls The Holy Drug Couple’s languid haze, while the rhythm section keeps things gently tethered, never letting the track dissolve entirely into atmosphere.

What stands out most is the balance between intimacy and expanse. Brant Hajek’s vocals sit low in the mix, half-buried in reverb, evoking the wistful distance of The Allah-Las at their most introspective, yet the melodic sensibility carries a psych-pop sweetness that nods toward Tame Impala’s more tender moments. There’s a homespun quality to the production—fitting for a basement-born project—that gives the song its emotional core. Rather than polish away imperfections, “Home” leans into its “gooey haze,” letting textures bleed and overlap in a way that feels organic and quietly immersive.

Lyrically, the track’s meditation on impermanence and fleeting connection adds a subtle weight beneath its sun-dappled surface. That tension—between warmth and decay, beauty and dissolution—echoes through the arrangement, giving “Home” a depth that rewards repeat listens. It’s an inviting first glimpse of the Hello Sunbeam EP, suggesting Wooden Overcoat are less interested in revivalism than in reinterpreting familiar psych and jangle-pop tropes into something personal, tender, and slightly unmoored from time.

The trippy accompanying video was created by Italian multi-arts visionary Francesca Bonci, who also happened to create the newly released “Goo Goo Muck” video by The Dandy Warhols.

The sonic brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Brant Hajek, Wooden Overcoat began in the isolation of 2020, when he returned to music after a hiatus, recording songs he’d written in his late teens. What started as a practice in self-production transformed into a deep creative obsession with soundscapes and gear. Recording in a rented basement, Hajek built the foundation of the EP through spontaneous experimentation—often veering away from planned sessions to follow sudden bursts of inspiration.

Hajek shares, “When I wrote “Home”, it kind of poured out of me, and I think I’m still interpreting it. But to me, it’s about acknowledging something beautiful, even if it can’t last. Two people who feel naturally paired, like elements of nature, slowly decomposing and self-destructing. It’s about the inevitable demise of anything, and ultimately that we need to appreciate what is here right now and live in that magical existence. It’s about having the capacity to admire even when things are burning out.”

While Hajek performed every instrument on the studio recordings to preserve the project’s intimate DIY spirit, he has since found his tribe, assembling a full live band to translate these compositions to the stage. With Hajek leading the way on guitar and lead vocals, Wooden Overcoat is rounded out by Dillon Glusker on bass, Mac on guitar, and Brian Levin on drums and backing vocals. Through community, the band creates a fantastic dreamlike environment for like-minded people.

“Home” is available from digital platforms everywhere, including Bandcamp. The Hello Sunbeam album will be released on May 9.

CREDITS

Written, recorded, mixed and mastered by Brant Hajek
Performed by Brant Hajek
Recorded in a house in Portland, Oregon
Only humans made this art
Cover art + photo by Brant Hajek
Band photos by Brett Chauncey
Video by Francesca Bonci 
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR

Wooden Overcoat
[Single]
(Independent)
Release Date: March 24, 2026

Artist Links

Background Photo Credit: Brett Chauncey